Cherry-Almond Cookie Dough Oatmeal is decadent-tasting yet healthy way to start your morning. Each bite tastes like cookie dough!
Can we talk about how excited I am to eat cookie dough after the little man arrives?
That and see my feet, independently tie my shoes, wear normal pants, feel the fingertips on my right hand, walk more than a mile, and be able to stroll instead of roll out of a horizontal position?
SO EXCITED!
Our little boy is welcome to arrive any day and until that time I’m keeping a lid on my raw cookie dough cravings with Cherry-Almond Cookie Dough Oatmeal.
Healthy Oatmeal with a Cookie Dough Spin
Obviously I’m a cookie dough fiend and, coupled with my summer cherry obsession, this Cherry-Almond Cookie Dough Oatmeal totally and completely hits the spot.
The base is my go-to 3-minute stove top oatmeal combined with not only vanilla but almond extract, which I always add to my sugar cookie dough to give it a little extra oomph. Topped with fresh cherries and crunchy almonds, I literally felt like I was eating a decadent bowl of cherry-topped sugar cookie dough for breakfast!
(In a non-gaggy actually eating a bowl of sugar cookie dough for breakfast sort of way. You understand.)
The star of the bowl are fresh, summer cherries which are as sweet and delicious as they are gorgeous.
Wash 1/2 cup fresh cherries then use a cherry pitter to pit them. If you don’t have a cherry pitter you can slice the cherries like a mini piece of stone fruit then pop the pit out with your fingers.
Once they’re pitted, slice them in half and set aside. Out of sight, preferably, or there won’t be much left for topping your oatmeal!
Ask me how I know…
Next get the oatmeal cooking. Start with 1/2 cup old fashioned oats.
Add the oats to a small saucepan then add 1/2 cup each water and milk as well as 1 small banana sliced thin.
Turn the heat to medium then when the mixture starts to bubble, cook for about 3 minutes or until the oats are thick and creamy, using a spatula to help mash the bananas.
Remove the pot from the heat then stir in 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Almond extract is very potent so a little goes a long way. Almond is such a deliciously classic pairing with cherries though – so good!
Spoon the oatmeal into a bowl then top with the pitted, halved cherries, and a sprinkling of crunchy sliced almonds.
I am telling you – so ridiculously delicious! You will love the combo of almond and fresh cherry with a cookie dough flavor, and the contrast of creamy oatmeal with crunchy almonds is just fabulous.
Cherry-Almond Cookie Dough Oatmeal feels like you’re eating dessert for breakfast. Enjoy every last drop!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup certified gluten free old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk, any kind
- 1 small ripe banana, thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup fresh sweet cherries, pitted then sliced in half
- 1 Tablespoon sliced almonds
Directions
- Combine oats, water, milk, and banana slices in a saucepan over medium heat. Once simmering, stir and cook until oats are creamy, about 3 minutes, using a spatula to mash banana slices.
- Remove pan from heat then stir in brown sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Pour into a bowl then top with cherries and almonds.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Hurrah! what a helpful and informational article. Good work
I am not sure if this has been asked or not but can you substitute dried cherries if you don’t have fresh? If so, what would the measurement for 1 serving? Thank you!
Coming to these late via your “13 Yummy Breakfasts” email on 1/6/14, but I just wanted to say that we have always used a simple nail pounded into a 2×4 to pit our cherries. Push the cherry down on the nail, voila, pit pops right out! It is a little messy though, so definitely do this by the sink. Sad that it is January now and I have to wait for the beautiful, beautiful cherries to come back in season…sigh…may have to break down and buy some frozen and/or canned.
I made this recipe…delish.
I was enjoying some dried apricots the other night and a lightbulb went off…I got creative with your recipe.
Cut up and put some dried apricots into the oatmeal while cooking (to plump them up)…only a few since they are very sweet…
leave out the brown sugar (SWEET apricots)
omit the almond extract
a dash or 2 of ground cinnamon
handful of chopped pecans…
YUM!
I tried this today and yum!! I think I could have cut back on the brown sugar as the banana was really sweet to me but I have been looking for an oatmeal recipe and happened to have some cherries too. Perfect. This oatmeal recipe is great for a base I definitely will be using it again with other fruit. My oatmeal took about 10 minutes to cook instead of 3?? I wonder why?
Anyhoo thanks for a great blog and Congratulations in advance on your bundle of joy!
it’s look so yummylicious, i will going to make this, thank you for sharing this recipes..
more power and god bless you
It makes me laugh to think I’d never seen a cherry pitter like that until now. Just this past week my mum pitted the rather huge harvest from the tree in my parents’ garden using her old cherry pitter from back in the day. One of those large ones with a container attached that make a huge mess hence why she’s only using it out on the patio.
That being said your oatmeal sounds totally delicious.
ARGH!! I almost bought cherries at the store but I didn’t get any! This looks fantastic!
Just make this for brekkie – YUM! Thanks :)