Once again due to a combination of kind gifts, bulk buying to avoid delivery charges, and ‘what did I buy that for again?’ Ocado orders, I find myself snowed under by a LOT of the same stuff (see also: bread, breakfast cereal)!

I’m lucky to be a coeliac who can tolerate oats, although I’m still cautious about eating them every day, so have been finding new ways to use them beyond a bowl of porridge. The best thing is, if you can’t tolerate oats, most of these can be made successfully with oat-free porridges too. I like Perkier’s oat-free apple and cinnamon porridge or Bob’s Red Mill 4-Grain Porridge as alternatives.

For Breakfast…

1. Make your own granola

Homemade, completely wicked, gluten free granola

Home-made granola is much simpler than you might think, and means you can control exactly what you eat. So if, like me,  you can’t bear rabbit-poo raisins, leave them out! Or if you are trying to cut down on sugar, this is a great way to make an indulgent breakfast with less of the sweet stuff. These directions make custom granola super simple. It also makes a nice gift.

Here’s a recipe I wrote for Perkier Foods for Crunchy Gingerbread & Chocolate Granola.

2. Bircher muesli

All the trendies are calling these ‘overnight oats’, but it’s traditionally called Bircher Muesli. The premise is soaking your oats overnight in the fridge then adding some scrummy toppings. It makes a great summer alternative to porridge.

My favourite recipe is this delicious zesty little number by Yotam Ottolenghi – easily adapted to be dairy-free using almond milk/soya yogurt.

3. Porridge

Yeah, yeah – we all know about porridge. But have you tried this decadent, creamy, baked porridge by Gordon Ramsey? I know what we’ll be having for breakfast this Christmas.

4. Cereal bars

A great idea for breakfast on the move, homemade cereal bars. They keep for ages. If you make this Nigella version maybe your hair will turn glossy and gorgeous too…

And Beyond…

5. Flap your jack

Of course you could make coma-inducing breeze-blocks of delicious buttery, syrupy nom-ness (mmmmmmm……) but as I endeavour to eat a little bit more healthily, I am a big fan of this simple and versatile recipe from Dietitian Priya Tew. As a bonus it’s easily made vegan, so not only great for the dairy-free person in your life, but you can eat the mix with a spoon and no guilt :)

My adaptation of her recipe is below.

Hearty oaty muffinses

6. Put them in a muffin

Oats add a nice, hearty dimension to a traditionally sugary treat. Adding fruit and nuts like in my recipe for apple and cinnamon muffins makes these a well-rounded snack.

7. Stuff it!

I’m pretty sure I must be distantly related to Nigel Slater somehow. He’s a man after my soulful foodie heart. Here he adds oats to plump figs and juicy sausagemeat for this indulgent stuffing. I’m not sure whether to make this recipe, or kiss it. Perhaps I’ll settle for kissing the first person to make it for my sunday lunch!

You can buy gluten free sausage meat from Marks & Spencer (at Christmas) or from Sally’s Sizzling Sausage Co. Or, you know, have fun squeezing out your regular bangers.

8. Crumble topping

Substituting the wheat flour for rice flour in this BBC Good Food recipe makes a crumble topping so good, your gluten-eating friends will ask for seconds.

What other ideas do you have for using gluten free oats? Let me know in the comments!

A little bit healthier coco-nana flapjacks* (adapted from a recipe by Priya Tew)

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 200g gluten free oats
• 1 bag of mini-moo dairy free chocolate drops
• a large handful of chopped dried apricots
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 75g coconut oil
• 2 mashed bananas

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºc.  Grease and line a square baking tin.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients
3. Melt together the coconut oil and maple syrup in the microwave (about 90 seconds on medium power)
4. Meanwhile, mash the bananas
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry
6. Press the mixture into the tin, and bake for 30 minutes
7. Slice the flapjacks whilst still warm and leave to cool

*ok they were until I added the chocolate ;)