Chocolate Maca Oatless Oatmeal (Gluten Free, Vegan)

I'm not a coffee person. Smell? Love it. Taste? Never even tried. My peers look at me like a madwoman with I say I'm off caffeine - soda, energy drinks and all their brethren - but I like to joke that I run into enough walls/doorways/inanimate objects without being artificially turbo charged! 

Nonetheless, some - ahem, most - mornings, my alarm clock literally drags my butt out of bed. And that's where my all-natural, gluten free, vegan oatless oatmeal comes in! Nothing wakes up my taste buds faster than gooey chocolate, drippy sunbutter, mashed banana and the sweet butterscotch flavor of maca powder. 

For those who don't know, maca is a "super food" powder from Peru known for its ability to regulate hormones in women and increase stamina and decrease fatigue. I bought my maca powder from Nativas Naturals, and though it may seem pricey, because recipes call for such a small amount, it's well worth it! 

Certainly, adding maca to my diet hasn't transformed me into Wonder Woman overnight (now that would be a blog post!), but it has helped me power through long days of classes. I didn't realize the potency of its energizing effects until some maca accidentally landed in my bedtime smoothie a few weeks ago. Talk about a late nighter! 

Gotta love selfies with the food!

When grabbing ingredients for my breakfast one blurry-eyed morning, I figured I'd try maca in my oatmeal (versus my nana ice cream). Combined with my oatmeal base, cacao powder and a hint of cinnamon, I ended up with the tastiest science experiment to date. (Hey, can I get school credit for this?)

For your own cheap espresso, all you need is:

2 TBSP rice flakes

2 TBSP buckwheat flakes

1-2 TBSP chia seeds 

1/2 mashed banana 

Enough liquid to gain desired consistency (One tip: add some liquid and wait for about 30 seconds to see how much the chia seeds absorb. Then add more as needed.) 

1/2 TBSP cacao powder

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2-1 tsp maca powder (depending on tolerance. It's better to start with less and work up to more) 

Hint of vanilla extract 

Toss all these ingredients in a bowl and blend all the spices together with a few spoon stirs. Then nuke the bowl for 1 minute in the microwave (or on the stove top), load the toppings, and repeat (for another 1 minute) for a gooey, gorgeous mess! My favorite goodies are banana coins, strawberry slices, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, granola/nuts/seeds, cacao nibs, and nut butter. 

Toppings are half of the fun yum!

If you're feeling really luxurious, throw some dairy free chocolate chips on top before microwaving it the final time. You can't go wrong with melted chocolate and nut butter! 

The fact is, coffee doesn't have to be your go-to alarm clock. Maca powder - whether whipped up in banana ice cream or oatmeal inspired by a chocoholic's Starbucks order - can do a similar job. I'm so thankful for my celiac diagnosis for inspiring me to experiment with foods I'd never heard of before - and I hope my readers do the same! 

How can you say no to this?

And if this chocolate and energy packed bowl of no-oats oatmeal isn't a good motivator, I don't know what is! 

*Also found at RunningwithSpoon's link party!*

What's your favorite flavor of oatmeal? Have you ever tried maca powder - or are you a die hard coffee lover? Comment below?