i was recently asked during an interview why the name dolly and oatmeal. the two words are significant to me in many ways, but the simple explanation is that i've had a love affair with oatmeal since i can remember, and my mom's somewhat nickname for me is dolly. so when i started a couple social media accounts (way before i started blogging) dolly and oatmeal was an obvious choice. and when my husband gifted me my blog for christmas one year, he extended the name just as a place holder, and perhaps out of laziness, i never changed it.

in that same interview, the interviewee expected that i must have a million oatmeal recipes in my blog archives since i love it so dearly, and because it's part of the blog's name. i was super ashamed when i my answer was, no! the truth is, is that i'm pretty lame when it comes to my weekly morning routine - typically it's a packet of instant oatmeal (occasionally i break out the rolled oats and cook them slowly over the stove), a small spoonful of creamy almond butter, a few drizzles of good maple syrup, a generous dousing of ground cinnamon, and a couple pinches of sea salt. in the summer there are always berries on the side, but in the colder months i tend to just keep it cozy and warm with a hot bowl of creamy oats.

but i wanted to change the routine, and get out of my oatmeal funk. i generally use water for making oatmeal, but i thought i could boost the nutritional quality a bit by using ZICO natural chilled coconut water. i love using ZICO's new chilled coconut water because it's shipped from thailand cold which helps preserve that awesome coconut-y flavor. it also has no added sugar, and offers nutrients and a unique flavor to recipes like this oatmeal. i had also recently bought almost a dozen of some super cute, baby butternut squash varieties to roast and puree which i knew would be an awesome addition in making the oats super velvety and creamy. because i wanted that coconut flavor to come through a bit more and some classic autumn warmth, in went some toasted coconut flakes and warm spices. for now i'm stepping my morning up, but we'll see how far i get in a few weeks ;) how do you keep your morning meals interesting?

*thank you so much to ZICO for sponsoring this post! all opinions are my own.

cozy coconut butternut oatmeal | dolly and oatmeal

coconut butternut oatmeal (gf + v)

| makes 2 large portions, or 4 small |

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
2 cups ZICO natural chilled coconut water
1/3 cup butternut squash puree
1/3 cup shredded toasted coconut
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
fine sea salt

toppings

1 asian pear, sliced thin
pomegranate seeds
toasted slivered almonds
chia seeds
coconut milk (or milk of choice)

method

in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the oats and coconut water. bring them to a simmer and stir frequently until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. once the mixture has thickened, add the butternut squash, shredded coconut, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and a few pinches of salt.
portion the oatmeal into 2 bowls and top with sliced asian pear, pomegranate seeds, chia seeds, toasted almonds, and a drizzle of coconut milk. enjoy!