I try to squeeze chocolate into my breakfast routine whenever possible.
Might as well start the day off with a bang!
This time around I invited decadent chocolate to take the main stage because why not?
There is triple chocolate action going on in this cozy bowl of quick oats.
You can never have too much of a good thing…
At least when it comes to dessert for breakfast! hehe.
This bowl of comfort is packed with antioxidants and fiber, plus layers of flavor of course!
I started off by brewing a cup of Cacao Tea, which is chocolate tea made from loose-leaf cacao husks.
That’s it! Just one delicious ingredient! It’s a sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and caffeine-free dream come true.
The tea is tasty as is (or with a glug of creamy oat milk) but I wanted to take my breakfast up another notch.
After straining out the spent husks, I brought the brewed tea to a low boil and simmered quick oats along with a scoop of organic cacao powder (our second source of cacao) and a splash of unsweetened oat milk for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until the oats absorbed all that cacao goodness.
I removed the tender, chocolatey oats from heat, then folded in pure maple syrup, real deal vanilla extract, pink sea salt (to help bring out all the rich flavor), plus another modest splash of oat milk for the ultimate creamy texture.
Since juicy, sweet strawberries are in season and pair beautifully with chocolate, I topped my bowl of steaming oats with sliced berries along with a handful of luscious chopped dark chocolate, which quickly melted into mouth-watering puddles.
Sweet tooths rejoice!
Flavor + Protein Boosts:
Add a glob of nutty peanut butter.
Or pleasantly drippy almond butter.
No nut butters on hand? A handful of roasted almonds, pecans, cashews, or macadamia nuts would be delightful additions as well.
Strawberries not in season? Top your oats with sliced banana or pitted sweet cherries… chocolate plus banana and peanut butter is a killer combo, hint hint.
P.S. I steeped my Cacao Tea for 5 minutes, but you can certainly go a couple minutes longer for a more intense flavor.
P.P.S. As always, taste and adjust the ingredient amounts to suit your fancy. I sweetened my bowl of oats with one tablespoon of maple syrup, but you could always add an extra drizzle.
P.P.P.S. Don’t leave out the salt! Salt really enhances all of the flavors and takes the oats from great to fantastic.
P.P.P.P.S. If you want to have a completely vegan/plant-based/dairy-free breakfast, make sure your dark chocolate bar is in fact dairy-free… most are but it’s always a good idea to check if that’s indeed important to you.
Double Cacao Quick Oats with Strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Cacao Tea (loose-leaf cacao husks)
- 1/2 cup quick oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 2 teaspoons cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened unflavored oat milk (I use Silk); plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pink sea salt, to taste
- Chopped dark chocolate (I use 70%), for topping
- Chopped fresh strawberries, for topping (sliced banana and pitted sweet cherries work well too)
- Nut butter or roasted nuts (optional), for topping
Instructions
- In a small pot, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.
- Remove from heat, then add the Cacao Tea to the pot.
- Steep the tea for 5 minutes, then strain out the cacao husks and discard.
- Bring the brewed tea to a simmer, then stir in the oats along with 2 tablespoons of oat milk and 2 teaspoons of cacao powder.
- Gently simmer on low for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the oats are tender.
- Remove from heat, then stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt, to taste.
- Stir in another splash of oat milk, if you like.
- Spoon the cacao oats into a bowl, then top with chopped dark chocolate, fresh strawberries, and nut butter or nuts, if using. Enjoy!