I actually don’t even like oatmeal, but it’s a very easy “real food” meal that both of my daughters happen to LOVE. They love it so much that my 1st grader takes oatmeal to school as her snack every single day and my preschooler sometimes takes it as part of her lunch (in a Thermos to keep it warm). Apparently a lot of people use water to make their oatmeal, but our secret is milk. I feel the same way about hot chocolate, too. Forget the water…use milk! At the start of our budget pledge last year I tried making oatmeal with water as a cost saving measure and my 6-year-old would have nothing to do with it. I didn’t even tell her anything was different I just served it like I normally do, and she knew immediately that something was wrong. And she wouldn’t eat it either. So after more than a year of playing around and tweaking our oatmeal recipe just the way my kids like it I thought I would share.
Oatmeal
I actually don’t even like oatmeal, but it’s a very easy “real food” meal that both of my daughters happen to LOVE.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup milk, any variety will do but we use whole milk at our house
- 1/2 cup oats, rolled (I get ours out of the bulk bins at Earth Fare)
- 1 dash cinnamon
- drizzle honey
- pure vanilla extract
- raisins, (good with nuts on top, too)
Instructions
- In a small pot over high heat warm up the milk.
- As soon as the milk starts to bubble drop in the oats, stir once, and turn the heat down to low.
- Let the oats simmer for 2 – 3 minutes. You can stir it a couple times if you’d like.
- Once the oats have soaked up most of the milk add the vanilla, honey, cinnamon, raisins, and mix everything together. Take off the heat and serve or store for later in a Thermos.Tip: My daughters like their oatmeal a little “soupy” so I usually try to catch it before all of the milk has been absorbed by the oats. You could also add a little extra cold milk at the end, which will help cool it down for little ones as well.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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Cinnamon Glazed Popcorn Mix
My grandma makes the best porridge/oats in the world. I’ve said it since I was about 4 and I’ll continue to say it. I love oats, I’ve always tried to replicate Nanna’s recipe but being time poor before school made me want a recipe that was quick and didn’t require much washing up (ie no saucepan). After years of tweaking I perfected my perfect porridge recipe. I’ve been using it for quite a while now so here it is.
I’m a bit of a cheater and use quick oats (oats that are chopped really little) and cook in the microwave. I also use coconut milk, the one that comes in a carton in the long life milk section near the almond/oat/soy milks, not the one in a tin!
I think I use 1/3 cup quick oats, pinch of salt (grandma’s trick, it gives them a sort of softer texture and makes them taste ‘less raw’), and just enough coconut milk to *just* cover the oats, then I add a decent drizzle of honey and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir, if it’s a bit dry add a splash of milk, then microwave for another minute.
Add some extra milk before serving and top with banana (extra honey if you’ve got a real sweet tooth).
I’ve been browsing this site as I get more into eating whole foods and enjoying it so far. Wanted to offer some tips on this post since I’m an avid eater of oatmeal myself and yes, I confess, I use water.
Maybe I’m just used to it because dairy has always affected my asthma and my skin so my mom didn’t give me more than necessary growing up. But for those seeking dairy free, you can replace w/ coconut milk – or just give it a try with water. I also don’t use sugar if I can avoid it and replace it w/ organic honey or a fruit.
I use plain quick oats, cinnamon, sliced bananas, organic raisins and sprinkle a handful of organic pumpkins & sunflower seeds on top.
Also a fan of adding frozen blueberries with a teaspoon-ish of honey if I’m tired of bananas.
When I’m feeling “fancy” I like adding the honey with a teaspoon or so of Now Food’s organic cocoa powder and sliced bananas.
The secret to all of the above as well, is I add about a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil to the water before I throw in the oats and dash w/ cinnamon. Even if I change up fruits or flavors, the coconut oil/cinnamon has been my one consistency with the oatmeal. I find cinnamon and/or vanilla extract can help “trick” my senses into thinking the oatmeal is sweeter than it is.
Hope it helps and love this blog so far! <3
I eat oatmeal all the time! My recipe is awesome! I only use the 1/3 cup to measure.
1/3 cup oats
1/2 of a 1/3 cup of pecans
1 1/2 of a 1/3 cup of milk
Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes on 7 power.
Add 1/3 cup of frozen blueberries. No need to let it cool. The frozen blueberries cool it right down!
I used to HATE oats as a young child . My mom used rolled oats . Rolled oats are ‘lumpy ‘ . I HATED those lumps ! Those lumps would catch in my throat . I use the quick oats. NO lumps . Mom says the quick oats are the ‘left-overs ‘ from the oats processing . I don’t care . NO lumps . There’s no real difference in the rolled and the quick oats , Right ?
I found adding 1/2 a teaspoon of cloves warmed up the oatmeal, and adding vanilla yougurt added just enough sweetness and creaminess to the oatmeal! I loved the recipe thanks again!
Love oatmeal. I use water and two tablespoons of powdered milk and we use many different add ins. Powdered peanut butter and a mashed banana or coconut, pistachios and dried cranberries or frozen raspberries with two poached eggs on top.
Most of these have salt and a dash of cinnamon for added flavor. A quick, easy and inexpensive dinner.
I actually usually make my oatmeal in a rice cooker, so I can set it up and go do yoga or something while it’s cooking. For a single serving, I’ll put in 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water (I still use water), and some frozen organic berries. Then, about 40 minutes later, when it’s ready, I’ll either top it with some maple syrup OR some fruit crumble topping I sometimes mix up and keep handy in the freezer (a mixture of oats, granola, walnuts or pecans, butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg that’s meant to be added to fresh fruit and baked, but I like as a topper to my oatmeal). Easy peasy.
I just bought your cookbook and this is the second recipe I’ve made. Absolutely the best oatmeal we’ve ever made. I can’t believe the difference in cooking it in milk. My kids also loved it. A flavor idea (what I had this morning) diced candied ginger, fresh peaches, and a few chopped pecans. The best! Thanks for a great recipe!
This is my first attempt at oatmeal, I found it bland and had to add raisins to make it palatable. Perhaps I’m doing it wrong? Even added more honey.
Hi Jennifer. If you are used to sweet packaged oatmeal, it just takes a little time for your taste buds to adjust to less sweetness. I love nuts and a bit of maple in mine and sometimes add a sprinkle of granola for varied texture.
Greetings,
I was just wondering if Steel-cut oatmeal has less of a chance of being contaminated with gluten than rolled-oats?
Thank you so much!
I buy Bob’s Red Mill gluten free steel cut oats. Soak overnight, bring to a boil then put on low for five-ten minutes. Add any toppings you want! My kids eat this every morning. I sometimes add baked apples, cinnamon, raisins, sliced almonds, maple syrup, you name it. I find that soaking the steel cut overnight greatly reduces cooking time.
Hi there. The issue with oats is that they are often processed on the same equipment as wheat and other gluten containing grains. With either variety, you would need to find a gluten free label.
My favorite oatmeal right now is using whole milk, cinnamon, a sprinkle of ground flax seed and Chia, and a spoonful of either coconut milk or coconut butter. Then any fruit my daughter wants on top! It’s delish.
I love cooked oats but not in summer!
I make overnight oats. Oats, rice milk, cinnamon, Chia seeds and goji berries etc. Soak overnight (in the fridge). In the morning, I add a small dollop of yoghurt and Voila!
Love oatmeal too, but HATE the clean up. Hints?
I serve my oatmeal and immediately wash with hot water while the oatmeal cools in my bowl. It takes less than a minute to wash. :)
Before the days of microwaves, we made oatmeal in pans. Recommendation was to fill the pan with cold water after serving, and that worked well. You wouldn’t want to shock the pan by going from boiling to ice cold, so I’d let it cool until after we eat and then soak/rinse with cold water.