Toasted Oatmeal with Strawberry Chia Jam and Coconut Whipped Cream
Three healthy recipes in one bowl: the best toasted oatmeal, strawberry chia jam and coconut whipped cream. This breakfast is vegan and gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Other potential titles for this post included, “Three of my favorite things” or “Recipes I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You About.” I’ve been feeling under the weather for the past week, but now that I can finally smell and taste properly again, I’m back to make up for my absence with three recipes in one. (A better blogger would have recipes on reserve for occasions like these, but then again, I have to be sufficiently excited about a recipe to post it and I could hardly stand to sit on a good one.)
Each component is delightful on its own, but they just so happen to combine marvelously well in one breakfast bowl. Nutty, fruity, creamy—yes, more, please.
I’ll give you a rundown of each. The oatmeal cooking technique, which I discovered in Megan Gordan’s Whole-Grain Mornings cookbook, yields nutty and fluffy (not at all mushy) oatmeal.
The strawberry chia jam utilizes summer’s finest [frozen] strawberries, a dollop of natural sweetener and thickens with the help of “superfood” chia seeds. It cooks down in under thirty minutes and tastes much fresher and brighter than store-bought jams.
Lastly, coconut whipped cream has already taken the internet by storm, for good reason. I like it just as much, if not more than, freshly whipped cream. It’s better for you, too.
Since I haven’t been feeling well, I’ve been paying extra attention to the fuel that I’ve been consuming. I’m not a nutritionist, but I believe that this breakfast is excellent fuel. It’s full of whole grains, seeds, fruit and healthy fat. And more than that, it’s crazy delicious and brightens up dreary winter mornings with a swirl of shocking pink. Can’t beat that!
I should mention that while I was snuggled up with sweet Cookie in front of the TV (House of Cards season two!), I researched foods that heal and fight inflammation. The internet says those foods are vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds… everything I’m already accustomed to eating! High five, self. Way to treat yourself kindly, recipe makers. Hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do.
Toasted Oatmeal with Strawberry Chia Jam and Coconut Whipped Cream
Three healthy recipes in one bowl: the best toasted oatmeal, (frozen) strawberry chia jam and coconut whipped cream. This breakfast is easily vegan and gluten free (see notes). If you’re making the coconut whipped cream, be sure to chill your coconut milk overnight, and place your mixing bowl in the freezer at least 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Strawberry chia jam (yields about 1 cup, you might want to double these amounts so you’ll have more for later)
- 1 bag (12 ounces) frozen organic strawberries or other berries*
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey, maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Toasted oatmeal
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons water
- ½ cup milk of choice (I used light coconut milk)
- Generous pinch kosher or sea salt
- Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
- Pinch of ground ginger (optional)
- Optional mix-ins: flax seeds, shredded coconut, toasted nuts, etc.
Coconut whipped cream
- 1 can (14 ounces) full fat coconut milk, chilled at least 10 hours (the coconut milk MUST be full fat and MUST be refrigerated for at least 10 hours. Put a mixing bowl in the freezer or refrigerator to chill while you’re at it.)
- 1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup or agave nectar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- The strawberry chia jam takes the longest to make, so let’s start with the jam: In a medium saucepan, combine the berries (no need to defrost if they are frozen) and sweetener. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the berries are warmed throughout and saucy (5 minutes or more), lightly mash the berries with a potato masher or fork.
- Reduce the heat to medium low. Stir in the chia seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until the jam is reduced and looking, for lack of better term, jammy (15 to 20 minutes). Note that the jam will further thicken up as it cools. Remove the pan from heat and add more sweetener if you’d like.
- Make the oatmeal: Melt the coconut oil/butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oats and toast over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they start smelling fragrant and toasty, around 6 to 8 minutes.
- In a large, heavy bottomed pot, combine the milk, water, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium heat. Add the toasted oats and gently stir once or twice to incorporate the oats into the liquid. Cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the oats sit on the burner, untouched, for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, uncover and check the oats. Mine were perfectly done at this point, but if yours are wetter than you’d like, let them continue to absorb water in a covered pot for a few more minutes.
- Make the coconut whipped cream: Pull out the chilled can of coconut milk and mixing bowl. The coconut cream should have separated from the liquid by now. Flip the can over and open it from the bottom with a can opener. Pour out the coconut water (reserve for smoothies if you’d like).
- Scoop the solid coconut cream into the chilled bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream until fluffy and smooth. Add the sweetener and vanilla extract and gently blend again to combine. Use the coconut cream immediately or cover and store in the fridge for later (it will be soft at room temperature and firm when cold).
Notes
Oatmeal recipe adapted from Megan Gordan’s Whole-Grain Mornings cookbook. Chia jam and coconut whipped cream cooking techniques adapted from Angela Liddon’s forthcoming The Oh She Glows Cookbook. (You can pre-order it now! Angela has a step-by-step coconut whipped cream tutorial here and a recipe for blueberry vanilla chia jam here.)
*On using frozen berries: I really recommend frozen berries for this jam. They break down especially well once heated and taste better than off-season berries. Angela says that fresh strawberries don’t break down as well as other berries, so if you’re using fresh strawberries, she recommends breaking them down in a food processor before cooking.
Recipe yields 2 very large or 4 moderate portions. Store leftover components separately in the refrigerator, covered. You might want to add a bit of water while reheating the oats.
Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
Make it vegan: Use coconut oil instead of butter and maple syrup or agave nectar instead of honey.
If you want to add more protein to this breakfast, top your oatmeal with nuts and/or Greek yogurt.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Just stunning photos! What a swirly bowl of heaven. :)
I think we must be on the same wavelength because I just made a batch of this jam using a bag of frozen strawberries this week. I don’t know why I haven’t enough of pairing the whipped cream with it on oatmeal, but I’ll be doing that tomorrow.
Thanks for the shout out, by the way!
Thank you for the inspiration, Angela! I’m really enjoying your book. Can’t wait to try the savory options.
Ooooh – I’ve been looking for a chia seed jam recipe! Someone was telling me all about it the other day, but I was unsure of how to make it… And raspberry is such a gorgeous flavour… Thank you for posting this! :)
You’re welcome, Skye! I’m totally enamored with chia jam now. Can’t wait to try more flavors.
LOVE it all!!! Beautiful, too.
YUM. just what i need to make myself – as i too am coming off the two week trying to feel better while not tasting anything blues………..thank you – i am all over it. will let you know how it measures on the divine meter.
Karen, I’m sorry you haven’t been feeling well! No fun. Hope you find this breakfast totally divine.
This looks so delicious.
Really have to try chia seeds one of these days!!!
i need to get on the chai jam business…and i will never go back to making the mushy oatmeal ever again. good to know you are feeling better.
Gorgeous breakfast, love the strawberry chia jam!
Mmmm … I didn’t know you could whip coconut up like that to make a ‘cream’. I’m not keen on real whipped cream so would be keen to see if I like this better. Glad you’re feeling a bit more yourself now, Kate. Winter colds are so yucky and take so long to go awaaaay!
I can’t wait to try cooking oats that way! Everything about this recipe is awesome.
This looks great!! I need to get on this chia jam/coconut cream wagon.
You really do, Grace! I know you would love both!
I put a can of coconut milk in the fridge last night and bought frozen strawberries. Tomorrow morning, this is happening!
This sounds absolutely wonderful Kate. I can’t wait to cook my oats this way next time. I need to whip up some of this jam asap!!!
I’ve never thought to add chia seeds to jam. I’m going to have to try this. Thanks!
Hope you love the chia jam, Morgan!
This looks amazing! I could totally get down with coconut whipped cream on my breakfast ;)
I’m a huge oatmeal lover and can’t believe I’ve never heard of toasted oatmeal…definitely giving this a try!!
A very enthusiastic YES! ..to everything about this post and recipe!
Maybe a colorful breakfast is the way to brighten up this grey winter! The texture of that oatmeal looks perfect too – I’ll have to try to toasting method. Beautiful photos, by the way!
Thanks, Katie! Toasting the oatmeal is quite an improvement, hope you’ll try it soon.
Oooh yes when I saw this on your Instagram this morning I was really hoping to come home and find the recipe sitting in my lineup of blogs to read, and POOF! There it is! I can’t even remember the last time I bought jam because chia jam seems to suit my needs just fine (and I like it so much more!) So sorry to hear you’re not feeling well. You’ve probably already read about this, but ginger, cinnamon and turmeric are my 3 all-time fave natural inflammation fighters. I put them in my smoothies (the turmeric doesn’t have much taste if you keep the quantity to about 1/2 tsp), but also in curries and I love how they taste together. Hope you feel better soon!
Thanks, Angela! I’m so excited to have discovered chia jam. I happen to adore ginger, cinnamon and turmeric, but I never thought to add turmeric to smoothies! I can’t wait to try it! I think it will make my pineapple smoothie look extra pretty.
This looks wonderful Kate! What a gorgeous and healthy breakfast!
I always feel super vindicated when I look at those “foods to cure” lists and realize it’s MY ENTIRE DIET. WIN.
I hope you’re feeling better! If not, I highly suspect this bowl of awesome will cure you.
Major win! Especially since what you eat is so delicious! I’ve never been one to suck down a shot of wheat grass just because it’s healthy.
What a great idea to use chia seeds like pectin to make jam! I will give it a shot, the texture that chia seeds make doesn’t go well with me, but I will try it in a homemade jam and see if I can get them down! Happy Nesting.
To tell you the truth, I don’t usually love plumped-up chia seeds, but their texture was indiscernible in this jam. I love it.
Thanks for the encouraging news!
Sorry to hear that you haven’t been feeling well Kate. Winter ailments are terrible. Glad that you get to curl up with Cookie though, snuggly and warm in front of the TV. Even better with a bowl of deliciousness for energy, nutrients and healing. I love how food has everything we need for our bodies embedded in it. Thanks for sharing these beautiful recipes, I cannot wait to try this breakfast. get well soon! xxx
Thank you, Laura! I’m feeling much better now, almost back to 100 percent. Food has miraculous powers, doesn’t it? Hope you enjoy the breakfast!
Hello layers of morning happiness! The chia + strawberry jam is making me giddy. I hope you feel better soon (and that season 2 is everything you hoped it would be and more!)
I’m not sure which element of this I’m most in love with; such a gorgeous bowl of deliciousness!
I saw your picture on Pinterest yesterday and had to pin it immediately! I didn’t think it was possible but the recipe description sounds even more appetizing that your gorgeous pictures. And whipped coconut cream…never even heard of it but can’t wait to try now! Thank you for sharing. :-)
Thanks, Julia! I hope you try the whipped coconut cream soon! It’s so tasty.
I’m in love with this breakfast bowl. Also, chia jam? So interesting! I think I have all these ingredients already in my cupboard / freezer so I might make this soon.
Oh, I hope you try the jam soon! It’s really bright and fresh tasting.
What a luxurious breakfast, I love everything about it!
This looks delicious. The perfect Rx for a cold — as well as cuddling with Cookie on the couch!
Love it – especially that jam has caught my eye!!
Hi! We are (were) under same rock. What are the health benefits of chia seeds? Thanks for getting me to try new things!
Hey Lori, great question! Chia seeds are high in Omega-3s and fiber. They absorb an insane amount of water and plump up sort of like tapioca balls. That’s why they help the jam gel up. You can eat them raw, too.
YUM. I have been making that oatmeal recipe from Whole Grain mornings a bunch lately — it is so awesome. And your toppings sound super, super tasty! Love.
Isn’t that oatmeal great? I think I want to try a savory variation next. Savory oatmeal always seemed odd to me, but putting an egg on Megan’s toasted oatmeal doesn’t seem so strange!
I’ve never seen oatmeal look so alluring. Definitely going to have this for breakfast soon.
Gahd! This looks amazing! I love coconut so much and funny enough, I eat the same old oats every morning so I’m definitely going to try this out! Love the photography too, by the way :)
Love this! Such a great idea. The chia seed jam seems amazing! Can’t wait to try.
Thank you!
This looks absolutely delicious – pinning for my a breakfast in my very near future. Like tomorrow.
Dear Kate,
This is really a great idea to have for breakfast! I was wondering if you have an idea how long you can keep the jam if I would make more and put it in a jar. I´m not experienced in making jam and thought you might know… Thanks for the inspiration!
Hey Sarah, great question. I haven’t tested the jam’s longevity, but I think it will keep well for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. I think it will be pretty obvious if it’s gone bad (look for visible mold!).
I made the jam with frozen raspberries this morning. So delicious and easy! I put the jam and an touch of maple syrup on your banana oat pancakes that I made a couple of days ago. Heaven! By the way, I just stored the leftover cooked pancakes in the refrigerator and heated them in the toaster. They came out perfectly. I will make a bigger batch to freeze next time. Thank you for all of your terrific recipes.
Christina, thanks for commenting! I’m so glad the chia jam turned out well for you. I can’t wait to try it with raspberries… I can imagine it’s especially wonderful on banana pancakes! Sounds like I need to make more pancakes, too. Thank you for the toaster tip! I need to try that.
This was great!!! Completely enjoyed how it looked and tasted. Do you know what the nutrutional values are? Calories, Proteins, Carbs, Fats?
Hey Stacey, I’m sorry, I haven’t looked up the nutrition information. I might start providing that information in the future, but for now, you can always go to myfitnesspal.com to look up those details.
I’ve started toasting my oats, too, as the first step for making oatmeal (after seeing the technique for a savory miso oatmeal), and it makes such a difference. Have been meaning to try a chia jam, I’ll start with this one when our current pot of apricot preserves runs out. Thanks for the nutritious recipe, as always!
Oh, I’m intrigued by your savory miso oatmeal idea! Hope you love the jam.
I absolutely love your blog, you have some fabulous recipes, especially a fair amount of dairy-free ones (yay!). I’ve been wanting to make coconut whipped cream, I was a bit skeptic at first but it looks really good so Ill have to try it out soon.
Thank you! I hope to make the dairy-free recipes easier to find soon… just need to find the time to recategorize them! Seriously, coconut whipped cream is amazing.
We loved this breakfast, Kate! I had such fun making a quick jam in my PJs over the weekend. I toasted a big batch of oats in the oven (because it makes oatmeal-raisin cookies even better!) so this breakfast was super quick, and leftovers reheat beautifully! I didn’t have any coconut cream so I have been subbing dollops of greek yogurt. Its been a while since I was excited about oatmeal :)
Sophie, so glad you enjoyed the oatmeal! Now I really want toasted oatmeal cookies.
Ok, I’ll be the one to ask The Stupid Question: do you defrost the frozen berries first? I assume your recipe would indicate to defrost if that were the case, but I just keep picturing a smoldering pile of frozen berries and a ruined saucepan….
No, no need to defrost the berries first! As long as you heat the frozen berries in the saucepan gently, you shouldn’t end up with a smoldering pile of berries. :)
This turned out wonderfully! I thought I had rolled oats, but found out I only had Quaker quick 1-minute…but I made it work. My wife loved it and I did too! This is a keeper, thanks a ton!!
Bryan, so glad you both enjoyed the oatmeal! Thank you for commenting!
What a perfect way to use my last frozen berries that I picked last year. This was delicious and may be my new all time favorite way to eat oats. Delish!
I didn’t make the oatmeal recipe, but I did enjoy the strawberry chia jam so I tried it with cherries and posted a version on my blog. I did cite the source though :) so I hope you don’t mind…?
Hi! I don’t mind. Thank you for adapting the recipe and linking to my site. Your sandwich with coconut bacon sounds amazing.
Next on my to-make-list!! Been looking (and drooling) at the pictures, and decided to make this for my breakfast this Sunday!! Can’t wait
Hope you love it, Lauren!
I just made this for breakfast and it was so good! I dislike the texture of oatmeal so I just toasted up the oats in the oven and added the jam and coconut cream. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for commenting, Caity!
This was the most delicious breakfast! I was really struggling to find something good to make, as out here in Costa Rica we only shop at the farmer’s market once a week on Saturdays, so needed a breakfast with what was in the cupboards. Happened to have everything except for the strawberries, so made it following the recipe and replaced the jam with fresh banana and mango – a tropical version I guess haha! Thanks for sharing, the coconut cream is excellent and I’d have never thought of it on my own.
Awesome, glad you enjoyed the oatmeal! Your fresh, tropical version sounds marvelous!
Hi Kate – Love your website and recipes! Question – can you can the strawberry jam recipe?
Thanks!
I’m sorry, I don’t think you can! This recipe was not developed for canning and I’d hate for anyone to get sick from it.
I made the oatmeal and I loved the way that it tasted after the toasting, but not as much after the soaking. Would it be okay to just forgo the soaking stage?I know undercooked oatmeal can be tough on stomachs.
Just made this for breakfast this morning. OMG so good! It tastes very decadent. I have the house to myself this weekend and thought I would give this a try without the guys. Now I wish they were home to try it! My first time making toasted oatmeal. So much better. I made the chia jam last weekend and we have been eating it all week on yogurt with a little homemade granola sprinkled on top. Yum! I almost thought about skipping the coconut whipped cream. So glad I did not as it put it over the top! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you, Suzy! Glad you enjoyed this breakfast so much. It’s one of my favorites!