For DIY Blueberries And Cream Instant Oatmeal, Just Add These 3 Ingredients

In the category of fast, nourishing, delicious breakfast choices, it's hard to beat instant oatmeal. After all, one cup of oats contains more than 10 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, as well as important nutrients like iron, magnesium, and zinc. Additionally, it's easy to elevate even the blandest oatmeal with the right ingredients, with oatmeal-lovers particularly enjoying sweet, dessert-like blends such as blueberries and cream, which may be better DIYed than purchased already mixed for a handful of reasons.

For example, though Quaker Oats produces instant oatmeal in this exact flavor, recent reports have shown that it's harder to find both in stores and online. It sometimes it can cost upward of $4.00 per packet even when it is available, depending on where you buy it. In contrast, purchasing the same brand of plain instant oatmeal packets in bulk costs right around $0.33 per packet, clearly making it the more budget-friendly option. However, DIYing this blend at home does require the addition of blueberries, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, which logically increases the price per serving. 

The good news is even the priciest blueberry add-on option, fresh blueberries, only takes the cost of this homemade version up to about $1.40 per serving. Dried blueberries are next, at about $1.00 per serving, and frozen blueberries are the most budget-friendly at around $0.88 per serving depending on where you shop. Each total was estimated using the average cost of one plain packet of instant oatmeal, about ¼ cup of fresh or frozen blueberries and 2 tablespoons of dried, plus one tablespoon of heavy cream and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Other than being inexpensive, the greatest advantage to making this delicious breakfast yourself is that it doesn't take much longer than making the packet alone. Simply make the plain oatmeal according to package instructions, and finish it off with the aforementioned amount of fresh, frozen, or dried blueberries, cream, and vanilla, then stir and enjoy. Even that small amount of cream will make instant oatmeal rich and velvety, while the vanilla adds a homey, comforting aroma and enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.

Fresh blueberries will gently warm in the oatmeal, providing a juicy contrast, while frozen blueberries will sort of melt into the oats and turn them a lovely dark purple color. Dried berries offer the most sweetness, but need a few minutes to absorb a little moisture to become plump and creamy inside. You can also easily give the blueberries a sophisticated flavor upgrade with cardamom, or add a pinch of salt to make the blueberries taste sweeter. Though this recipe contains no added sweetener because the berries add a little sweetness, feel free to sprinkle in some brown sugar, honey, or even a pinch of cinnamon to give it a dessert-like quality.

You can also raid your pantry for additional tasty toppings that will pair perfectly with blueberries and cream flavors, such as almond butter for added richness and nutty protein. Bananas are delicious paired with blueberries, and canned coconut milk can replace the heavy cream if you're feeling tropical.