This Oat Bran Power Bowl recipe is a really cozy way to fuel your day ~ oat bran is creamier, has more fiber, and keeps you satisfied even longer than regular oatmeal. We love it!
Do you eat oat bran? It’s probably our favorite of all the hot cereals, but for some reason we forgot about it for a few years, and rediscovered it in a big way this winter. Now we have it every morning. It cooks up to a creamier texture than oats, and I think it has a sweeter, ‘oatier’ flavor. Here’s the thing, oat bran is the outer layer of the oat, where all the ‘good stuff’ is. It’s even better than regular oatmeal at giving you that full feeling that lasts for hours. It’s so good for you that it makes sense to find other ways to get it into your diet, you can mix it into pancakes and muffins, sprinkle it into smoothies and yogurt, or use it in place of bread crumbs in meatloaf and burgers, etc.
Oat bran is like oatmeal on steroids ~ it’s a super food that lowers cholesterol, and helps prevent heart disease and diabetes. It absorbs water as it passes through your digestive system, which makes you feel fuller, longer, and so helps you control your weight.
Normally I’ll top it with a touch of dark brown sugar, some crumbled walnuts, a few raisins or dried cranberries, and milk, or coconut milk~ but today I decided to go all out and use a little bit of everything from my stash of dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. It makes this morning bowl extra hearty and satisfying.
TIP: Do you have opened packages of dried fruit, nuts and seeds scattered about your cabinets? I organize them in jumbo zip lock bags…one for fruit, one for nuts, and one for seeds…that way I can keep track of them and access them easily. No more lost and forgotten chia seeds!
Oat bran cooks even quicker than oatmeal, it only takes few minutes. Look for it in the cereal section of your supermarket, the main brands are Bob’s Red Mill and Quaker, and both are good. Some stores will sell it in their bulk bin section as well.
We discovered that oat bran reheats beautifully in the microwave ~ give it a stir and it’s good to go. That means you can make a big batch on Sunday and enjoy hot cereal for the whole week.
Even if you’re not a big oatmeal fan, give oat bran a try, you just might love it!
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat bran
- 2 2/3 cups water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- dark brown sugar
- fruit nut and seed mix
- milk, half and half, or coconut milk
- walnuts, chopped
- cashews, chopped
- pistachios, chopped
- sliced almonds
- dried apricots, chopped
- dried plums, chopped
- dried dates, chopped
- dried pineapple, chopped
- banana chips, chopped
- dried kiwi, chopped
- dried cranberries
- pepitas
- sunflower seeds
- flax seeds
- chia seeds
Instructions
- Put the water into a saucepan and add salt. Bring to a boil, then slowly add the oat bran, while whisking. Lower the heat and cook for about 2 minutes, it may bubble up so watch your pan. Then cover and let sit, off the heat, for 2 more minutes.
- Spoon the oat bran into 2 bowls, and add a sprinkle of dark brown sugar and some of the fruit/nut/seed mix. Top with a little milk, half and half, or coconut milk, and enjoy!
notes:
- For a richer cereal use low fat or non fat milk in place of half of the water.
- Try my Orange Walnut Oat Bran Muffins!
15 Comments
Mary
January 15, 2017 at 5:14 pmGosh this is beautiful! love it as it’s so simple and yet so much flavor!
Laura | Tutti Dolci
January 12, 2017 at 1:57 pmSuch a gorgeous and colorful bowl – breakfast has never looked better! :)
Chris Scheuer
January 11, 2017 at 11:33 amFunny, I’ve forgotten about oat bran too and can’t wait to pick some up. I love oatmeal and I know it’s supposed to be filling, but I’m always hungry an hour or two later (especially if I’m looking at your food). :)
Sue
January 11, 2017 at 11:55 amI know Chris, that’s exactly the reason we sought out oat bran again…oatmeal is delicious but definitely doesn’t satisfy in the same way.
Dawn
January 11, 2017 at 11:13 amThanks for this, Sue! My husband’s cholesterol is too high so we’re eating lots of oatmeal, but it’s not my favorite. I’ll give this a try–the texture looks more appealing to me.
Sue
January 11, 2017 at 11:56 amOh Dawn, you should switch to oat bran without a doubt, it’s much more powerful when it comes to lowering cholesterol :)
Susan
January 11, 2017 at 10:33 amSo the question I have is, can you do oat bran the same way you do overnight oats, without the cooking? I enjoy overnight oats, but I mostly don’t like to cook in the mornings. The idea of these bowls is definitely intriguing.
Sue
January 11, 2017 at 11:57 amWell, I haven’t tried to soak it overnight like you do with overnight oats, but we have been making it the night before, and then reheating in the morning, that works great. I was actually planning to experiment with doing it overnight style for an upcoming post, stay tuned :)
John/Kitchen Riffs
January 11, 2017 at 8:27 amI do like oat bran, although for some reason it’s been years — YEARS! — since I’ve had it. Now, of course, you have my craving it. :-) Good post — thanks.
Sue
January 11, 2017 at 8:40 amI know John, same here…and we even had trouble finding it on the supermarket shelves ~ it’s time for an oat bran COMEBACK!!
annie
January 11, 2017 at 6:34 amI don’t eat oat bran, but clearly I need to start. I use oatmeal in so many things, so I’m diggin this.
Sue
January 11, 2017 at 8:04 amIt’s surprisingly good, Annie :)
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
January 11, 2017 at 5:55 amWow! I can’t imagine a more delicious and healthy way to start the day! I need to rediscover oat bran, too :)
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
January 11, 2017 at 5:39 amI love a good healthy breakfast – it just sets the tone for a better day. I have used oat bran in baking many times – as it’s a great substitute for some of the flour. Have a wonderful day Sue!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
January 11, 2017 at 3:20 amA delicious and nourishing power bowl! And yes, I LOVE oat bran.