If you’re looking for a way to make oatmeal taste delicious, this recipe is for you! Milk, water, and quick oats combine to create a warm and creamy bowl of porridge that you’ll want to make again and again.
There’s nothing better than a bowl of oatmeal in the morning.
Topped with your favorite fruit, nuts or seeds, maple syrup, and a splash of cold milk, cooked oats can become a truly delicious and satisfying meal.
We eat a lot of oats in my house, alternating between oatmeal, Low Sugar Granola, and Overnight Oats.
Given my blog’s name, you know my love is deep, so I wanted to share a classic recipe that you could make anytime a craving strikes!
These oats are creamy and flavorful, and they are the perfect base for any additions you like.
Ingredients needed
You only need five major ingredients for the base recipe. The toppings and add-ins are up to your personal taste.
- Water
- Milk of your choice – I’ve used whole milk, Coconut Milk, almond milk, and Walnut Milk, all with success.
- Quick oats
- Sea salt
- Vanilla extract
How to make oatmeal
Begin by mixing the milk and water together in a medium saucepan.
Stir in the oats and salt.
Bring the mix to a light boil, then quickly lower it to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the vanilla and any other additions you like. Cover the pot and let the oatmeal stand for two minutes to let the heat soften your mix-ins and infuse any other flavors.
Toppings and add-ins
My personal favorite combination is raisins and cinnamon, but I wanted to include a few other ideas as well.
- Fruit – Fresh banana, apple, and berries are all delicious, as is any dried fruit.
- Nuts and seeds – Walnuts, pecans, and pumpkin seeds are some of my favorites.
- Nut/seed butter – Mix your favorite nut or seed butter with a little milk and honey to create a delicious addition! Peanut butter is my personal favorite.
- Maple syrup or honey are both great for sweetening. I’ll often add a few drops of stevia to avoid the sugar, which is fine for me.
- Spices – Cinnamon and pie spices are delicious in oatmeal.
- Butter or coconut oil can be stirred in if you’re looking to make your bowl more luscious or calorie-dense.
- Any milk, half and half, or cream cools off the oatmeal and adds a wonderful taste and texture.
Recipe notes
To use rolled oats in place of quick, follow the directions, but cook the oatmeal for about eight minutes.
If you prefer steel cut oats, try my easy Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe. I like to make this one when I’m crunched for time, as it’s mostly hands off!
How To Make the Best Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup milk of your choice
- ¾ cup quick oats
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, simmer the milk and water together.
- Stir in the oats and salt.
- Bring the mix to a light boil, then quickly lower it to a simmer.
- Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the vanilla, along with your choice of add-ins.
- Cover the pan and let stand for two minutes.
- Top as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
I could eat any breakfast food any tine do the day, specially eggs and pancakes (GF) now. Love your blog no nonsense approach and so informative and creative! Keep it up.
Thanks so much Tisela! 😀
Just commenting to say that I have, on several occasions, tried searching for why this blog is named what it is! Lol
Haha! That’s hilarious, Justine. 😀
Nothing like a good bowl of oatmeal!
It’s so great that you have found a way to stay at home with your kids while doing something you’re passionate about. That’s the dream! 🙂
That’s a cute and funny story behind your blog’s name. Before reading further in the post I wondered if it was – why not? – because you stirred your oatmeal with a fork during the cooking process. I’m all about wire whisks for that but had people look at me in surprise when I mentioned that. Really, though, what else would you stir your oats with?? (:
And I’m with you on the oats – or oat bran for me: I could eat a bowl of them any time of the day. Actually, my lazy dinner most nights is just that because I eat a warm savoury lunch.
Love this post! And the oatmeal recipe looks absolutely delicious!! 🙂
Thanks Kristina! 🙂
I’m so glad you started blogging and how wonderful that you are able to be home with your girls! I really enjoyed reading a bit more about your background. <3
Thanks so much, Amanda! I’ll always be grateful for the help you initially gave me when I first began. 🙂
Gah! We are mental companions.
Totally the thought process me and my husband had a while ago even though we are still pre-kids.. and the same timing while I’m still in school. Loving nutrition classes and I’ll finish it off but you have to wonder if it’s worth it, what’s more important than family at the end of the day?
Also, cinnamon and raisin in oatmeal is totally my scene.
Haha! Maybe with nutrition, you will have more a bit more freedom? With nursing, it was a pretty rigid schedule, and for the first year, I had to work 12-hour night shifts, which would have been super hard. We are definitely like-minded with our oatmeal, I love raisins! 🙂
Delicious and your pictures are gorgeous!🍴😋
I don’t eat oatmeal anymore but that bowl looks so awesome it makes me crave it big time 🙂