Are you scratching your head looking for an easy breakfast that your toddler will actually eat? This healthy, overnight oats recipe is your new BFF—the perfect toddler oatmeal to satisfy even the pickiest eater!
Finding meals that your toddler will eat is a hard task. Finding meals that your toddler will eat and that are also healthy? Next to impossible.
Until now.
I’m sharing my go-to healthy overnight steel-cut oats recipe that is easy to prepare and can be flavored any way you like. Get ready to toss those instant, sugar-laden oatmeal packets because this toddler oatmeal recipe is truly oat-standing!
This post contains a quick, easy, and healthy recipe for toddler oatmeal.
A TODDLER OATMEAL RECIPE YOUR KID WILL EAT!
A bit of backstory…
About four years ago I was practicing yoga with a friend and I felt a twitch in my left knee. Something was wrong and I knew I should stop, but what did I do? You guessed it! I kept on flowing! Blame it on ego or stupidity, but I pushed through by what any other account was a standard, run-of-the-mill practice. And by the end, I was in pain. Pain as in “oh my God, I can’t walk!” pain.
Fast forward a few hours, days, and weeks and my knee still wasn’t better. By the time I had exhausted all remedies that I (and Google) knew, I finally broke down and made an appointment with an orthopedist. When the doctor examined my knee and applied pressure, it hurt so badly that I burst into tears.
After the exam, he sent me for an MRI. Long story short, after all, was said and done, he recommenced getting cortisone shots in my knee, explaining the only way that it would heal naturally was if I didn’t walk on it for 12+ months.
I’m a natural person; by this I mean I don’t like taking medicine (who does?), getting tests, having surgeries, etc. Again, who does really? But I will do everything and anything in my willpower to change my lifestyle and/or habits before turning to other measures. (Also as an aside: This is not a knock on anyone who does prefer to take medicine. I’m simply sharing my point of view, but of course, this isn’t prescriptive by any means.)
I adamantly didn’t want to get the shots, so I reached out to a friend who I knew had success with a naturopathic doctor. I made an appointment and met with the doctor who put me on an “anti-inflammatory” (AI) diet.
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Steel Cut Oats are not only the perfect toddler oatmeal…you will enjoy them too!
In the beginning stages, the AI diet is very limiting, and many fruits, especially citrus, are “off-limits” so I needed to find a replacement for my usual breakfast smoothie which contained a lot of fruit.
Enter steel-cut oats.
I’ll admit I was always intimidated by steel-cut oats. The coarse texture and shape are so “un-oat” like, what was I to do with them? Plus, the directions on the bag say to cook them for thirty minutes or more…it seemed very daunting, especially when my oatmeal-making abilities at that point consisted of boiling water and dumping in a packet of instant oatmeal.
Of course, I took to the Internet and found an easy recipe that I modified to fit my diet, and voila!
An easy, kid-friendly oatmeal recipe that your whole family will love!
Trust me. When I say this recipe is easy, it’s easy. It’s almost a non-recipe it’s that easy. There is only three short minutes of active cooking time and the rest of the time (about 8 hours) the oats cook overnight in the pot. The magic of it? The stove is completely turned off. Simply cover the pot with a lid and let the water and steam do all of the work!
Enjoy a fresh bowl of perfectly cooked, creamy healthy oatmeal in the morning, and store the remaining oats in the refrigerator to enjoy throughout the week.
Overnight oats – no crockpot required!
I’ve made and enjoyed this recipe for years. To be honest, when my kids started eating solids without restrictions as they got older I never thought to let them try this oatmeal because it’s “boring” and neither of my kids loved the baby oatmeal.
One day, however, as I was eating my breakfast, my daughter kept reaching for my bowl (as both of my children tend to always do) and I let her try it. And like magic, she devoured almost the entire bowl.
Now, I don’t know if you know this, but toddlers are finicky. 🤣 I thought, “Hmmm. This could be a fluke.” But guess what? The next day, she ate an entire bowl again. And then again the day after that.
I knew had a winner. The perfect toddler oatmeal.
Why this is the perfect toddler oatmeal recipe:
- uses heart-healthy, steel-cut oats
- only requires 3 ingredients + water
- zero sugar
- can be sweetened (if desired) and/or mixed with whatever toppings you desire
- one pot makes approximately 4 servings
- the oats cook overnight so the recipe requires minimal effort/time
I can’t remember where I found this recipe (or I would give credit where credit is due) because it’s been several years now, but I can tell you that I have shared this recipe dozens of times.
I’m a “Plain Jane” when it comes to food so I simply top my oats with a scoop of vegan protein powder, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a handful of chopped walnuts. My daughter loves this combination too, but you can (and should!) get creative. Sweeten with pure maple syrup or honey (after age one!), dried fruits, fresh fruits slivered nuts…the possibilities are endless!
I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.
Enjoy! ¡Buen provecho! Bon appétit!
This post was an easy, nutritious recipe for toddler oatmeal that your child can enjoy every morning!
Overnight Steel-Cut Oats
Equipment
- 3 qt saucepan with a tight-fitting lid
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats, not quick-cooking
- 3 cups water, plus a little more
- a small pat of butter
- a pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Over medium-high heat melt the butter in a saucepan,You can use as little or as much butter as you like, but I don’t recommend eliminating it altogether because the oats won’t “fry” nicely
- Once the butter has melted, add 1 cup of uncooked oats
- Stir oats, coating with butter, and “fry” for approximately three minutes.This step is the most important. Watch the oats closely and stir frequently. You don’t want the oats to burn, but rather have a nice golden brown hue. You’ll know they’re just right because they will be fragrant.
- Once the oats are golden brown, add 3 cups of water.I always add a splash more because I like my oatmeal a little thinner You can also substitute cow’s milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc. if you want creamier oatmeal, but it will affect the taste and consistency.
- Add a pinch of sea salt and stir.
- Bring the water + oats to a boil and then cover with a lid
- Turn off the stove and go to bed, leaving the pot covered overnight.
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