Recipe: Maple-Cinnamon Oatmeal

Planning for and having a baby is a lot like wedding planning. Add the word baby or wedding to anything and boom, it’s double the price. Anyone who has planned a wedding knows what I’m talking about. All of a sudden flowers, invitations, venues, etc…are beyond overpriced. I felt the same way when I started to navigate the world of baby products. Whether shampoo or laundry detergent, babies are a money making machine. Case in point: instant “baby oat cereal”. Marketed for babies, ground oat cereal costs $4.19 for an 8oz. box. A regular ol’ bag of quick cooking whole oats, which can be ground in 2 seconds, costs $3.47 for a 32oz. bag. Now I’m no rocket scientist, but I’m fairly certain 72 cents less for an extra 24 ounces is a good deal.

Here’s my quick and easy recipe for maple-cinnamon oatmeal. I use this as a base for many of Audrey’s breakfasts and always have a batch on hand. It lasts for 3-4 days in the fridge or a few months in the freezer. I buy bob’s red mill quick cooking oats and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. I grind the oats as needed, which keeps it fresh and helps prevent it from going rancid. This recipe is best when topped with in-season fruits, such as roasted apples and pears in winter or pureed/chopped berries, plums and peaches right now. Audrey’s favorite? A mashed banana mixed in, anytime of year….

Maple-Cinnamon Oatmeal

6 months + up

Makes 6 (2oz.) servings

• 1/2 cup quick cooking whole oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1 & 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Grind oats in a food processor until a fine powder consistency. In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in oats, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Let cool and serve.  Store in fridge for 3-4 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.  When reheating from the fridge or freezer make sure to add a bit more liquid – water, milk, breastmilk, rice milk, etc….

I store the oatmeal in the freezer in these great 1 oz. trays.  

* You could also use old fashioned rolled oats instead of quick cooking…if so, just whisk and stir for 10 minutes instead.