AIP Cauliflower "Oatmeal" with Cinnamon and Apples (Paleo, Vegan, Grain-Free)

Are you missing your morning oatmeal or grits while on AIP? I feel your pain. It can be hard to find an AIP hot cereal that really hits the spot. This warm, comforting AIP cauliflower "oatmeal" is such a great breakfast food. It will make you feel like you're eating your favorite hot cereal. 

This recipe uses cauliflower which I was a little skeptical about at first. I wondered if it would taste too cauliflower-y to work as a breakfast cereal.

However, once all the other ingredients were added in and simmered together, it tasted great. It reminded me of those apple cinnamon or brown sugar instant oatmeal packets. I asked my daughter to try it (as a second opinion) and her response was "Yum! Can I have the rest of it?"

What is Noatmeal?

If you've been grain-free for a little while, you've probably heard the term noatmeal tossed around quite a bit. Noatmeal also goes by the names fake oatmeal, mock oatmeal, no oat oatmeal, non oat porridge, and no oats among others.  

The point of noatmeal is to accomplish a grain-like hot cereal without grains. There are many ways to do this. Some recipes use green plantains, while others use squash or cauliflower. Other common ingredients include coconut, nuts/seeds (non-AIP), almond flour (non-AIP), coconut flour, coconut milk, ect. 

**Just a quick heads up- this post contains affiliate links which means if you click on them and buy something,  I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) to help continue maintaining this site. 

 Ingredients

• Cauliflower

Use fresh cauliflower for best results. It might be tempting to use frozen cauliflower to save time but I don't think it would turn out nearly as good. 

• Coconut Flakes

I use the nice wide coconut chips/flakes. Although you'll be blending things in a food processor, so the little coconut shreds are probably fine too. Just make sure they're unsweetened. 

• Apple

Basically, any type of apple is fine. Try to get organic. No need to peel it unless you want to. 

• Coconut Milk

As always, I recommend going with Thai Kitchen 2 Simple Ingredient Coconut milk. It's just very consistent in texture, guar gum free, and comes in a very convenient carton. It's not as rich as full fat coconut milk in a can but I find it creamy enough. It works well for pretty much everything and I use it in all my recipes. 

• Water

Adding some water to the cereal allows the mixture to boil for awhile so the cauliflower  pieces can get nice and tender. 

• Cinnamon

Just a little bit of cinnamon adds warmth to the cereal. 

• Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract usually contains some alcohol which isn't AIP compliant. However, it's ok in dishes that will be cooked because the alcohol cooks off. Vanilla powder is also an option (use about ½ tsp vanilla powder to every 1 tsp vanilla extract). It's pricey but a little goes a long way.

• Maple Syrup

Honey is fine too. The amount you use is completely flexible of course- just adjust it to your preferred taste. 

• Sea Salt

I like pink sea salt but any sea salt is fine. It may seem counterintuitive to add salt to breakfast cereal. However, as with other sweet recipes, just a little bit of salt really enhances the overall flavor. 

• Optional Protein

If you're wanting to add a little protein to this meal, you can add a scoop of collagen powder OR AIP Protein Powder.

Get it on ShopAIP

Can You Make Cauliflower Oatmeal Ahead of Time?

Yes. This still tastes pretty good the next day reheated in the microwave- you may need to add a little extra liquid to it. You could probably make 2-3 days worth ahead of time. I wouldn't go much beyond that though. 

Can You Freeze This?

Given that the main ingredient in this recipe is cauliflower, I wouldn't expect it to freeze well. 

Awesome AIP Packaged Cereals

While homemade AIP cereals are great when you have time, it can be nice to have a backup for busy mornings. You also just may not want to prepare breakfast from scratch every single day.

All the products below come from ShopAIP and Wild Zora. These are both amazing companies for quick AIP-friendly snacks, meals, and supplies in general.

*These are affiliate links which means if you click and buy something, I'll earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Get it From ShopAIP Get it From ShopAIP Get it From ShopAIP Get it From Wild Zora Get it From ShopAIP Get it From Wild Zora

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like: 

109 Awesome AIP Breakfast Recipes You'll Love

AIP Purple Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl

Toasted Coconut Pear Granola

Apple Mango Tigernut Granola

57+ AIP Pantry Items and What to do With Them

 

Conclusion:

I hope you love this recipe. If you tried it, please leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought!

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @foodcourage for the latest AIP/Paleo recipes, autoimmune nutrition info, and Food Courage happenings!

If you liked this post, please share it!