My ever fabulous friends at Bakery on Main sent me some samples of their, at the time, new gluten-free instant oatmeal flavors a while back and I have been meaning to review them so here goes.
In full disclosure, I am a huge oatmeal person. Always have been and with the advent of certified gluten-free oats I can once again indulge in one of my favorite breakfast foods. I know that some Celiacs choose not to eat oats – even certified gluten-free – and that is totally fine but I have no problems with them and love them in everything from cookies to oatmeal.
Bakery on Main has three varieties of fast and easy oatmeal: Apple Pie; Strawberry Shortcake; and, my personal favorite, Maple Multigrain Muffin. First off, you need to dispel any preconceived notions of oatmeals past as these are way above and beyond the traditional oatmeals that are out there. Bakery on Main’s oatmeal base is a hearty combination of gluten-free oats paired with chia seeds, flax meal, quinoa, and amaranth.
I first tried the Apple Pie flavor which was really quite delicious. The overall body of all of the flavors really mixes up to the absolute perfect consistency. This flavor was chock-full of sweet and tangy apple pieces that played perfectly off of the nutty oat base. There was just a slight hint of cinnamon that was accented by the perfect amount of sweetness from evaporated cane juice that was balanced by a hint of sea salt for the slightly savory note you come to expect in a good oatmeal.
The Strawberry Shortcake variety was another perfectly balanced flavor with slightly tangy strawberries that refreshed perfectly in the hot water. Again, the fruit flavor paired wonderfully with the oatmeal base and just a hint of sweetness made for a real taste sensation.
Last up, was my personal favorite, the Maple Multigrain Muffin. Now I have long been a fan of anything with maple flavor. It was always my favorite flavor of instant oatmeal and is, thanks to Bakery on Main, once again. This had the wonderfully distinct maple flavor that instantly transported me back to my pre-diagnosis days, that had just the right amount of sweetness.
If you are expecting the overly sweet versions you might have had in your pre-GF days than these are likely not going to work for you because these are grown-up versions of some childhood classics that don’t leave you feeling like you had candy for breakfast. They are also lacking what I found to be in the more mainstream brands over use of salt. Bakery on Main managed to find the perfect balance between sweet and subtle savory that one comes to expect in the perfect oatmeal.
Check out Bakery on Main’s Web site for more information about their instant oatmeal and of course their other great products.
