Step away from the sugar!
One of my favorite ways to sweeten oatmeal is naturally, by melting in a banana. The banana gets all caramelized, and the oatmeal tastes amazing! (If you don’t believe me, just look at all the pingbacks on this post!)
The Melted Banana Trick
Step 1: Cook up the oatmeal (or another grain) as you normally would.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, melt however much banana you want in the microwave (or on the stove) until it’s all caramelized/gooey. This adds soooo much flavor to the oatmeal! Now, stir the melted banana into your oatmeal.
Step 3: Take your hand blender (or Magic Bullet or regular blender) and blend everything together so it’s a nice pudding-y consistency. (You don’t have to do this step, but it mixes in the caramelized banana nicely.)
Below, as part of this recipe: Strawberry Bomb Oatmeal.
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Or, for a super-delicious breakfast, try combining oatmeal tricks:
Use with the popular Voluminous Oatmeal Trick.
I’m sure that tonight you’ll forgive me for not commenting on other blogs today, because I am going out on a date with a certain someone…
P.S. Thanks to all who now follow me on Pintrest!
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Thanks for the recipes! Have a WONDERFUL time on your date!! I’m so proud of your mom.
OOOO have fun on your date!
Now I really need to go buy ramekins. Recipes that use them are always so cute!
Have a wonderful time on your date!!!!
Thanks for the crepe recipe
i love the idea of using the hand blender!
Thank you for the recipes!!! I will be making them right away.
I am so proud of your mom and I hope you have tons of fun on your dats =) =) =)
Hope your date goes well!
Thanks for the yummy recipes! I really need to get a hand blender!
WHOLE FOODS BOYY!!! haha i love it, have fun!! Thanks for the recipes, i literally found a hand blender in my cupboard in the wayyyy back last month! Best thing ever, now i can use it more!!
Hey Kt, I still do not see where Sarah Palin is not eating turkey…the video of her on the farm is offensive and disgusting to vegans. I would be interested to see where she says she’s abstaining from turkey for Thanksgiving…
Your food looks tasty as always, keep up the good work hun
Is it the Whole Foods boy? Let us know how it goes!
KT! Thanks for clarifying! I knew I couldn’t give Sarah Palin any credit esp in this department… I was just a little confused reading your blog, whoo hoo for your mom!
A date! YAY! Ridiculously lucky guy!
Congrats on the awards and YAY for a turkey-less Thanksgiving!
No. WF boy?!
Hand blender. That’s what I want for Christmas…
Have fun with Whole Foods Boy!
I used to love creme brulee, so a brulee oatmeal sounds good to me!
Have fun on your date!
I don’t recall ever having crepes before, even in my non-veg days. Your recipe is intriguing, thanks for sharing it, I just might give it a try…oohh, and have fun on your date *wink * wink *
ooooh i was totally gonna ask you about the boy situation. have fun!!! i saw that sarah palin clip too. i definitely will not be eating turkey on thursday – but cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes and stuffing are a MUST
Two thumbs way up for the banana brulee! And blending it all up is totally the way to go.
WOO for the date! Details next post perhaps?!
Have a blast on your date! Thanks for the recipes, I’ll be making that oatmeal in the morning for sure!
HAVE FUN ON YOUR DATE!!!!
that oatmeal looks incredible.. i'll let you know when i try it!
enjoy your night <3
Oooo exciting! Have an awesome time on your date
I heard about that clip all the way over here! I only got through a few seconds…Proud of Chocolate Covered Mom!
Can’t wait for the details on your rendez-vous!
yay recipe! its so exciting that your mom will abstain from eating turkey this year
very happy occasion indeed 
HAVE FUN ON YOUR DATE!!!!
oh, I learned today that your banana oat brulee doesn’t really work with frozen bananas. Sadface! I’ll try with “real” bananas next time!
(and I didn’t see the tattooed man in Barcelona!)
woohoo! Have fun on your date..
It’s great your mom is not eating turkey this year!
Ooh, are you going out with the whole foods guy???
Yay for your mom!!!!
oh, no, don’t feel bad that it didn’t work! the bananas were a bit old, forgotten in the freezer for months… I microwaved them and they turned out reeeeaaaally dry. So it’s my fault, nothing to do with your recipe…
I hope your date went well!
those crepe cakes look amazing ! I can’t wait to try out that recipe ! Also thats great about your mom abstaining from turkey ! Sarah Palin makes me want to abstain from Alaska and pretty much everything else shes associated with.
Have a great time on your date ! Is it WF boy?
Could it be Whole Foods Boy?
Thank you for the recipes! I hope to try them!
thanks for the recipes katie! and i cannot wait to make the butternut squash!
i hope your date went well! we need extra details in the next post girlie!
is the the whole foods boy!?!?!? haha
Mmmm that’s definitely on my list of things to try. Good luck on your date, by the way! And thanks for posting on my blog =D
The oatmeal does sound delish! I love all those blended recipes
Great that your mom decided to forego the turkey! Yay!
And a BIGGER YAY for your date! Hope you have a fabulous time!!
Thanks for the recipe!
Can’t wait for Product Review Week!
Have fun on your date!
What consistency should the batter of the crepe-cake have? Is it watery? And what is the tell-tale sign they are done? Thanks!
Great recipes girl! I hope the date goes well! How fun!
Ow ow – have a fun date!
Thanks for the wonderful recipes, too! I love the little crepe cakes.
Happy Thanksgiving!
OMG katie!! i can’t wait to hear about your date. i love talking about this stuff haha mainly because i never go on dates
Thanks for the recipes.
Watched the uncut version, very very sad and would hate to see where they are doing thousands per hour. Palin is really scary, thank goodness for the World she didn’t make it.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving.
have a wonderful time on your date tonight! hehe
and good for your mommy! aww!
have a wonderful thanksgiving
Anonymous—
The batter should be pretty liquidy. Try it with the 1/4cup plus 1/8cup liquid. If, after trying that, the crepes are too thick for you, then you can add more liquid, but I’d start with that amount first so you don’t add too much liquid and thus have to throw the batter out!
As for when they’re done… I guess you’ll have to experiment with this, because I don’t have a specific time of how long they take (and depending on the size, some will take longer than others). I don’t know that there’s really a tell-tale sign either… well, except if you go to lift the cake up with a spatula and some of the batter sticks to the spatula, it’s not done yet! If the batter doesn’t stick, then any time you want to take the cake off is fine
).
Andrea—
I told my roommate to enjoy her Thanksgiving and eat lotsa cranberry sauce… but she responded that she didn’t like it! How can she be human???
Halie—
)
Let me know what you think if you get around to trying them
that video wanted to make me puke and cry at the same time. Though it’s good to have things like that because it gets people to reflect that otherwise wouldn’t. I think it’s awesome that your mom is swearing off turkey for a day.
forgot to mention, good luck on your upcoming date!
If you want a crepes’recipe, here is one I made a few weeks ago: http://www.plaisirvegetal.fr/2008/11/18/simple-comme-des-crepes-vegan/. I have to translate the recipe to share it abroad.
Looks tasty! Can’t wait to try it!
MY favorite breakfast is:
1 cup of my home-made vanilla soy milk thrown in the blender with a frozen banana and some strawberries. Once it’s blended up, I pour it in a bowl and pop it in the freezer while I shower and get ready for work. By the time I’m all set, it’s the texture of soft-serve icecream, a pretty pink color, and totally delicious!
My favorite breakfast? A bowl of oatmeal, cooked with strawberries, bananas, brown sugar, and soymilk, with blueberries and plain soy yogurt on the side. Yummo.
This is a great giveaway – granola is amazing. Thanks!
My favorite breakfast is a whole wheat waffle with powdered sugar, and a whole bunch of fresh berries and banana slices!!
My favorite breakfast is just the good ol’ oats of course! Nothing compares (Shanade sais it best!) to my oats! I also love love love to add Almond butter and some sort of Chocolate. I like your self love some chocolatly goodness! Thanks Katie for being you, I love reading your blog!
My fave breakfast in the winter is a nice bowl of oats, specifically your peaches n’ cream
which is a new favorite!
In the winter – Kashi Honey Sunshine w/ sliced bananas!
My favorite breakfast is a bowl full of fruit, right not it is apricots, peaches and grapes because that is in season. Sometimes it is strawberries and banana with some almond butter, yum!
My favorite breakfast is the standard bowl of oats/oat bran with sliced bananas cooked in + pinch salt + almond milk + chia seeds. Warm, yummy, and fills my belly!
My favorite breakfast is Fage 0 Total Yogurt with one packet of Splenda, 1/2 c frozen strawberries and 1/4 c of Kashi Golean crunch. yummy.
My favorite breakfast…keeping in mind that I have never tried crepes, ever…is oat bran pudding: roasted butternut squash, very ripe banana, non-dairy milk, maple pb or almond butter, cinnamon, sea salt, oat bran, all mashed into creamy goodness and sprinkled with some hemp granola. sooo gooood!
hope this is the right crepe cake post. my fv b fast is a protien smoothie
My favorite breakfast is a savory breakfast. The ultimate? Homefries and tofu rancheros…with lots of hot sauce! Aye carumba!
Favorite breakfast would have to be a peanut butter and banana smoothie with almond milk!
my favorite breakfast is oatmeal with banana, granola, nuts, fruit and some cold hemp milk.
Smoothie made by the BF.
My favourite breakfast is oatbran mixed with 2 heaping dessertspoons of nutritional yeast.
It smells alot like cheetos, and tastes so awesome! It’s my treat every sunday morning.
Simply 40g oatbran, 275ml soymilk or whatever milk you use (or half milk to water).
Cook untill done (I nuke mine in the microwave) and at the end stir in the yeast. It makes it go thick so if the oatbran is a little runny before you add it that’s okay!
My favorite breakfast? Oatmeal — steel cut, the hard way. With a bit of brown sugar and (ahem!) chocolate chips!
My favorite breakfast is any kind of oatmeal concoction! (omnomnomnom)
Favorite breakfast…frozen berries, bananas and yogurt with granola on top…yummmmmm
Oatmeal with pb and chocolate chips!
my favorite breakfast is definitely oatmeal with cinnamon, sliced banana, some form of dried and/or fresh fruit, and a big glob of nut butter or cacao bliss! yummmm.
Favorite every day Breakfast: oatmeal made with homemade roasted cashew milk, topped with peaches, more cashews, and a little flax oil.
Favorite special Breakfast: Tofu scramble made with tomatoes, spinach, kalamata olives, mushrooms, plenty of “Parmezano Sprinkles” (found in Jo Stepaniak’s Unchesese cookbook) and a sprinkling of Indian black salt (it smells just like egg! heard about it from the ppk)… plus earth balance smothered toast and a bowl of fruit salad!
Favorite Breakfast = Oat bran w/ White Chocolate Wonderful PB and Carob Chips. Mmm.
My favorite breakfast is oatmeal and raisins with rice milk. And a few chocolate chips.
oatmeal!!! or oatbran woth pom seeds~
My favorite breakfast is vegan chocolate chip pancakes! I use 1/3 cup oats, 1/8 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, a dash of cinnamon, water or almond milk to get it to pancake batter consistency and then add the vegan chocolate chips and cook! I have these babies every sunday as a celebration of getting through the week haha
My favorite breakfast? That’s a difficult question to answer..but I would have to say pumpkin oats w/ trailmix, coconut, and a large spoonful of nutbutter! Thanks for the opportunity.
My favorite breakfast would have to be cereal with almond milk and fresh berries. Actually pretty much anything with fresh berries! Yum!!
My fave breakfast is a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese. A New York breakfast for a true New Yorker
my favorite breakfast (at the moment at least) is a bowl of kashi go lean, kashi vanilla island, a sliced banana and a big spoonful of peanut butter all covered in almond milk!
My favorite breakfast is oatmeal cooked with 1/2 sliced banana, vanilla extract, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, LOTS of pumpkin, a dash of unsweetened cocoa powder, and a spoon of nut butter! Right now I’m loving my PB & Co. Mighty Maple. Mmmmm!
My favorite breakfast is steel cut oats with a mashed banana, AB, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Yum!
My favorite breakfast is oatmeal, and my current favorite add-ins are raisins or apples (or both), ground flax seed, brown sugar and peanut butter. I usually don’t add banana because I don’t like the raw-ish taste….and I have NEVER heard of carmelizing the banana but I will try it TOMORROW!!! I would eat oatmeal every day, and plan to in the summer, but during the school year I get up at 5:00 and that’s just too early to even think of food. I bring granola (yogurt – to – go) and eat it once I get to work
I’m lost! Is this the crepe cake post we are suppose to comment on for the granola giveaway?!
I have many many favorite breakfasts!!! first it used to be whole wheat toast with pb and banana, then i moved over to oatmeal (and all ur delicious different variations) and right now is chocolate-papaya smoothie or shredded carrot with plain yogurt! yum!!
Favorite Breakfast?! Plain old cereal and milk!
YUm yum! Those crepe cakes look great though!
I also linked back! THANKS!
http://nutritiousisdelicious.blogspot.com/2009/06/green-without-envy.html
My favorite breakfast is oatbran with a chocolate Glutino bar or Lara bar cut up in it, and a spoonful of almond butter- yummy!
My favorite breakfast is rolled oat goodness with whatever fresh fruit is in season and a dollop of nut butter!!! The best ever…
I love anything breakfast! But my favorite has to be soaking rolled flakes (rolled oats, rolled barley, rolled spelt…) and dried fruit with non-dairy milk, then having it in the morning with fresh banana or blueberries and topped with some flaxmeal and oatbran! Having a delicious banana egg-nog or pumpkin smoothie is a favorite with it too!
My current favourite breakfast has to be a green monster with lots of chia to thicken it up!
Well, Ive totally gotten into the green monsters too, thickened up with chia seeds
thank you blogger world for introducing me to both of those! but I do have trouble feeling satisfied with something liquid so that’s only on days I’m in a hurry to leave the house.
Otherwise my favorite thing ever are yummy parfaits, all sorts of combos, there’s just nothing better than berries or apples and peaches with tart greek yogurt, crunchy sweet granola and it MUST have almonds!
I also almost always eat breakfast foods like more parfaits, bagels with almond butter, or warm oatmeal creations for snacks too. Breakfast is the best meal ever.
My favorite breakfast is oat bran cooked with 1/2 mashed banana, cinnamon, and vanilla, with flaxseed mixed in, and 1/2 sliced banana, raisins, aand walnuts on top! Mmmmm! Tastes like banana bread!
Fav breakfast is chocolate brownie oatmeal— oats, vanilla soymilk, brown sugar and a couple heaping spoons of cocoa powder. Topped with fresh strawberries. That’s for a day when I have spare time, otherwise its any endless combo of yogurt parfait!
My fave breakfast is coffee and a green monster smoothie!!
but crepe cakes might become a weekend fave!
Wow…. your crepe cake recipe is so simple. Gotta try it out sometime soon!! I would put tons of cinnamon and thinly sliced bananas in mine AND maybe a little bit of nutella on the side. I’m drooling just thinking about it. ^_^
My favorite breakfast is leftovers from the day before, whether that is cake or cookies, or stirfry. If I want something fresh, a green smoothie does the trick. I know, weird.
my favorite breakfast as of late has been “green” smoothies
greens+1 banana +a tad of “milk” + green tea powder=amazing
My ideal breakfast it a big bowl of oatmeal! An amazing AMAZING combo I tried yesterday was oats topped with banana, strawberries, peanut butter, a drizzle of vanilla almond milk, and a TJ’s vanilla almond cookie.
There are SO many great breakfasts out there… how to choose?! I love a good bowl of BLENDED oats though, made with lots of banana and almond milk. YUM.
My favorite breakfast is frozen bananas blended and then adding whichever peanut butter and company spread we have in it. Trust me it is the greatest smoothie ever. It’s like ice cream.
fav breakfast, oats, bbs, nectarine, yogurt and TONS OF CINNAMON
My favorite breakfast is oat pudding … like rice pudding with oats instead. I love it chocolate, vanilla, or lemon zest.
If you cook steel cut oats with some honey and stevia, then add vanila, egg replacer (or egg whites), pudding mixed with protein powder, and spread in a bakeing dish.
bake it until its set, then you can put it in the fridge. in the morning, you can slice, eat warm or cold with strawberries, bananas, and nut butter or protein frosting (chocolate pp+ chocolate pudding) YUM!!!!
I love starting the day with something a little sweet, so I mix a half-serving of tapioca pudding with a container of yoplait light yogurt (favorites are banana cream pie and strawberry) and then chop up some strawberries or add in some grapes to the mix. It is absolutely delicious! It’s also nice and light so you don’t feel sluggish before you even start the day!
My favorite breakfast: Truthfully, it used be be granola with soymilk and a banana. But now that I have a mighty Vita-Mix (whose name is Vity [Vie Tee]) I have a big smoothie every morning!!!
My favorite breakfast is pretty simple… I love a bowl of oatmeal (particularly when it’s chocolaty!) and a big fruit salad!
My favorite breakfast changes all the time. I love oatmeal but when its hot out all I want is either a smoothie or a nice big bowl of fruit.
I wish I could actually have a favorite breakfast, but it is my favorite meal of the day, and I love all breakfast food, so it is just too hard to pick and stick with one thing. I always convince myself that I have a favorite breakfast food, and then I go off and change my mind Again! So I think that it’s safest to say that a fruit smoothie or anything that involves nut butter (preferably almond or hemp) would be my favorite tried and true breakfast.
My favorite breakfast? I secretly love when I’m in a hurry and I can’t make oatmeal or eggs on toast and have to grab…
A CHOCOLATE CHIP CLIF BAR AND A SLICED FUJI APPLE!!!
Seriously, sooooo good. Processed, sure, but once in a while this is the greatest breakfast a girl could ask for.
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m really into green monsters for breakfast….Hubby asked me what that green thing was and I told him it was a smoothie with spinach in it. For now he’s sticking with his oatmeal.
my fav b’fast right now is cereal with blueberries and a green smoothie… although this am instead of cereal i had a piece of hemp toast topped with laughing cow, egg whites and salsa… yum
My favorite breakfast changes regularly, but currently I love an Ezekial english muffin, toasted, with egg whites. super quick, filling, and delicious!
Hmmm.. choosing a favorite is hard!! Lately it’s been Kermit Pudding/Ice Cream whatever with frozen peaches and spinach(CCK Style!!)… I also love Regular Green Smoothies. Also… Tofu Scrambles are always a winner in my book =) !!!
The crepe cakes are so cute! I’d have to say my favourite everyday breakfast is a giant green smoothie. I love being able to just throw whatever fruit I have on hand in a blender with some greens and being ready to head out the door 10 minutes later, breakfast in hand. Some days, I’ll add a scoop of coconut butter in for extra creaminess… soooo good.
yumm. My favorite breakfast is crepes. My mom went to france when she was in high school, and learned how to make crepes. When we were growing up, it was always our favorite treat to have crepes. Back then we put lemon juice and powdered sugar on them. I still like them that way, but I also like them with homemade jam!
my FAVorite breakfast are definatly cereal messes
I have been a cereal girl since I was a weeee one. Natures Path is my most favorite. And soy Vanilla yogurt. with fresh fruit.
omgosh. I seriously look forward to waking up for cereal.
How much banana do you add? I wanna try the banana oatmeal, but don’t wanna make it too banana-y, haha.
thanks for the banana tip!
jenna
Oooh thanks for the recipes! I’m going to try the melted banana trick tomorrow!
Yummy! This all looks so good!
I’m hoping this is the correct recipe for the scale giveaway!
This is the MYSTERIOUS RECIPE PICTURE! Please let me win the food scale =]
I think this is the mystery picture!
i think this is the mystery picture!
I’m going to guess and hope that this is the mystery picture. =X
I think I found the mystery picture!
Mystery picture!
I think this is the extreme close up!!! I want the scale
I think this is the mystery picture!!! I want the scale
hey katie:)
I love reading your blog, somehow it always exudes positive vibes and it makes me feel happy:D
Anyway, I just made the most amazing bowl of oatmeal thanks to your melted banana trick!
What i did was i cooked some oatmeal in milk,threw in a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg into the oatmeal..melted a naner in the microwave, and dumped it into the oatmeal, threw a few chopped almonds and a lil frozen mango on top..OMG it was awesome! Oh, and instead of a spoonful of pb on top, i put it into the bowl Before adding oatmeal..that way it melted into a yummy puddle of goodness..MMmm
Sorry for the super long comment!
“Melted Banana” VERY interesting
How long does it typically take you to melt the banana?
Hey Katie! Love your blog…just mentioned your banana trick in my new blog! Check it out! Thanks
OH THE GODS! So much banana oatmeal deliciousness. I just made it for breakfast. My insides are throwing a party, and my brain is floating through the air on the wings of nom-fairies.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
^_^
LOL oh you are so welcome!
is it weird that i always try different variations of flavored and sweetened oatmeal and i always end up going back to just plain old oatmeal cuz i love it so much? o well..
(p.s. srry im blowing up ur comments i just discovered ur blog haha)
I didn’t know bananas melted…does a very ripe banana melt better?
I don’t think it matters… it might taste sweeter, though.
You are amazing!!! I added sliced bananas to my oatmeal this morning and just cooked it all together and it was delicous! Just wondering what that yummy looking cream on top of the oatmeal with blueberries is? So excited to try more recipes.
Soyatoo
Just blogged about this and linked back to your site. You have a gift!
Aww thank you! Your site is gorgeously laid out
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I know this is an older post, but I just did this with my quinoa flakes and it is SO good. Do not need any more sweetener at all!
the instructions r really vague..do you like cut up or mash the banana before melting it, and how long do you cook it for/know its done melting??
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