VEGAN Oatmeal Toppings made 3 ways

Sneak veggies into your breakfasts with these VEGAN Oatmeal Toppings – Pumpkin Pie | Berry Beet | Banana Date

Oatmeal has always been a sort of sore point for me – I’ve never quite warmed up to gooey things that aren’t chocolate. While skipping breakfast never bothered me before (I can hear your gasps, gah! I know, it’s bad to skip breakfast!) the last couple of weeks, I’ve been ravenous even before I’m done with that first cup of coffee in the morning. Maybe it’s the stress of moving, the fact that I’m still finding a place for all my things in the new home, or maybe it’s just a bad case of PMS this month, either ways, I am simply hungry. All.The.Time.

While oatmeal isn’t my first choice for breakfast, I have a few sachets of instant oats left behind by folks who stayed with us over Thanksgiving and it’s been bugging me every time I open the breakfast cabinet (that’s right! There’s so much cabinet space in this kitchen, that all the over-the-fridge crap from the old apartment gets it’s own shelf here!).

And you know what bugs me even more than those packets of oats? The last mini pumpkins of last year that have miraculously survived winter in good standing! So this was more a clean-out-the-leftovers-that-are-bugging-me kinda project, although in hindsight, I should have probably done this pre-moving. Oh well, there’s a time for everything, and this one’s time is now!

The morning’s have been nothing short of blissful now, I must say. Warm breakfast that microwaves in a minute. CHECK! Three kind of toppings in the fridge, ready to be dolloped and rotated throughout the week so as to not be boring. CHECK! Foolproof deliciousness. CHECK!

Have I been eating more topping than oatmeal? I neither wish to confirm nor deny that statement. I plead the fifth on that.

And for those of you who follow me on Instagram and happened to catch my Insta story last week, this image below is the first photo I took in my new home! I was putting it off for as long as I could, worried about how the light would be like in a new place, but some of you messaged me about my food photography and ended up inspiring courage in me to finally take that first step. And for that I love you and adore you and thank you!!!

These toppings (all three, in the quantities given below) should serve two adults for a week of breakfasts, IF responsibly topped *wink*

VEGAN Oatmeal Toppings #1 : Pumpkin Pie

-380 g pumpkin flesh, finely grated

-3/4 c sugar (or sweetener of preference, to taste)

-1 tbsp almond milk (or any other milk of choice)

-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

In a small heavy bottomed pan, add the grated pumpkin, sugar and almond milk. Cook on medium heat, covered until the pumpkin is cooked. Keep stirring ever so often to prevent burning. Once the pumpkin is cooked, add ground cinnamon. Remove from heat and cool completely before transferring to a clean, airtight container. Refrigerate for upto a week.

VEGAN Oatmeal Toppings #2 : Berry Beet

-198 g beetroot, finely grated

-335 g mixed berries (I used strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberry)

-1/4 c sugar (or sweetener of choice, to taste)

-1 tbsp almond milk (or milk of choice)

-a drop of vanilla bean paste (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract) *optional

In a small heavy bottomed pan, add the grated beets, sugar and almond milk. Cover and cook over medium heat, until the beets cook. Add the berries, continue cooking until the berries release their juices. Keep cooking till the syrup thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Remove from heat and cool completely before transferring to a clean, airtight container. Refrigerate for upto a week.

No veggies in here, but some days need a little extra deliciousness!

VEGAN Oatmeal Toppings #3 : Banana Date

-1 large yellow banana, sliced

-2 tbsp jaggery, powdered

-4 dates, chopped finely

-1 tbsp peanuts, crushed coarsely (or any other nuts of choice)

Combine all the ingredients (except peanuts) in a bowl and mash lightly with a fork. Stir in the peanuts, transfer to a clean, dry container and refrigerate for upto a week. If you like it crunchy, add the peanuts to your oatmeal bowl directly.

Which of these three catches your fancy the best? What others are your favorite oatmeal toppings? Let me know in the comments below!

When you make these amazing VEGAN Oatmeal toppings (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!