Steel-Cut Oat Griddle Cakes to Start Your Morning Right

A recipe for steel-cut oat griddle cakes with cardamom and topped with berries and yogurt utilizing leftover steel-cut oats.



The alarm goes off early. Its distinct song piercing the quiet morning signals another day beginning. Soon there will be four kids milling about in different states of waking: rubbing sleep from their eyes, showering, flopping on the couch in protest to the sunrise.

Our morning routines are a bit chaotic at best, with everyone crowding into the kitchen as I lay out the day’s offerings for breakfast while prepping lunch boxes simultaneously. They’re filling containers with fruit or vegetables, cracking eggs, and asserting that the pasta salad that’s sitting out is “not good for them,” as I delve into our corner cabinet for the frying pan. We’re all elbows and bumped shoulders as we travel through the morning.

Choices are the hardest part of the morning. What to make for breakfast? What to send for lunch? I do better with a plan, yet I’m inclined to eschew them in favor of spontaneity (read: chaos). I figure I put food in the refrigerator, took time to plan dinners. What else is there? Rather than plan out my morning and afternoon menus, too, I tend to stock up on staples and fall back on a regular rotation of options.

Oats are one of my favorite go-to breakfast options because they provide me the opportunity to fill the kids up and give them a meal that will last until lunchtime. However, oatmeal alone won’t get the job done. While it provides the stick-to-your-ribs goodness, it’s what you add to the oats that really gives them the energy to get through their day.

With 8 grams of high-quality protein per cup, switching up my regular oatmeal recipes to be made with organic milk instead of water delivers essential nutrients and 2.5x the protein to our oats. Plus, cooking with milk adds a bit of natural sweetness to the oatmeal without the need for an overload of extra sweeteners.

This recipe for steel-cut oat pancakes is a favorite around our house. I make a large pot of steel-cut oats with organic milk the first day and then serve oatmeal bowls for breakfast. Once everyone has had their fill, I stir in the walnuts and flavorings, spread it into a pan, and store it in the refrigerator for tomorrow’s breakfast. That way it’s quick and easy on Day 2, just cutting them into pancakes and searing them until they’re toasted. Pair with an 8-ounce glass of organic milk to start your day off right.

We top our pancakes with any number of things, but a favorite is always fresh fruit and Greek yogurt with a small drizzle of honey, adding color, sweetness, and even more of a protein boost to the meal.

Steel-Cut Oat Griddle Cakes

Yield: 4-5

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

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Ingredients

• 3 cups organic milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 ½ cups organic steel-cut oats
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Honey or maple syrup, if desired

Instructions

Mix together milk and water in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat just until boiling. Stir in the steel-cut oats, reduce heat, and simmer for 30-40 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and the oats are extremely thick. Remove from the heat and add in the walnuts, vanilla, cardamom, and salt, stirring until incorporated throughout.

Spread the oats into an even layer in a lightly greased 9x13” pan. Allow to cool to room temperature and then place in the fridge overnight.

When ready to eat, cut the oats into squares. Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Add a bit of butter into the pan. Cook the oatmeal squares for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Top with strawberries, yogurt, and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.