chocolate peanut butter oatmeal

Before I revamped my diet, I was a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup addict. I would could easily put back an entire bag of mini’s without any help from others — and yes, that now makes me want to throw up a little.

Whatever the case may be, I loved all things Reese’s — mini peanut butter cups, holiday trees and Easter eggs. I can even recall how I would eat the original variety — nibble around the edges first, peel off the top, then the bottom, leaving just the peanut butter middle left.

Now that eating a Reese’s peanut butter cup doesn’t exactly fit with my beliefs about eating in general (or can I have them due to my dietary restrictions), I needed an oatmeal that would satisfy my recent chocolate cravings.

I think having all these sweets in the house is starting to make me go a little bit loopy — I didn’t eat any pumpkin for breakfast. Something is wrong with this picture.

No, that picture is supposed to be blurry. The picture I’m talking about is my mind not eating pumpkin — but that shall be fixed tomorrow… if I don’t eat this again.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. flax
• 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. peanut flour
• 1/2 banana, sliced thinly

Begin by placing all ingredients except for banana into a small saucepan. Stir until all ingredients have been combined. As oats are heating up, thinly slice bananas into the saucepan. Then, once the oats are at a rapid boil, stir with a fork or whisk rapidly, “whipping” the bananas into the oats. Add more liquid if your oats are not as creamy as you like (although I like mine REALLY creamy) or cook longer to absorb more liquid. Top with the following:

• drizzle of maple syrup for sweetness
• whole golden flax seeds for texture
• spoonful of peanut butter (because what are oats without peanut butter?)

You can thank me later by sending me some vegan, homemade peanut butter cups.

Question: Are you a peanut butter cup fan?