You ever play with your breakfast? Try to make it different colors, decorate it, add new things?
Well this recipe is a product of recipe boredom, and it turned out great! I knew I was in the mood for oats one morning, but I could feel the creative juices flowing and was inspired to do something different with them.
I had some blueberries in the fridge that I needed to use, and some Neufchâtel cheese, and it just came to me. Turn the oats purple with the blueberries and swirl a little creamy cheese into it. So I decided to make a Quick Blueberry Compote flavored with a little bit of fresh lemon, it was heavenly!
For this decadent, royal bowl of oats you’ll need:
- some organic old-fashioned rolled oats
- half and half
- Neufchâtel cheese (or cream cheese)
- water
- blueberries
- sugar
- 1 lemon
- some toppings (organic coconut shavings, nuts, seeds, etc.)
The best thing about this recipe, is that both of the parts can be made simultaneously and have roughly the same cooking time! Perfect for busy mornings!
Old Fashioned Rolled Oats? Can’t I just use regular quick oats?
You can certainly use quick oats, if that is all you have. I made the switch to real deal rolled oats a few months back, mostly just because they are so versatile. You an use rolled oats to make granola, overnight oats, savory oatmeals, granola bars, and plenty of other delicious baked goods! I buy a big bag of Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats every other time I run to the store so I’ve always got some in my pantry. They are certified gluten free, and are made with high quality farm-fresh oats.
Once you make oatmeal like this once, you’ll see how easy it is. You just add the ingredients to a pot and walk away. Comb your hair, pick out your outfit, or start your cup of coffee – and your oats are ready in about 10 minutes! Perfect!
What is a compote exactly?
The word compote means fruit preserved or cooked in syrup. Basically it just means combining sugar, water, and your fruit of choice and heating it until the fruit is able to break down and create a sweet syrup with the sugar.
Fruit compotes are one of the easiest sweet accessories for breakfast foods, baked dishes, or yogurts. You can make them with all kinds of fruits (blueberries, strawberries, apricots, etc.), and season them with plenty of different additives (lemon juice and zest, cinnamon and cinnamon sticks, vanilla, etc.).
Compotes are easy to make in large batches and store in the fridge also. As long as you’ve got a sterilized jar with a lid, and your compote has enough sugar in it, it can keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
I usually use mine up in about a week or two, so I don’t commonly seal my fruit preserves or compotes – but you can easily prep them for more long term storage by sealing the jar with the lid, and boiling the jar for another ten minutes. The lid will pop up, signally you’ve properly “sealed” your jar. Then your compote will be good for several weeks, even at room temperature, until you decide to open it. This is standard practice for homemade jam making.
So you’re a compote pro now, let’s move on!
- Prepare your rolled oats as per the directions on the back of the bag by bringing the water and salt to a boil, adding the oats, and reducing the the heat to medium-low. Allow the oats to boil, stirring occasionally, for about 10 – 12 minutes. You’ll want to remove the oats from the heat and allow them to stand for about 2 minutes before adding any other ingredients.
- While the oats are cooking, prepare your compote by the blueberries, water, and sugar to a medium pot.
- Bring the berries and sugar to a boil, and allow them to cook down for about 10 minutes – just until the berries begin to burst and you see a syrup forming.
- When the berry mixture has thickened, remove it from the heat and add the lemon zest and juice from half of the lemon. Stir, and allow the compote to cool. It will be hot!
- Right before you add your oats to you serving bowl, stir in about a tbsp of half and half. I love adding this extra bit of cream to my oats right when they’re finished, makes them nice and velvety!
- Top the oats with the Neufchâtel cheese, some of the blueberry compote, and swirl slightly (just to be fancy!).
- Top your bowl with your favorite oat toppings, for mine I used organic coconut shreds, chia seeds, and slivered almonds.
How would I prepare this for overnight oats?
This recipe is easy to convert to an “overnight” version. You’ll just need to make your compote earlier, preferably the night you’re preparing your overnight oats. A simple ratio for overnight oats as a 1:1, milk to oats. You’ll want to use milk (or water or plant based milk, if you have a lactose allergy) to soak the oats over night. I usually add a bit more chia seeds, or even flax seeds, to my oats when I make the overnight version. Then just add all the other ingredients as directed, let it soak overnight, and it’ll be ready for you in the morning!
The idea behind overnight oats is allowing the oats to soak in a liquid solution for at least 2 hours, allowing them to swell and resemble oats that were cooked on the stove. Overnight oats are meant to be eaten cold, so they are perfect for hot summer mornings!
If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to post a rating and comment!
I’d love to see your pictures on Instagram too! Tag @a_toastedcrumb!
Purple Oatmeal
Ingredients
Oats
- 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 1 cup Water
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 tbsp Half and Half
Quick Blueberry Compote
- 1 cup Fresh Blueberries
- 1/4 cup Water
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- Zest Of 1 Lemon
- Juice Of Half of 1 Lemon
Additional Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Neufchâtel Cheese (or Cream Cheese)
- Organic Coconut Shavings (optional)
- Slivered Almonds (optional)
- Chia Seeds (optional)
Instructions
Oats
- Bring water and salt to a boil, add rolled oats and reduce heat to medium low.
- Allow to cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and allow oats to stand for 2 minutes.
Quick Blueberry Compote
- Bring berries, water, and sugar to a low boil - allow to cook down for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally, just until berries begin to burst and form a syrup.
- Remove from the heat and add lemon zest and juice and stir to combine, allow to cool slightly.
Continued Instruction
- Stir the half and half and 2 tbsps of the Quick Blueberry Compote into the oats, and move to a serving bowl.
- Layer Neufchâtel cheese and more of the Quick Blueberry Compote on top.
- Top oat bowl with desired toppings. I used organic coconut shavings, slivered almonds, and chia seeds.
