Because I’m craving warm, cozy food and because I had a hankering for something a little sweeter for breakfast this week, I came up with this rooibos tea oatmeal.
It’s actually very minimally sweetened and – like all of my oatless oatmeal recipes – has a secret hidden veggie that you’d never know was lurking in the depths of your bowl.
If you’ve never had it before, rooibos is a non caffeinated variety of tea, more akin to herbal tea than its black tea based counterparts. Red bush tea, as it’s often known at home in South Africa, is often served with a little cream & honey, so it seemed like a natural pairing for an infused tea oatmeal recipe.
This all sounds fancy pants, but it’s simple. You brew the tea to your taste and then use it to make a creamy, comforting oatmeal. For a stronger flavor, you can even keep the rooibos tea bags in the saucepan while the oatmeal is simmering; unlike black tea, it won’t over-steep or become bitter.
(In case you’re wondering, yes rooibos is fine on the AIP elimination phase. But, if you like, you can swap the rooibos for any brew of tea you like. Each will bring it’s own flavor to your breakfast, but make sure not to leave black or green teas in the mix for longer than their suggested brewing time!)
I like to avoid any added ‘natural flavors’ in my tea and love this rooibos which comes in unbleached bags. The rooibos has a subtle, caramel-y flavor that’s almost a little floral, but not quite. Which means it is perfect with vanilla.
So, to finish off this rooibos tea oatmeal, I made the world’s speediest yet poshest looking topping. I cooked up some fresh blueberries until they were glossy and scented them with a smidge of vanilla that makes this simple breakfast bowl just a little elegant.
And because I couldn’t resist, I topped my tea oatmeal with some extra goodies: sliced banana, a drizzle of raw honey & a coconut yogurt swirl. So freaking good, you guys.
Looking for more oatless oatmeal recipes? Try my Spiced Banana Bread Oatmeal, Golden Milk Oatmeal with Orange & Spices, Apple & Cranberry Oatmeal or my Tropical Plantain Oatmeal Bowls with Coconut & Mango!
PrintRooibos Tea Oatmeal with Vanilla Scented Blueberries
Cozy up with this oatless rooibos tea oatmeal with a hint of caramel & spice, piled high with fragrant vanilla blueberries for a not-too-sweet breakfast with some hidden veggies. Shhhhhh!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4; makes about 5 cups / 1200 g 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Method: stovetop
Ingredients
For the rooibos tea oatmeal:
- 4 bags rooibos tea, I like this one
- 1/2 cup / 120 ml just-boiled water
- 3 cups / 450 g cooked spaghetti squash strands, see notes
- 1 2/3 cups / 400 ml coconut milk, I like this one
- 3/4 cup / 60 g finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 tbsp / 10 g coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- pinch of salt
For the vanilla scented blueberries:
- 12 oz / 340 g blueberries, divided, about 2 generous cups
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml water
- 1 tbsp / 15 ml honey
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, I like this one
- 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
Instructions
BREW: Cover the rooibos tea bags with the just-boiled water and steep them for 6 minutes. Squeeze out the tea bags and reserve them for later.
WARM: In a medium saucepan, add the spaghetti squash, brewed tea & coconut milk, stirring to combine. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the reserved tea bags to the pot and simmer to warm through and soften the squash, about 5 minutes or so.
BLEND: Remove the tea bags and use an immersion blender to roughly break up the spaghetti squash strands – don’t puree the squash, just dip the blender in and out of the pan to break them down into smaller pieces.
SIMMER: Stir in the unsweetened coconut, coconut sugar, ginger and salt. Return the tea oatmeal mixture to the heat and simmer, uncovered & stirring occasionally, until the texture has thickened and the coconut has softened, about 10 minutes.
BUBBLE: While the tea oatmeal is simmering, add half the blueberries, water & honey to a small saucepan. Over low medium heat, cover the saucepan and bring the berries to a simmer until they release their juices and bubble. Once the blueberries are just beginning to break down when pressed with the back of a spoon, add the remaining blueberries and vanilla extract. Cook until the blueberries are glossy and just tender, about 2 minutes.
THICKEN: Mix the arrowroot powder with a little water to make a slurry. Remove the blueberries from the heat and stir through the arrowroot slurry to thicken slightly.
SERVE: Spoon the rooibos tea oatmeal into bowls and top with the vanilla scented blueberries. Like all oatmeal, this is even better with some extra toppings! I like to add some sliced banana, coconut yogurt & a light drizzle of raw honey at the end.
STORE: The rooibos tea oatmeal will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days or in the freezer for up to six months.
Notes
The easiest & quickest method for spaghetti squash: halve & de-seed a large (2 3/4 lb / 1.2 kg) spaghetti squash, place it in the Instant Pot on the trivet with 1 cup / 240 ml of water and cook it at high pressure for 9 minutes. Quick release, then let it cool enough to handle and separate out the strands.
Comfort food!! Sounds different but delicious