High Protein Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal [Gluten Free, Dairy Free]

Meet my go-to weekend breakfast. High protein peanut butter cup oatmeal tastes decadent, yet is made with wholesome ingredients and contains fiber, protein and healthy fats to keep you full and fueled for your weekend activities. If you are like me, you like chocolate. No, not like. LOVE. I just don't get people who don't live for chocolate. Like..who are you?!!

I eat chocolate in some form everyday. Typically it is raw in the form of cacao powder and cacao nibs (read more about raw chocolate in this post). Or 85% dark chocolate. But I don't discriminate. All chocolate is amazing to this diehard foodie.

My absolute favorite combination of chocolate is with peanut butter. It's my two favorite foods, combined. Perfection.

Chocolate and peanut butter tastes amazing stuffed in a date, on top of sweet potatoes, drizzled on bananas, in smoothies and 'nice' cream, and even in OATMEAL.

I am not kidding when I say I wake up every Saturday morning and enjoy a big batch of today's recipe. I am an early bird, so I usually wake up hours before everyone else (i.e. my husband), even on the weekends. And since I am up pretty early, I get hungry before him too. While I love weekend breakfast items like pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc. I usually don't feel like dealing with the hassle of making it. So I make this high protein peanut butter cup oatmeal for a special weekend breakfast instead!

This high protein peanut butter cup oatmeal is simple to make and easy to clean up, too. I started making it higher in protein to help keep me full and satisfied longer. On the week days I typically eat 3 meals and 2-3 snacks, while on the weekends I typically just eat 3 larger meals. For no specific reason, it is just what I prefer!

Oatmeal and banana are a great source of fiber, and this oatmeal is chock full of healthy fats from the chocolate and peanut butter. I started adding peanut butter to to the oatmeal to get more of a peanut flavor and enjoyed the extra boost in protein it gave it too. Then I started adding eggs and it has become PERFECT. I finally felt full all morning long, plus the eggs added a fluff factor to the oatmeal that is impossible to beat!

Have you ever tried adding egg whites to your oatmeal? I promise you cannot taste it! Just make sure you keep stirring once you add the eggs, otherwise you will get scrambled eggs in your oatmeal. And that, my friend, is gross.

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High Protein Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal [Gluten Free, Dairy Free]

A breakfast that tastes decadent yet is full of fiber, protein and healthy fats to keep you full all morning long!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup rolled oats (use gluten free certified, if needed)

• 2/3 cup milk of choice + more as needed (I used unsweetened almond milk)

• Pinch of salt

• 1/2-1 banana, sliced

• 1 Tablespoon cacao powder (or high quality cocoa powder)

• 1-2 Tablespoons peanut butter

• 1 egg

• Splash of vanilla extract

• Optional: teaspoon of dark chocolate bar*

• Toppings: peanut butter, cacao nibs, dark chocolate chunks or chips

Instructions

1. Heat a small pot over medium-high heat. Add the rolled oats and milk and stir to combine.

2. Once oatmeal reaches a boil, turn heat down to low. Add the sliced bananas and stir to combine. Add the cacao powder and peanut butter, and more milk as needed to combine**. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until oatmeal is completed cooked.

3. Add the egg and continue stirring to avoid scrambling the eggs. The egg should only take 1-2 minutes to cook. The oatmeal should appear completely cooked and the egg should combine into the oatmeal.

4. Take oatmeal off the heat, add vanilla extract and (optional) dark chocolate. Stir to combine.

5. Pour into bowl, and add toppings of choice.

Notes

*I use 85% dark chocolate.[br]**Amount of milk added will depend on preference. I add as little as possible, as I prefer thicker oatmeal. The egg whites will also add more liquid to the mixture so keep that in mind!

Want to get real fancy? Add a dark chocolate peanut butter cup on top. You're welcome.

Your turn: What is your favorite weekend breakfast?