Chocolate Covered Raspberry Oats: Healthy & Lovely

Ahh what a wonderful morning. It's a rainy day here in Ohio, but after several beautiful days in a row and constantly being outside in the sun and keeping very active, a lazy and rainy Sunday is exactly what the doctor ordered. I started my day with a big glass of water followed by a cup of warm lemon water. Then it was time to dive into breakfast. I was craving something comforting and sweet, yet healthy and fulfilling. Oats with fruit usually fit that for me. This morning, I decided to try out a new creation instead of my usual strawberry and banana or almond butter banana oats. After a little bit of brainstorming, it hit me. How does chocolate covered raspberry sound to you? It sounded great to me, so I dove right in. I put on some Elton John and started gathering ingredients and creating my mouth watering breakfast.

Chocolate Covered Raspberry Oats

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup old fashioned oats (you can also choose to use gluten-free!)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup mashed raspberries
1 Tbsp. peanut butter (I used a chocolate flavored natural peanut butter, but I'm sure regular peanut butter or almond butter would be just as yummy!)
Dark chocolate chips (optional)

To cook the oats, bring the almond milk to a boil and add in the oats. Stirring frequently. Watch them closely so that they don't boil over. Once they start to cook down a bit add in the salt and stir. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mash the raspberries. Once the oats are cooked to desired consistency, turn off the heat and stir in your cocoa and peanut butter. Stir until well combined. Add the oats to the bowl with the raspberries, and again, stir until well combined. And there you have it! So easy!

If you want a little more chocolate flavor (why not?) you can add in a few dark chocolate chips while the oats are hot and stir them in. They will melt and give you a nice little chocolate swirl and extra sweetness. I topped my oats with some shredded coconut, a few raspberries, and some more dark chocolate chips. Yum!

On the side of my oats today, I had a delicious Green Dream smoothie by yogi Tara Stiles. Only three ingredients, and so delicious. I have it almost every morning. Here's the recipe: Green Dream Smoothie (I also usually add a few drops of vanilla extract and some chia seeds, and top it with shredded coconut and pecans!). :)

ENJOY! And have a wonderful Sunday! Give yourself lots of love today. You deserve it. :)