Salted Caramel Oatmeal

Salted. Caramel. Oats. You like the sound of that? Oh yes you do. Having dessert(ish) foods for breakfast is what life is all about. Seriously, if you haven't tried the Creamy Chocolate Oatmeal that I posted some time ago, get on it, NOW! So next up is this sinfully indulgent beast of a breakfast that'll leave you fully satisfied and ready to take on a new day.

This recipe owes its sweetness to date paste, or date caramel as I prefer to call it (see below). I make mine by mashing a few soft dates with a fork but this may not be so easy if you don't have the right kind of dates. The ones I'm talking about here can be seen above; soft, un-pitted ones that are super easy to peel and have a melt-in-your-mouth consistency. If you can't find these where you live, soaking a few of the drier, pre-pitted dates overnight would probably work as well.

Date Caramel

The wonderful, caramel-y flavour comes from the amazing Organic Burst Maca Powder that I've been putting in everything lately. If you don't have any maca at hand then I suggest you sub it for a spoonful of mesquite powder or simply leave it out and let the dates work their caramel magic all on their own.

Salted Caramel Oatmeal

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup rolled oats

- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

- 3-4 soft dates with the pits still in them or 3-4 pre-pitted dates soaked overnight (30 g)

- 1/2 tbsp Organic Burst Maca Powder (could sub for mesquite or omit completely)

- Salt to taste

How to:

1. Bring oats, salt and almond milk to the boil (in a small saucepan) then lower the heat to a simmer.
2. Peel (optional) the dates and mash them to a gooey mess using a fork and a spoonful of water.
3. Add the date paste to the saucepan and stir well until the paste has dissolved in the oatmeal.
4. Stir frequently as you wait for the oats to get to the desired consistency. Add in the maca powder right at the end to preserve its nutrients as much as possible.
5. Add toppings such as banana coins and/or peanut butter and serve immediately.