Caramelized Pear and Pecan Zoats

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If you happened to catch the big news a couple of weeks ago, you know we’re in the middle of a pretty exciting move! We officially said goodbye to our great little apartment in San Francisco nearly two weeks ago and have been settling into our new home here in Bend. Granted, we’re still sleeping on an air mattress, eating frozen pizza off of biodegradable dishware and assembling furniture without instructions but we have the essentials: wifi, coffee, heat and hot water. Oh and we also have zoats.

Zoats ma goats.

If you’ve not yet heard of zoats, let me introduce you to the hottest breakfast duo in town: shredded zucchini and oatmeal. They’re like the Brangelina of breakfast — only better because they’re actually gonna be married forever. At least in my oatmeal bowl.

Zucchini oatmeal sounds weird, right? I thought so too. But this creation, whoever first came up with it, might be as life changing as mashing avocado on toast or adding kale to a smoothie — neither of which I can imagine life without now.

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One serving of these warm, fall-flavored caramelized pear and pecan zoats provides a whopping 17 grams of high-quality protein and 11 filling grams of fiber — a satisfying way to start your day. Besides protein, milk also provides 8 other essential nutrients like calcium and potassium which help with everything from muscle contractions to bone health.

Don’t let the look of these zoats fool you either. They’re as simple and quick as they are delicious which means you still have time for a nutritious breakfast on busy mornings! I whipped these up in 10 minutes with a simple hand grater, a small saucepan and a skillet. I even peeled the pears with a biodegradable knife — because that’s all we’ve got around here. One silver spoon, one ceramic bowl, one glass (you’re lookin’ at ’em) and a whole lot of disposable dishware.

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I wouldn’t have expected it but these zoats are also great reheated, which means those of you who choose to snooze can still start your day off with a nutritious breakfast. Simply cook up a batch the night before, pop them in the microwave with an extra splash of milk for a minute or two in the morning and you’ll have a delicious, hearty breakfast that’ll keep you feeling full and focused until lunchtime.

Caramelized Pear and Pecan Zoats

Needless to say, reheated caramelized pear and pecan zoats have been our everything this week. The warm, fall flavors of this breakfast are the perfect complement the beautiful foliage and cool morning temperatures here in Bend — which is why our bowls and spoons will be the first items to be unboxed.

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zucchini oatmeal in a bowl topped with caramelized pears and pecans

Zoats with Caramelized Pears and Pecans


  • Author: Elle
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 20 min
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x

Description

Zoats, a delicious mix of shredded zucchini and oatmeal, is an ingenious way to add veggies to your morning meal. Top with caramelized pears and pecans for a sweet and satiating breakfast. 


Ingredients

Scale

For the Oatmeal

  • 3/4 cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large zucchini, shredded (about 1 cup)

For the Caramelized Pears & Pecans

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 packed tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 large Bosc pear, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/4-inch slices
  • 1/4 cup raw pecan pieces

Instructions

For the Oatmeal

  1. In a small saucepan, combine oats, milk, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and salt over medium-low heat. Cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
  2. Add shredded zucchini and cook until liquid has been absorbed and oats are tender, about 4-5 more minutes.

For the Caramelized Pears & Pecans

  1. While the oats cook, caramelize the pear and pecans. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat.
  2. Once it foams, add the brown sugar and remaining cinnamon. Stir well and cook until sugar is just dissolved, about 3 minutes.
  3. Immediately add pears and stir to coat. Cook pears for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the pecans and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until pears have a nice brown edge and pecans are a little bit sticky.

Divide the zoats into two bowls, top each with half of the caramelized pears and pecans and serve warm.

Notes

Nutrition information calculated using 2% milk

  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 recipe
  • Calories: 460
  • Sugar: 27 g
  • Sodium: 372 mg
  • Fat: 22 g
  • Saturated Fat: 6 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 58 g
  • Fiber: 10 g
  • Protein: 13 g
  • Cholesterol: 26 mg

Keywords: zoats

A special thanks to the National Milk Life Campaign for sponsoring this delicious recipe. For more nutritious recipes, head on over to MilkLife.com or connect with them on social via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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Recipe rating

  • Absolutely delicious recipe, I did change some ingredients to what I had to hand; so an apple instead of the pear and coconut sugar instead of brown; I made them post workout and it took exactly 20minutes, and more like 20 seconds to eat..whoops. I’ll definitely try rehydrating them too.
    Thank you

  • pÄ“rkons saka:MÄ“s neesam vienÄ«gie, kas novÄ“rtÄ“ viņu. ArÄ« valdošā kliÄ·e zina cik iespaidÄ«gs un godpilns ir Å¡is runasvÄ«rs. Nevelti uzbrukuÅ¡i viņam. Uz viņu skatuves viņam vietas nav. Uz Å¡Ä« režīma skatuves atrodas vieta tikai iemÄizinātdjiem BÄ“rziņiem un Dombrovskiem un demagogiem Mamikiniem un Urbanovičiem.