Gluten Free Oats for Breakfast - 5 Ways!

Photo found on Unsplash

By Maria Walcott

Oats can be a great choice for breakfast because of their high fiber content and nutritional profile. For more information, read Oats 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits. If you have celiac disease and/or eat gluten free, make sure to buy gluten free oats. Although oats are a naturally gluten free food, they are often cross-contaminated with gluten. For more information, read Are Oats and Oatmeal Gluten-Free? The Surprising Truth.

Here are 5 different ways to eat oats in the morning! 

1) Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats differ from traditional oatmeal because you make them ahead of time and there is no cooking involved. This not only saves time in the morning but the flavor options are unlimited! You can choose to eat overnight oats cold or warm them up. Here is the basic procedure on how to make overnight oats (this blog calls it refrigerator oatmeal).

Overnight No-Cook Refrigerator Oatmeal

If you are dairy free like I am, substitute coconut yogurt for the Greek yogurt (watch for an upcoming blog post on how to make your own coconut yogurt in the Instant Pot!). You can also use any dairy free milk of your choice in place of milk. Also feel free to omit or substitute any ingredient found in the recipe for what you have in your kitchen. The possibilities are endless! Here are some yummy flavors:​

Blueberry Maple
Banana Cocoa
Raspberry Vanilla
Cinnamon Apple Overnight Oats
Peanut Butter Protein Overnight Oats

2) Granola

Store bought granola is delicious but it’s really high in sugar! Granola is very easy to make at home and then you can control what ingredients you include. I typically use use maple syrup for a sweetener which lowers the sugar content drastically and tastes really yummy (I also use stevia but that’s a whole other blog post). Substitute any nut/seed (or omit) or oil in these recipes.

Maple Pecan Granola​

Pumpkin doesn’t just have to be in the fall. I would omit the sugar and just use the maple syrup for the sweetener in this one:
Pumpkin Maple Pecan Granola
 
3) Banana Oat Cookies

Cookies for breakfast? Why not, when they’re healthy cookies!

2 Ingredient Cookies
Banana Oat Flaxseed Cookies
Flourless Banana Bread Cookies
Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies 

4) Oatmeal Pancakes
Oats are very versatile and can be ground into a flour in a blender or food processor (use a fine sifter to sift out any large pieces). Like mentioned above, any dairy product or yogurt can be substitute with a dairy free milk and coconut yogurt. 

I just made these this morning (subbing coconut yogurt) and they are delicious! 
Oatmeal Blueberry Yogurt Pancakes

In addition to oat flour, it also calls for millet flour and arrowroot (or you can substitute a gluten free flour blend).
Perfect Gluten Free Vegan Pancake

This recipe uses oat flour or other choices for what you might have in your kitchen!
Blender Waffles/Pancakes 

5) Energy Balls

These portable snacks are easy to make and very versatile! The nut butter and liquid sweetener help hold it together. Substitute any nut or seed butter, play with the amount of sweetener (the less the healthier), add what you have in your kitchen. Here’s a great tutorial with several flavor options:

Energy Balls, the Ultimate Recipe Guide

Other yummy flavors:
No Bake Energy Bites
Blueberry Muffin Energy Bites

Did this inspire you to try something new with oats? Please comment below! Thank you for reading!

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20