Super creamy, hearty, and bursting with deliciousness … Orange Cranberry Steel Cut Oats is just about the happiest way to start the day.
The Story Behind the Recipe
For the longest time one of my favorite Starbucks treats was their orange-cranberry scone. It’s this gloriously huge hunk of tenderness with hints of orange, bits of dried cranberries, filled with a sort of cranberry jam, and drizzled with sweet icing. It’s not really something I get anymore seeing as how I avoid dairy nowadays and all of that, but I still crave that flavor combination. Bring on the cranberry orange oatmeal!
This is basically just a super simple recipe for creamy oats cooked up with a mix of water and almond milk for extra creaminess. But then, there’s that big ol’ cozy twist of flavor. Orange zest, warming spices, dried cranberries cooked right up with the oats so that they’re nice and sweet and plump by the time it’s served. I find, by the way, that the cranberries make this oatmeal plenty sweet, and that no added sugar is necessary – but you may want to add a drizzle of sweetener like pure maple syrup to the mix.
A smattering of pecans, a few extra cranberries, another drizzle of almond milk, and some pretty orange slices sweeten the deal. Cranberry Orange Steel Cut Oatmeal is a plant-based, super-hearty, uber-comforting breakfast – no Starbucks pastries needed.
Orange Cranberry Steel Cut Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla almond milk is delicious too)
- 1/2 cup steel cut oats
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (from about 1/2 medium orange)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch ground cloves
- Pinch kosher salt
Optional toppings:
- Orange slices or diced orange (I zest the orange then slice it for topping)
- More dried cranberries
- Chopped pecans
- Pure maple syrup
- Additional almond milk
Instructions
- Add water, almond milk, oats, cranberries, orange zest, chia seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt to a medium saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and creamy, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and spoon into bowls. Top with orange slices, dried cranberries, pecans, and more almond milk if desired. If you like a sweeter oatmeal, you may want to drizzle with pure maple syrup or your sweetener of choice.
Nutrition Facts
This is a sponsored recipe and blog post developed and written by me in partnership with Silk, a brand I love! Thank you for supporting the companies who support Kitchen Treaty.
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I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
This looks insanely delicious! I love oatmeal in so many ways; it actually is one of my favorite dinner ideas for lazy evenings! Cranberries are a favorite ingredient in my current oatmeal recipes, but I am definitely going to try this spin on my oats next time. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂