Warming breakfasts are officially happening. Some days it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning and I find that especially true as we start to creep into cooler months. The same can be said for your digestive fire – it can be hard for it to ‘wake up’ in the morning, especially this time of year if you’re slogging it with an ice cold smoothie. Warming breakfasts can make digestion easier, speed up your metabolism, and help you get going in the morning. I’m still a big fan of smoothies but for me they work better later in the day and I always make a point to have warm lemon water or a cup of bone broth to wake everything up before having a smoothie.

One of my go-tos is this oatmeal. It’s simple but fancy; warming (duh!), comforting, slightly sweet, cinnamony, and delicious. The berry compote takes only a few minutes to make and elevates it from a simple breakfast to a brunch worthy dish. I love the addition of the buckwheat groats – when soaked with oats they help make the oats more digestible – but you can always skip them if you don’t have them on hand. I pick them up in the bulk section of my health foods store. Feel free to add some almond butter to make this a more protein-rich breakfast.


Warm breakfasts don’t necessarily mean a lot of time in the kitchen. They are also equally as great for busy morning. Both the oats and berry compote and be made in the beginning of the week and easily be reheated with a little more milk or water on the stove. For an early morning chia pudding, I like to bring it to nearly room temperature (usually the time it takes to commute to work) and pair it with a big mug of tea. Cheers to fall breakfasts and stoking your digestive fire!

steel cut oats with berry compote
Ingredients
Serves 4

Steel Cut Oats 

  • ¾ cup of steel cut oats
  • ¼ cup buckwheat groats
  • 3 – 4 cups unsweetened almond milk, preferably homemade or Califia Farms (3 cups chewy/4 cups more porridge like)
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or ½ vanilla bean)
  • Dash of ground cinnamon
  • Dash of ground cardamom
  • Pinch of pink salt or sea salt
  • Maple syrup, to taste

Top with any or all of the following: candied nuts, chopped pistachios, sliced banana, toasted coconut flakes, bee pollen, hemp hearts, chia seeds, goji berries… !

Berry compote:

  • ½ tablespoon coconut oil  
  • Splash of maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • Pinch of pinch salt or sea salt
  • 2 cups mixed berries
Method

For the oats: Rinse oats and buckwheat groats. Place in a jar or bowl and cover with water. Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and let sit overnight (or for at least 8 hours). Drain and rinse the oats before cooking with fresh water or milk. I love to cook them with 2 cups of homemade milk and one cup of filtered water.

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot and gently bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes (perhaps less if you have soaked them overnight). Taste oats and keep cooking until it reaches your desired consistency, adding a splash of milk or water as needed.

For the compote: Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add maple syrup, lemon, a cinnamon, salt and berries; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Spoon big scoop of compote over prepared oatmeal. Refrigerate remaining compote; reheat as needed.
Top with any additional toppings you desire and enjoy!