Start your day with a hearty, tasty bowl of oat groats. It truly is the breakfast of champions! This powerhouse breakfast is vegan, gluten-free, and can be made soy-free or nut-free.

This oat groats bowl is spiced with warm cinnamon, sweetened with banana and loaded with antioxidant powerhouses like blueberries, goji berries and chia seeds. This breakfast will give you a pep in your step.
What you need to make this oat groats recipe
- Oat groats (gluten-free, if gluten sensitive)
- Cinnamon
- Goji berries
- Blueberries, fresh or frozen
- Bananas
- Chia seeds
- Unsweetened plant-based milk (I recommend homemade almond milk, but use whatever you prefer.)
- Unsweetened shredded coconut (optional topping)
How to prepare this oat groats recipe
Rinse and drain oat groats in a fine mesh strainer.
To cook the oat groats, put rinsed and strained oats into a medium pot with water. Bring to a gentle boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid on. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
Carefully strain cooked oat groats in a fine mesh colander, and return to the pot.
Stir in the ground cinnamon, and then goji berries.
Carefully fold in blueberries. *Note: If you're using frozen blueberries that have not yet thawed, you may need to turn the heat on low and put the lid on to warm the blueberries.
Portion out the oat groats with berries and add sliced bananas, chia seeds, and unsweetened shredded coconut flakes, if using.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
We'll also send you other yummy recipes. No worries! You can unsubscribe at any time. 💙
Drizzle unsweetened plant-based milk and enjoy!
Additional tips for cooking oat groats
When cooking oat groats, you may find that they aren't as "creamy" as steel-cut and rolled oats. They cook a little like pasta or rice where the groats absorb some but not all of the water. So, you may want to strain some of the excess water from the cooked oat groats before dishing up. Whatever water does remain will be soaked up by the chia seeds.
Also, if you prefer a creamy texture, use half steel-cut oats and half oat groats when cooking. You'll need to add more water, and it will take another 10 to 15 minutes to cook, but the steel-cut oats will give it a thick, creamy consistency.
Other additions and toppings
There are several options for toppings when it comes to oats. I like the sweetness of bananas and appreciate the antioxidant boost from both the blueberries and goji berries.
Not a fan of bananas? Feel free to use whatever fruit you like or is in season. I've used diced apple as well as mixed berries.
You can also substitute goji berries for another dried fruit, such as raisins, dates, dried apricot, dried mango or dried apples. Check the ingredients label to ensure there's no added sugar. FYI - dried cranberries typically have added sugar.
Feel free to add whatever unsweetened plant-based milk you prefer, like Homemade Almond Milk, Hemp Seed Milk, coconut milk, or soy milk.
Other seeds and nuts that work well in this are ground flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans and sliced almonds.
This breakfast is satisfying and will get you through the morning, even with an active lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oat groats are the O.G. when it comes to oatmeal. These oats are considered “intact” whole grains, whereas steel-cut oats and rolled oats are considered “minimally processed” whole grains. Steel-cut oats are oat groats that have been cut with a steel blade into smaller pieces, while rolled oats take oat groats and steam and flatten them in a rolling mill.
The nutritional value of oat groats is impressive. These intact whole grains are rich in fiber, beneficial for gut health. These kernels are also a good or excellent source of iron, potassium, antioxidants, and phytochemicals believed to help lower cholesterol and have anti-cancerous properties. From a culinary standpoint, oat groats make a great breakfast cereal and can be either sweet or savory. Oat groats are a wonderful addition to our ancient grains mixture that can be added to mushroom potato soup, rainbow salad, and Cuban black beans.
Absolutely! Make a single, double or even triple batch of the oat groats. Portion out into individual meal prep containers. Store what you're going to use that week in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you've already added fruit, it stores in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze cooked oat groats and heat them up in the microwave before adding your favorite toppings.
Oat groats are naturally gluten-free. However, some oats may have cross-contamination and contain small amounts of gluten. To avoid that, be sure to read the label to ensure you're purchasing gluten-free oat groats if you're gluten-intolerant.
We hope you love this oat groats recipe. Please rate and leave a comment below. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielsplaterecipes so we can see your creation!
Oat Groats with Blueberries and Bananas
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat groats
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 bananas sliced
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 2 Tbsp goji berries dried
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk for topping
- 1 tsp shredded unsweetened coconut flakes optional
Instructions
- Rinse and drain oat groats in a fine mesh strainer.
- Put rinsed oat groats into a medium pot with water. Bring to a gentle boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer with the lid on. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes.
- Carefully strain cooked oat groats in fine mesh colander, and return to the pot.
- Stir in ground cinnamon, and then goji berries.
- Carefully fold in blueberries. Note: If you're using frozen blueberries that have not yet thawed, you may need to turn the heat on low and put the lid on to warm the blueberries.
- Portion out oat groats with berries and add sliced bananas, chia seeds, and unsweetened shredded coconut flakes, if using.
- Drizzle unsweetened plant-based milk and enjoy!
S. Blue
This recipe is so delicious, simple and easy to make. It really gives traditional oats a run for its money.