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Creamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted Pears

Creamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted Pears

As early mornings grow darker and the inevitable first frost arrives,  I find myself easing into these cooler days with warm bowls of cozy oatmeal for breakfast.  Usually it’s a simple bowl of rolled or steel-cut oats, but once in a while I’ll wake up extra early to put on a pot of whole oats.  Whole oats, also known as oat groats, don’t seem to receive nearly the amount of attention they deserve.  They do take longer to cook than old-fashioned oats as well as a bit longer than steel cut, but the method is just as simple, perhaps even simpler since whole oats don’t require stirring.  My 8-year old is generally a part of the anti-oatmeal club, but he does enjoy these whole oat groats.  For him it’s the texture- this bowl of oats is creamy without being gummy and chewy without being mushy.  I like to add chopped medjool dates as it cooks; the heat melts the dates into the oats and provides a balanced sweetness to the whole bowl.

 

Creamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted Pears

We’ve been working our way through nearly a bushel of apples that we picked so roasting pears brought a welcome change to our breakfast routine.  The pears are scented with cardamom and cinnamon and roasting them fills the house with the fragrance of fall.  In addition to going well with these oats, the pears also make a great topping for toast slathered with goat cheese and can even be a simple dessert served with ice cream.

Creamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted Pears

It takes the good part of an hour to fully cook these oats, but I do hope you find it’s worth the time to try it. (I’ve also made these overnight in a rice cooker with good results if you happen to have a rice cooker.)  It’s a comforting way to begin a chilly day.Creamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted PearsCreamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted Pears

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Creamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted Pears
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cups whole oat groats
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 3-4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon of vanilla

Cardamom Roasted Pears
  • 3 ripe but firm pears
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • Toasted sliced almonds, for serving
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine oats, water, milk, dates, and salt. Bring to a boil then turn heat to low and simmer covered for 50-60 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in vanilla, and check consistency. If there is still too much liquid, allow oats to sit for another 10 minutes to soak up additional liquid.
  2. Serve with cardamom roasted pears and a sprinkle of toasted almonds.

Cardamom Roasted Pears
  1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Slice pears in half lengthwise and remove cores. Cut each half into quarters and then into ⅓-inch slices. Transfer sliced pears to prepared baking sheet.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, olive oil, cardamom, and cinnamon. Drizzle mixture over pears and gently toss to ensure each slice is evenly coated. Arrange pears in a single layer and bake for 25-30 minutes, until pears start to turn golden. Transfer pears to a plate to cool to avoid pears sticking to paper.

 

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23 Responses to Creamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted Pears

  1. I totally agree…whole oats have such a nice bite to them. Emily, this is making me want to put a pot on the stove right now! I love that you paired the pears with cardamom…such a lovely combination! I’m just going to hang out here for a bit and swoon! xo

  2. Emily, this looks so warming and nutritious.. perfect for these chilly fall mornings. I have been eating steel cut oats lately but I will have to add some whole oats to the rotation! I soak my oats overnight (if I remember) which makes the cooking go a lot faster in the morning.

    • Hi Liora! Agree that soaking speeds up the cooking and is also better for digestion too- just need to remember the night before. 🙂 Steel cuts oats are heavy in the rotation as well over here!

  3. I’ve never eaten oatmeal with whole oats before. I’m dreamin’ of those syrupy cardamom pears now….they must make the house smell amazing!

  4. Beautiful! These photos are so impressive. I have been working on a spicy fall oatmeal that I plan to post next week. This one looks just great. I’ve never made whole oat groats only steel cut. I’m going to have to try this. Enjoy your weekend!

    • Thank you, Kathryn! Steel cut oats are a favorite as well for me, but it’s just that my son won’t eat it. 🙁 At least he likes oat groats though! Looking forward to seeing your oatmeal post coming up!

  5. Emily this looks fabulous! I’m not a big fan of oatmeal but maybe I’ll be like your 8-year old and finally find the dish that changes my mind. I did once make the bruléed oatmeal from the Buvette cookbook and ate the whole pan, so that gives me hope 😉

  6. Oh this looks so creamy and comforting! And the cardamom roasted pears are such a wonderful addition. I’ve never cooked with whole oat groats before! I’m not even sure I’ve seen it in health food stores. But I’ll definitely keep my eyes open now, it looks so delicious! It seems like a wonderful alternative to the traditional porridge. Thanks for opening my eyes to the world of whole oat Emily!☺️

    • Thank you, Sophie! I usually find oat groats in the bulk foods section at Whole Foods, but not all stores carry it. I know Bob’s Red Mill also carries it in their line of grains. I have no idea why it’s not more common- it’s so good!

  7. emily your pears are so divine, what incredible captures. the addition of cardamom is very blissful to me – and i can only imagine the captivating scent in your kitchen. this is such a delicious and warming bowl of oats, the best comfort for the dropping temperatures! i really adore the idea of pairing them with toast and goat cheese as well. ♥

    • Kate, you are the sweetest for stopping by! Thanks so much. Agree, I couldn’t bring myself to use the word “groats” in the post title so I just titled it “whole oats.” Ha!

  9. I made this today! What a treat! It was hard to share with the whole family, I wanted it all to myself haha. I also am just getting into photography and love how clear your shots are, I am wondering what lens you used to take this photo? Any advice would be so appreciated! Thank you xoxo

    • That makes me so happy to hear, Rebecca! Thanks so much for taking the time to write. For all of my food shots, I use either a canon 50mm f/1.4 lens or canon 100mm f/2.8 IS macro lens. The macro especially is an expensive lens, but I’ve really loved it for food photography. Hope this helps!

  10. I have an issue with this line of the instructions
    “Cut each half into quarters and then into ⅓-inch slices.”
    Why not slice the half into 1/3″ slices?

    • Hi Bethy, I find cutting them into quarters first helps with getting evenly angled slices. Cutting the half into 1/3″ slices works too, although the slices may be less uniform in size. Hope this clarifies a bit. Sorry for the confusion.