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    Home » From The Garden

    Papaya Oatmeal With Macadamia Granola

    Published: Oct 27, 2022 by Poppy Hudson

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Crunchy clusters of maple sweetened macadamia nut granola.
    Papaya stuffed with oatmeal and topped with crunchy nuts and seeds.
    Wooden bowl with half a papaya filled with oatmeal and granola.

    Papaya oatmeal with crunchy macadamia granola is my newest healthy vegan breakfast. I love how the smooth buttery papaya and warm oats taste with a sweet and crunchy topping.

    Half a papaya filled with oatmeal and topped with candied nuts.

    Like my dollar-sized Buckwheat Banana Pancakes, it's low in sugar, high in fiber, and still tastes like dessert for breakfast.

    Jump to:
    • ⭐ Why it works
    • 🌟 Fun fact
    • 📋 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Steps
    • 🌴 How to choose papaya
    • 🌈 Organic vs. GMO-free
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert tips
    • 💭 FAQ
    • 🥞 More breakfast recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    ⭐ Why it works

    • Wholefood breakfast
    • Papaya bowl
    • Sweetened with maple syrup
    • Naturally gluten-free
    • Quick stove-top granola
    • High fiber source
    Crunchy maple syrup coated macadamia nuts with sunflower and sesame seeds.

    🌟 Fun fact

    Botanically speaking, papayas are berries, even though some varieties can grow up to 10 pounds each.

    📋 Ingredients

    Whole papaya, macadamia, sunflower seed, sesame seed, oats, maple syrup and coconut oil in dishes.
    • Papaya - Organic or labeled GMO-free.
    • Rolled oats - Old-fashioned oats for chewiness. Select gluten-free if desired.
    • Raw macadamia nuts - Can be replaced with pecan halves, walnut pieces, or whole almonds.
    • Raw sunflower seeds - Can be replaced by raw pumpkin seeds.
    • Sesame seeds - Tiny size helps hold the crispy granola topping together.
    • Real maple syrup - A little goes a long way and is a healthier option than refined sweeteners.
    • Coconut oil - For golden brown granola.

    🔪 Steps

    Prep ingredients

    Make the maple-glazed macadamia nut granola first and let it harden while the oatmeal is cooking.

    You'll have a little more than you need to top papaya oatmeal, but trust me, that's good. It's hard to resist munching on it while it cools and crisps up!

    Candy macadamia nuts and seeds, cook oatmeal and scoop papaya.
    1. Make homemade granola.
    2. Cool granola on parchment paper.
    3. Cook oatmeal.
    4. Scoop papaya for serving bowls.

    Fill and top papaya

    Series of photos showing how to fill and top.
    1. Shape a well in each papaya.
    2. Fill with warm oatmeal.
    3. Top oatmeal with scooped papaya.
    4. Finish papaya oatmeal with macadamia nut granola.

    🌴 How to choose papaya

    Four papayas in stages from green to yellow.

    You'll want smaller papayas weighing about one pound each to make papaya oatmeal. That makes them easy to handle and fill with oats.

    Papayas are harvested green and ripen over a few days time. A partially ripened papaya from the market may be ideal for eating in as little as 24 hours.

    If you buy greener fruit, you can simply leave it on a counter or in a fruit bowl until it's ripe enough. Placing it in a paper bag with a banana will hasten the process.

    Look for the yellow color to spread to the stem end. Papayas should yield to gentle pressure and leave a thumbprint when pressed, but you don't want them to be overly soft.

    If your papaya is fully ripened and you aren't ready to use it, put it in the refrigerator for up to a week. The sooner you use it, the better it will taste.

    🌈 Organic vs. GMO-free

    Twopapayas with non GMO stickers and thumbprint in ripest one.

    The easiest and safest way to ensure your papaya is GMO-free is to buy certified organic produce. Then you are protected by enforced standards that screen out genetically-modified fruit.

    But what if you aren't sure if your papaya is organically grown? You can still look for labeled papayas from producers like Kumu Farms in Hawaii, dedicated to cultivating non-GMO varieties.

    Look for labels stating non-GMO or PLU stickers that start with the number 9, and avoid Rainbow, Sun-up, Kahuku, Laie Gold, and Sunrise if they are not clearly marked.

    Outside of Hawaii, you'll have to do your own homework while shopping, but fortunately, papaya grown in Mexico, Belize, Brazil, and Asia is more likely to be free from genetic modification.

    New Limeco is one company that specializes in tropical fruit and sells GMO-free papaya, including the smaller Solo variety.

    Once your oatmeal is cooked, and the papaya is hollowed, it's a snap to fill and top the papaya breakfast bowls.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Expert tips

    Macadamia granola, oatmeal and papaya.
    • Ripe papaya that yields with thumb pressure but isn't mushy or watery is best.
    • Slice a very thin piece off the bottom of each papaya half, so it sits flat.
    • Make macadamia nut granola first.
    • Stir crunchy topping mix frequently over medium heat to keep it from burning.
    • Cool granola on a sheet of parchment to harden.
    • Make oatmeal and scoop seeds from papaya while the granola hardens.
    • Cook oats so they are still chewy and drain off any excess water.
    • Break granola into clusters before topping papaya bowls.

    💭 FAQ

    What are papaya and oatmeal good for?

    Both papaya and oatmeal are high in fiber and assist with regularity and healthy elimination. Papaya also contains papain, an enzyme that promotes the absorption of nutrients. Together they make delicious breakfast food to fuel your morning.

    Are Quaker oats gluten-free?

    Quaker oats are available in both standard and gluten-free labeled products. Quaker Oats company explains why oats, which are naturally gluten-free in and of themselves, must be carefully processed to make them safe for persons sensitive to gluten.

    What can I substitute for macadamia nuts?

    You can substitute pecan halves, walnut pieces, or whole almonds for macadamia nuts in this papaya oatmeal recipe. I recommend including sesame seeds and sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds because the smaller pieces help hold the crunchy topping together.

    Half a papaya filled with cooked oats and topped with macadamia crunch.

    I hope you give this healthy and delicious whole-food tropical breakfast a try. Go ahead and indulge!

    🥞 More breakfast recipes

    • Buckwheat Banana Pancakes Vegan
    • Peanut butter filled chocolate muffins gluten-free.
      Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Muffin
    • Healthy breakfast porridge with kasha grouts, fruit and nuts.
      Apple Spice Kasha For Breakfast
    • Chocolate pudding breakfast bowl make with whole foods.
      Papaya & Cacao Avocado Pudding

    Enjoyed this post? Leave a comment, rate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ it, and follow @poppyswildkitchen on Instagram. Aloha!

    📖 Recipe

    Half a papaya filled with cooked oats and topped with sweet granola.

    Papaya Oatmeal With Macadamia Granola

    Healthy papaya oatmeal breakfast served right in a papaya shell. Stove-top macadamia granola included.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    4 Papaya Oatmeal Bowls
    Calories: 328kcal
    Author: Poppy Hudson

    Ingredients

    Sesame macadamia Crumble

    • ½ cup macadamia nuts
    • ½ cup sunflower seeds
    • ¼ cup sesame seeds
    • 1 TB coconut oil
    • ¼ cup maple syrup

    Oats

    • ¾ cup gluten-free old fashioned oats
    • 1 ¼ cups water
    • ⅛ tsp. salt, optional

    Papaya

    • 2 16 oz. papayas

    Instructions

    Sesame macadamia crumble

    • Whisk maple syrup and coconut oil together in a small bowl and hold aside.
    • Toast macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds for approximately 5 minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently and take care not to burn the mixture.
    • Once the macadamia nuts begin to show the first golden edges, you can add the coconut oil and maple syrup mixture to the hot pan.
    • Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until the syrup is thickened and completely absorbed. It's important that the syrup cooks long enough to candy the nuts, but don't let it burn.
    • Spread the macadamia nut granola on a flat surface lined with parchment paper to cool.

    Cook oatmeal and prepare papaya

    • Bring water to a boil, add salt, and stir in oatmeal. Reduce heat and cook for about 5 minutes until the oatmeal has softened but is still chewy.
    • Drain any excess water from oats once they are cooked.
    • Cut papayas in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Use a spoon to draw a line around the inside flesh to leave a three-fourths-inch thick wall.
    • Scoop out papaya flesh and place in a small bowl to top oatmeal later.

    Make papaya oatmeal boats

    • Place the four hollowed-out papaya shells on a counter. Divide cooked oatmeal between the papaya shells.
    • Top each papaya oatmeal boat with ⅓ a cup of maple-glazed granola.

    Serving

    • Papaya oatmeal can be served right away or chilled and eaten later. If eating later, store crunchy topping in an airtight jar and add just before serving.

    Store

    • Store oatmeal-filled papaya in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store maple-glazed granola separately in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to one week.

    Notes

    Ingredients
    Use papaya that is ripened to yellow and yields with thumb pressure but is not so ripe as to be mushy or watery.
    Preparation
    Ripe papaya that yields with thumb pressure but isn't mushy or watery is best.
    Slice a very thin piece off the bottom of each papaya half, so it sits flat.
    Make macadamia nut granola first.
    Stir crunchy topping mix frequently over medium heat to keep it from burning.
    Cool granola on a sheet of parchment to harden.
    Make oatmeal and scoop seeds from papaya while the granola hardens.
    Cook oats so they are still chewy and drain off any excess water.
    Break granola into clusters before topping papaya oatmeal.
    Servings
    This recipe makes four filled papaya halves. Calories per serving are for one papaya oatmeal boat topped with ⅓ cup granola. You may want to eat two!
    Storing
    Store leftover papaya oatmeal in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store leftover granola separately in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to one week.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 3mg | Magnesium: 108mg | Phosphorus: 215mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @PoppysWildKitchen or tag #poppyswildkitchen!

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    Hello, I'm Poppy. Delighted to meet you! I LOVE creating exquisitely delicious food from beautiful, seasonal, and exotic produce. Gardening and living in nature's paradise makes it easy. Come learn how you can feel more alive with nutritious plant-forward recipes in your own kitchen.

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