Warm them up with a hot cocoa oatmeal breakfast twist that also happens to pack a nutrient dense punch!
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They still want to build a snowman…
…and I’m totally here for it! My girls absolutely *live* for the winter snow, and it’s finally here! We didn’t get much last week, but it was enough to leave their mark on our winter hike this weekend with a super cute nature snowman! It’s the start of the colder months of the year, and we celebrated their love for winter with a fun but healthy “hot cocoa” themed oatmeal for breakfast this weekend!
Hot cocoa…for breakfast?!
If you use nourishing ingredients, why not?! We have used my Buttered Hot Cocoa recipe to go along with breakfasts here throughout the years, but this time I decided to dress up their usual oatmeal just like a hot cocoa. Being very intentional about the ingredients to not only make it taste delicious, but also give them a health start to the day.
How to make Hot Cocoa Oatmeal
This is as easy as it gets! Just put all of the ingredients except for the add-in options and toppings into a sauce pan. You’ll simmer this for about 10 minutes until the oats and buckwheat are tender, and you’re ready to go! I tend to use more like 1/4 cup of the sweetener in the oatmeal if I plan to use sweet toppings like whipped cream or marshmallows. It leaves the oatmeal more “dark chocolate” in flavor, and less sweet to make up for the toppings. If you don’t plan to use toppings, start with 1/4 cup and add more to your taste.
Add-in’s to provide nutrient variety!
Once the hot cocoa oatmeal is done cooking, you have the option to stir in some add-in’s to give your oatmeal some nutrient variety. Flax seed meal, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and grassfed collagen are some options. I like to rotate the add-in’s in our oatmeal each week for the variety too. If you want to stir in bone broth protein powder or protein powder of choice, you could add a vanilla or chocolate flavor. You will need to adjust the sweetener amount to make up for the sweetness in your protein powder.
Tell me about those toppings!
How fun, right?! Dollops or swirls of homemade whipped cream or Coco Whip, shavings of dark chocolate or chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, crushed naturally dyed candy canes…what could be any better?! We don’t use them every time, but it can make a snow day feel super special! If you have super little ones at home that do not typically have marshmallows or candy canes, I might suggest refraining from adding these for right now. It is much easier to explain to an older kid or teen that we are just having a little bit of the topping for fun today. You might get a melt-down out of a toddler or small child for “more,” and/or also a possible expectation to have the marshmallows at breakfast every day. It can be a hard temptation for small children to process.
Marshmallows…healthy?!
Unless you’re making your own marshmallows, no, marshmallows aren’t super healthy. We don’t have them everyday, and we just used a few for a fun topping this time. When I served this hot cocoa oatmeal before school today, I just added a little dollop of fatty whipped topping or butter. Marshmallows are tricky to buy. You really have to play ingredient detective! I recently discovered that even the Dandies marshmallows that so many of us use because they are dye free, have carrageenan in the ingredients, which is a huge red flag for me. I’ve done some digging, and found THIS brand that is naturally dyed and doesn’t have the carrageenan. If you want to make your own marshmallows, it is such a fun project! I would recommend using THIS recipe.
Our top Hot Cocoa Oatmeal topping choice…
The whipped cream is where it’s at! Not only does whipped cream taste amazing, it is loaded with healthy fat, and minimal sweetener. Especially if you make it yourself! If you are dairy free, try the So Delicious brand CocoWhip made with coconut oil. There’s only 2 grams of added sugar for 2 tablespoons, which is really all you need for a little bowl of oatmeal for the kids! (I’ve been able to find the CocoWhip in any grocery store around here – hopefully you can too!)
How to store leftovers
Leftover hot cocoa oatmeal can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days. To re-heat, add splashes of water to the oats and warm it up in a pan over low stove-top heat.
Hot Cocoa Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups full fat coconut milk or whole/raw milk
- 1 ½ cups water or more milk
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats See Notes
- ¼ cup buckwheat groats or more oats
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup coconut sugar See Notes
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- Optional add-ins to stir into the pot of oatmeal after cooking to boost nutrient variety: 1-2 tbsp flax seed meal, chia seeds, or hemp hearts. ¼ cup grassfed collagen.
- Optional toppings: Dollops or swirls of homemade whipped cream or Coco Whip Dollops or swirls of homemade whipped cream or Coco Whip, shavings of dark chocolate or chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, crushed naturally dyed candy canes (See notes)
Instructions
- Put everything except the optional add-ins and toppings into a medium sauce pan, and bring to a simmer. Put a lid on the pot, and allow the oatmeal to simmer on low for 10 minutes until the oats and buckwheat are tender, stirring occasionally along the way.
- Once the oatmeal is cooked, you can stir in any optional add-in's you want to use, and scoop the oatmeal into bowls. Add toppings to your desire, or set up a toppings bar for the kids to decorate!
- Leftover hot cocoa oatmeal can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days. To re-heat, add splashes of water to the oats and warm it up in a pan over low stove-top heat.
Notes
- I like to use sprouted oats for best digestion. If you have regular rolled oats, and follow traditional food preparation guidelines, and would like to soak your oats, you can swap ¼ cup of the milk for yogurt or whey and soak the oats in the liquid overnight.
- You can swap the coconut sugar for maple syrup or raw honey. I tend to use more like 1/4 cup of the sweetener if I plan to use sweet toppings like whipped cream or marshmallows. It leaves the oatmeal more “dark chocolate” in flavor, and less sweet to make up for the toppings. If you don’t plan to use toppings, start with 1/4 cup and add more to your taste.
- If you want to stir in bone broth protein powder or protein powder of choice, you could add a vanilla or chocolate flavor. You will need to adjust the sweetener amount to make up for the sweetness in your protein powder.
- If you have little ones at home that do not typically have marshmallows or candy canes, I might suggest refraining from adding these for right now. It is much easier to explain to an older kid or teen that we are just having a little bit of the topping for fun today. You might get a melt-down out of a toddler or small child for “more,” and/or also a possible expectation to have the marshmallows at breakfast every day. It can be a hard temptation for small children to process.
