Last Updated on April 15, 2022 by Karen
Old-fashioned oats are simmered in a spice-infused mixture of coconut milk and Chai to make a decadent, creamy breakfast.
Hi there, how is Monday treating you? I got a few of those “sorry our office is currently closed, please call us from Monday through Friday from 8am…” phone calls over the weekend, so today was one of those rare Mondays I anxiously await for all weekend long. By noon, I had already tackled four of the five items on my to-do list, thanks to the caffeine fix I got this morning in the form of Coconut Chai Oatmeal!
The Chai Imperial Black Tea Palais des Thés sent me got me thinking outside the box and instead of making chai cookies or tea cakes (would probably be great too!) I was inspired to transform a breakfast staple.
Hearty old-fashioned oats are simmered in coconut and chai tea mixture, and then topped with a tasty trio of maple syrup, cinnamon, and sweetened coconut flakes. Coconut milk is a great non-dairy alternative and its rich creaminess complements the spices so well. The tea leaves I used contain a blend of exotic spices like green cardamom, pink peppercorns, cinnamon, and ginger, with the addition of bright orange zest. Sweet, creamy, and decadent — I literally felt like I was eating dessert for breakfast!
Plus, how awesome is that you can get your caffeine fix in your oatmeal? Ever since I have been cutting back on coffee, I have been drinking a lot of tea. Chai tea leaves are usually a black tea blend, which makes this the perfect oatmeal to enjoy for breakfast, or as a brain fuel any time of day.
To start, you need to make a coconut milk-tea mixture by steeping few tablespoons (more or less depending on how strong you like your tea) of chai tea leaves in a mix of coconut milk and water. I put my loose tea leaves in a muslin bag to make it easier for straining later.
Then let it steep for ten minutes before using this mixture for cooking oatmeal on the stovetop. You can do this ahead and keep ‘em in the fridge for a few days. I made a quart of it and was seriously considering just heating it up and sipping on it. Simply delicious is all I can say!
New York friends!
From March 10th to April 7th, Palais des Thés will be hosting tea and cheese or pastry pairings in its NYC boutiques at 12pm and 4pm daily. Both the SoHo and Upper West Side boutiques will feature pairings like green tea and goat cheese, and oolong and sheep’s milk cheese. As for the pastry pairings, the SoHo location will feature sweet treats from Dominique Ansel Bakery and the UWS location will be serving pastries from Maison Kayser. Looks like I will be making three trips in order to try all of the pairings ;)
Coconut Chai Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1½ cups coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsps Chai tea leaves or 5 muslin teabags
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- Honey or maple syrup to taste (optional)
- Shredded coconut for garnish
Instructions
- Combine coconut milk, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Remove from heat and add tea leaves (loose or teabags) to the saucepan. Let steep while covered for 10 minutes.
- Strain tea leaves or remove tea bags, and return mixture to a simmer.
- Add oats and cook on low, stirring constantly, until the oats are softened and the mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Serve hot with honey or maple syrup if desired.
Notes
