Try warm and comforting cinnamon and spice oatmeal for a filling and healthy breakfast, especially great on a fall or winter morning! The oats, chia seeds and rye flakes are soaked together for maximum nutrient absorption and easier digestion.
As a kid, on school mornings, I used to love eating instant oatmeal mix in the packets. So easy, so sweet, and so comforting. Rip open and empty the packet, then cover the contents with hot water and stir (we didn't have a microwave oven).
In 60 seconds, breakfast was ready. My favorite flavors were the super sugary ones: dinosaur eggs and cookies and cream! (It's not surprising, I was a kid!) I still thoroughly enjoyed the peaches and cream (I've got a homemade version you can try too), the maple and brown sugar and the cinnamon oatmeal.
I gave those up years ago, but I still love eating oatmeal for breakfast!
Oatmeal is one of my two favorite breakfast foods. I've been in the habit for a LONG time now of eating a bowl of oatmeal (usually soaked, if I remember) and some fried eggs every morning. I always put fruit and nuts on my oatmeal as well, because I'm kind of obsessed with getting healthy foods in wherever I can!
Once in a while, I change up the flavor of my healthy overnight oats. This recipe is my homemade version of the Quaker cinnamon spice oatmeal and is a new favorite for the fall and winter months. It's such a soothing combination of flavors, making it an easy way to warm up on chilly mornings.
This will leave you feeling much more energized than those packets of instant oatmeal ever could!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- FAQ
- Tips for Making Cinnamon and Spice Oatmeal
- Serving Ideas
- Tools You May Need
- How to Make Cinnamon and Spice Oatmeal
- How to Store Soaked Oatmeal
- More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Delicious and comforting - Cinnamon and spice oatmeal is a warm and comforting breakfast that is perfect for chilly mornings. The combination of various spices and vanilla extract in the creamy oatmeal is just so tasty!
Healthy - Oatmeal is a great source of fiber and complex carbohydrates, which can help keep you full and energized throughout the morning. Soaking the oats provides even more health benefits!
Easy to make - Soak the night before, add in a few more ingredients the next day and simmer until creamy and cooked.
Versatile - Customize with different toppings, such as fresh fruit, nuts, or a drizzle of honey, to suit your taste preferences.
Ingredients
Steel cut oats - Whole grain oats contain high amounts of many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and a decent amount of fibre, protein and healthy fats. One serving of oats contains more than 20% of the recommended daily values for 7 vitamins and minerals. Use organic if you can, because most conventional oats are sprayed with glyphosate, an herbicide that's carcinogenic (can cause cancer) and can cause many other health issues.
Rye flakes - Since we are soaking the oats, we need to add an ingredient with phytase, which helps break down the phytic acid present in the oats, making them more digestible. Rye is high in phytase!
Chia seeds - High in many nutrients, including fibre, omega 3's, protein, antioxidants, calcium, iron and much more! They may prevent heart disease, improve bone health and reduce inflammation in the body.
Water - Use filtered water if you can (we use the Berkey water filter, you can read my full review on it). This will ensure there aren't any unwelcome bacteria, viruses, or chemicals present in the oatmeal.
Spices - We use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger. If you don't have some of these, you can leave them out and it will still be delicious!
Vanilla - Enhances the other flavors and adds even more warmth to this cozy meal!
Salt - Brings out the other flavors, adds minerals and balances the sweetness. Use pure sea salt.
Sweetener - Use any type you like! My preferred are maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar and date syrup since they are natural and contain small amounts of minerals.
FAQ
Is Quaker cinnamon and spice oatmeal healthy?
It's my guess that a lot of us grew up loving the Quaker instant oatmeal packets if we were allowed to have them. But the truth is, they aren't very good for you at all, although some are better than others. Always check out the nutrition facts!
For example, the cinnamon and spice variety has a few simple ingredients (they now use natural flavor!) compared to the dinosaur eggs variety, which has a long list of refined sugars and oils, although still no artificial flavor. I guess they have made some improvements over the years. But both have a ton of sugar and since they are instant, you can't soak them for proper nutrient absorption. Really not a great thing to eat to start the day! (or eat at any point in the day, really...)
They are expensive too! Depending on where you live, buying organic steel cut oats can work out to be about the same price or a little cheaper. And your body will thank you! It's so worth it to make your own and flavor it with ingredients you are comfortable eating.
Is cinnamon and spice oatmeal healthy?
This recipe is made with simple, wholesome ingredients and you have complete control of how much sweetener you add.
Organic whole grain oats are very healthy and the soaking process makes them that much healthier!
Why soak oats?
Oats (and many other whole grains) contain an anti-nutrient called phytic acid, which blocks the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body and can also steal nutrients from other foods passing through your system. It's true robbery!
Soaking oats in an acidic substance (hence, the lemon juice) with phytase present (that's why we add some rye flakes- there's not much phytase naturally present in oats) will neutralize the phytic acid so your body can get and use what the oats have to offer.
What's in cinnamon and spice oatmeal?
Steel cuts oats are soaked and cooked with chia seeds (for an added boost of nutrients), lemon juice (to create an acidic environment) and rye flakes. Rye contains phytase which needs to be present in order for phytic acid to be broken down (that's the point of soaking the oats, remember?).
We then add an array of delicious and warm spices with some pure vanilla and salt to bring out the flavors.
Lastly, sweeten it to your preferred sweetness level, which means you'll likely end up using a lot less sugar than in the packaged stuff. I suggest using a natural sweetener such as pure maple syrup (my personal favorite), honey or coconut sugar. Add a little, taste test and add more if necessary.
Can you make cinnamon and spice oatmeal with rolled oats?
For soaking oats, only use steel cut. Soaking rolled oats (also known as old-fashioned oats) will result in a mushy, slimy sludge... Of course, you can use this combination of spices in your regularly cooked rolled oats.
Can you make cinnamon and spice oatmeal with instant oats?
Only use steel-cut oats because soaking instant oats overnight will leave you with an undesirable mushy mess. You can, however, make instant oats in the microwave or with boiling water and add the combination of spices found in this recipe!
Can you make cinnamon and spice oatmeal in the microwave?
This recipe is not suitable for the microwave because of the soaking and simmering process. If you're looking for a healthy, quicker option, I suggest cooking sprouted rolled oats, which take 5-8 minutes to simmer on the stovetop.
Alternatively, you can follow this process ahead of time, store it in the fridge and reheat it in the microwave when you need a quick breakfast. Just stir in a bit of liquid before you do!
Can you make cinnamon and spice oatmeal ahead of time?
You can soak and simmer the oatmeal, allow it to cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will become quite thick when cooled, so when you go to reheat it, stir in a splash of milk or water.
How long can soaked oats be stored?
Keep leftover cooked steel cut oats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tips for Making Cinnamon and Spice Oatmeal
- Use steel cut oats- they can be found at almost any grocery store. If you use instant, rolled or quick oats, it will become a mushy, slimy mess after soaking.
- It can be difficult to get into the habit of soaking the oats the night before. If you want to be consistent with it, set a reminder in your phone every night until it becomes a habit.
- The chia seeds can be left out if desired.
- Use filtered water if possible. This will ensure there aren't any unwelcome bacteria, viruses, or chemicals present in the oatmeal. We use the Berkey and love it! I have a full review on the Berkey water filter if you'd like to learn more.
Serving Ideas
You can serve this oatmeal as is, or add any combination of the following toppings:
- Fresh fruit - Some options that work well with the cinnamon and spice flavoring are fresh apples, peaches, pears, berries and, of course, pumpkin (or my pumpkin spice sauce).
- Chia jam - This low sugar strawberry jam is so delightful!
- Nuts or Seeds - Top with soaked nuts or seeds, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, hemp hearts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. Learn how to soak nuts and seeds for maximum nutrient absorption and easier digestion.
- Nut or Seed Butter - Drizzle with your favorite nut or seed butter for extra creaminess.
- Milk, Cream, Coconut Milk or Non-Dairy Creamer - A little bit of hot milk or milk/cream alternative adds a nice creamy touch.
- Dried Fruit - Add one cup raisins or your favorite dried fruit.
Wooden spoon
How to Make Cinnamon and Spice Oatmeal
Ingredients:
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon rye flakes
- 2 cups filtered water (for soaking)
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1½ cups filtered water (for cooking)
- Sweetener of choice, to taste (maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, etc)
Instructions:
The night before, combine oats, chia seeds, rye flakes, lemon juice and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Cover and soak overnight.
The next morning, add 1½ cups water, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger, salt and vanilla to the oats. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, stir occasionally and let simmer until thick, about 15 minutes.
Stir in your sweetener of choice, starting with 3 tbsp. Taste and add more if needed to reach your desired sweetness. Spoon into bowls and top with any desired additional ingredients.
How to Store Soaked Oatmeal
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Because of the chia seeds, it will gel up a little bit in the fridge, so when you go to reheat it, just mix in a little bit of water to thin it out again.
Did you try this recipe and love it? If so, I would appreciate a 5-star review and your comments below!
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- Crepes with Almond Milk and Sprouted Wheat
- Homemade Protein Pancake Mix
- Healthy Banana Bread
- Creamy Millet Porridge
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars
- Sourdough French Toast
Grab my healthy breakfast ebook for more soaked and sprouted grain breakfast recipes:
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon and Spice Oatmeal (Soaked)
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 25 minutes
Try warm and comforting cinnamon and spice oatmeal for a filling and healthy breakfast, especially great on a fall or winter morning! The oats, chia seeds and rye flakes are soaked together for maximum nutrient absorption and easier digestion.
Ingredients
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon rye flakes
- 2 cups filtered water (for soaking)
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1½ cups filtered water (for cooking)
- Sweetener of choice, to taste (maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, etc)
Instructions
- The night before, combine oats, chia seeds, rye flakes, lemon juice and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Cover and soak overnight.
- The next day, add 1½ cups water, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger, salt and vanilla to the oats. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, stir occasionally and let simmer until thick, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in your sweetener of choice, starting with 3 tbsp. Taste and add more if needed to reach your desired sweetness. Spoon into bowls and top with any desired additional ingredients.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Because of the chia seeds, it will gel up a little bit in the fridge, so when you go to reheat it, just mix in a little bit of water or milk to thin it out again.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 175Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 307mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g
This nutrient calculation is done by an automated calculator and may not be accurate.
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