Never heard of N’Oatmeal before?  Quite alright, I hadn’t either until a few months ago. 

Over the summer I was all about the smoothie bowl.  It was a refreshing way to get in my fruits and vegetables and perfect for summer.  But when cold weather hit, smoothie bowls just didn’t seem as appealing.

So I set off to find a warm breakfast that still had a good dose of vegetables.  I’d heard of Zoats (a mix of zucchini and oatmeal), but I wanted to try something that was grain free.  I don’t have anything against oatmeal, but sometimes it’s heavier than I want. 

Then I stumbled into the world of N’Oatmeal.  Basically, it’s oatmeal without the oats.  People use things like butternut squash, non-dairy milk, ground nuts and seeds to get the consistency of oatmeal.

And it works.

I tried out a few and they were warm bowls of cozy.  I was still able to mix in all my favorite oatmeal toppings and I got in my serving of vegetables that I would with my smoothie bowl.  So I started experimenting with different vegetables and found that some work better than others.  But the two I like best?

Cauliflower and spaghetti squash.

Before I lose you completely, hear me out.  Yes, those seem like two weird things to turn into oatmeal but you don’t taste them at all, especially if you add in caramelized pears. WHICH is EXACTLY what I did with this recipe.  When you blend everything together not only do you get the oatmeal texture, you also get the oatmeal taste.

So, give this recipe a try before you call me completely crazy.  Then if it’s absolutely horrible (which I promise, it isn’t) you can call me crazy.

It wouldn’t be the first time 🙂

Caramel Almond N’Oatmeal- Healing Family Eats was the big inspiration behind this N’Oatmeal and she has some great ones you should try out! 

• 1 cup cooked spaghetti squash (roast it beforehand and then scrape out the flesh)*
• 1 bosc pear
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp maca powder
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds
• 1 tbsp hemp seeds, optional topping

1. Preheat your oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.  Slice the stem and ver bottom of the pear off and cut in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds and lay them face up on the baking sheet.
2. Mix together the cinnamon and coconut oil until you have a brown paste.  Spread that on each side of the pear.  Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes until the edges are brown and crispy.* 
3. Get a large saucepan and pour in the almond milk.  Add the spaghetti squash and caramelized pears.  Sprinkle the maca powder over everything and stir to mix.  Heat over medium-high heat.
4. Cook like this for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Then add the chia seeds and stir again.  If you have an immersion blender, blend everything in the post until it has the consistency of oatmeal.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, pour everything into your blender and pulse until you have the right texture. Place back in the pot.
5. Cook for another 2 minutes and then pour into a bowl.  Top with sliced almonds, hemp seeds, and anything else you want.  I’m partial to coconut butter, cacao nibs, and extra cinnamon.

*You can roast the squash and pears the day before and do a few at a time so you have enough ready for the week.