Oatmeal with Banana, Cinnamon and Maple Syrup

Oatmeal with Banana, Cinnamon and Maple Syrup - delicious creamy oatmeal with a hint of cinnamon, yummy slices of banana and a drizzle of maple syrup for the perfect filling quick breakfast. 

Banana Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bowl

One of my daughters favourite breakfasts is my oatmeal bowls, unlike her brother she loves a bowl of oatmeal in the morning with some yummy toppings and this combination is definitely one of her favourites.

The oatmeal feels creamy from the milk and has the lovely subtle hint of cinnamon with some sweetness from both the slices of banana and the drizzle of proper maple syrup, a staple ingredient here in Canada. 

It's super quick to make which means it's perfect for school mornings or a morning where we are in a rush but need a healthy filling breakfast.

Types of Oats

There are lots of different types of oats available and so for someone new to making oatmeal, how do you know which one to buy? Well most regular oats are all the same, the only difference is how they are rolled or not rolled which impacts the cooking time and texture. Some are whole large flakes which tend to hold their shape more when cooked and so have more of a texture to them,  old fashioned are whole flakes which are rolled really thin which make them cook faster and then some are like little broken up chips of oats (generally rolled or quick varieties) which both tend to have a more smooth texture when cooked. 

The rolled oats are generally the variety I buy as they are the ones my daughter prefers, but any of the above will work fine for this recipe. 

Lastly of course there are Steel Cut oats (called Pinhead or Irish Oatmeal in some areas) - these take the longest to cook and have a firm nutty taste. They are actually one of my favourites but if I am planning to have these for breakfast I normally prepare them the night before so it's just as case of reheating in the morning. I don't generally use them in this recipe. 

Cooking Oats

I always cook my oats in water with a pinch of salt (a trick my grandmother taught me, she is Scottish) and let me say you are making a big mistake if you don't add that vital ingredient. It really enhances the flavour of the oats and helps the texture when cooked. It is not going to make a salty bowl of oats, as it's just a pinch. But trust me it works.

Some do cook their oats in milk, but i like to save the milk for when it's cooked and stir some through and then drizzle the rest on top so it's milky and creamy. Plus cooking it in the water saves some calories too as you don't need as much milk. 

For ratio of how much liquid I always go by volume. So for example ½ cup of oats would need 1 cup of water or milk to cook them in. The only time that would change is if you are cooking steel cut oats in which you need more liquid. 

Alternatives for Maple Syrup

If you don't have maple syrup in your pantry and it's not a staple ingredient like here in Canada, you may be reluctant to go and buy some just to make this oatmeal for breakfast, so what can you use as an alternative?

Honey, golden syrup or even some brown demerara sugar will work perfectly in its place. For drizzling purposes though, you want something runny, so honey or golden syrup would be the best choices instead of Maple Syrup. 

Yes you can use a zero calorie syrup if you really want to, but I personally hate them, they are so artificial tasting and just ruin the whole bowl of oatmeal for me, plus as my daughter is enjoying this too, we try and keep the ingredients as natural as possible. 

More Oat Recipes

Looking for some other recipes using oats to try? Check out some of these below:

• PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY OVERNIGHT OATS
• BLUEBERRY AND LEMON BAKED OATS
• RASPBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE BAKED OATMEAL
• HEALTHY EXTRA SODA BREAD
• LEMON BLUEBERRY OAT PANCAKES
• CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA GRANOLA BARS
• PUMPKIN OATMEAL

or head on over to my Full Recipe Index with over 900 delicious Slimming Eats and Weight Watchers friendly recipes all fully searchable by meal type, ingredients etc

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