How to Make Oatmeal

Want to learn how to make oatmeal? You're in the right place. Read on to learn about cooking different types of oats & find fun oatmeal topping ideas!

Oatmeal

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that oatmeal has never been my thing. But this fall, after I tried Amy Chaplin’s whole oat porridge recipe, I started to come around to it. See, in the past, I always had plain instant oats, which I thought were bland and mushy. But as I started experimenting with other types of oats, I discovered that, cooked the right way, oatmeal becomes a rich, creamy porridge that’s a fantastic canvas for seasonal toppings.

Lately, I’ve been hooked on two topping combinations, and you’ll find them in the recipe below. One is a mix of tart cherries and apples, with a sprinkle of chopped almonds for crunch. The other is a combination of blueberries, orange zest, yogurt, coconut, and chia seeds, with a pinch of cardamom and a drizzle of honey. Topped onto a hot bowl of oatmeal, each makes a hearty, warming, and nutritious breakfast. On cold mornings, they make me excited to get out of bed, and I hope they do the same for you. 🙂

Oatmeal recipe

How to Make Oatmeal

Oatmeal is never hard to make, but how you cook it will depend on what kind of oats you buy. So, first and foremost, you have to know your oats. In the store, you will typically see these varieties:

  • Whole oat groats – Whole oat groats leave the grain intact. Consequently, they take the longest to cook and require the most liquid – 4 cups water for every 1 cup oats.
  • Steel cut oats – My favorite! These are oat groats that have been roughly chopped. They cook more quickly than whole oat groats and result in a hearty, creamy porridge. Find instructions for cooking steel cut oats in the recipe below.
  • Old-fashioned oats – Old-fashioned oats, or rolled oats, are made by steaming oat groats and rolling them into flakes. They have a short cooking time, 5 minutes, and they only require 2 cups water for every cup oats. In my kitchen, I most often use them for making baked oatmeal, overnight oats, oatmeal cookies, and no-bakes.
  • Quick oats – Quick oats are similar to old-fashioned oats, but they are steamed longer and rolled more thinly. Like old-fashioned oats, they require 2 cups water for 1 cup oats, but they only take 1 minute to cook. Quick oats are great for days when you’re in a hurry, but for the creamiest porridge, I recommend choosing whole oat groats or steel cut oats.

To cook your oatmeal, bring an appropriate amount of water or milk for your oat variety to a boil, and stir in the oats and a pinch of salt. You could also add a spice like cinnamon, cardamom, or turmeric at this stage. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the porridge has thickened to your desired consistency. Then, load it up with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Oatmeal Recipe Tips

  • If you’re gluten-free, make sure to buy certified gluten-free oats. Oats are a naturally gluten-free food, but many are processed in facilities that also handle wheat products. If you’re gluten-free, be sure to seek out certified gluten-free oats, which are processed in wheat-free facilities and tested to make sure that they don’t contain gluten.
  • Save the leftovers! Overnight oats are famous for being a great grab-and-go breakfast, but did you know that you can make regular oatmeal ahead of time too? Cook a big batch in advance and portion it into individual containers. In the morning, reheat it on the stove or in the microwave, and gradually add water or milk, as needed, to thin it to your desired consistency. Then, load it up with toppings, and dig in!
  • Add a dash of salt. Made with just water and oats, oatmeal can be bland. Adding a dash of salt won’t make your cereal salty, but it will bring out the nutty flavor of the oats. To take it over the top, add a drop of maple syrup or honey for a delectable sweet/salty contrast.
  • Load it up. Oatmeal is a great canvas for all sorts of hearty toppings, and loading up your morning bowl of oats will help keep you full till lunchtime! I dollop mine with almond or peanut butter or yogurt and sprinkle it with chopped nuts. Fresh or dried fruits, seeds, chocolate chips, and coconut flakes are great too. Alternatively, head to this post to find ideas for making savory oatmeal!

Bowl of oatmeal

If you love this oatmeal recipe…

Try making a frittata, gluten-free pancakes, a breakfast burrito, shakshuka, or any of these healthy breakfast ideas next!

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How to Make Oatmeal

rate this recipe:
5 from 29 votes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
This is my go-to healthy oatmeal recipe. It's creamy, nourishing, and delicious with all sorts of seasonal toppings! Find a few of my favorite combinations below.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 3 cups water
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • Pinches of cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cardamom, optional

Variation 1: Apple & Tart Cherry

  • Thinly sliced apple
  • Frozen, and thawed tart cherries
  • Chopped almonds

Variation 2: Blueberries & Coconut

  • Frozen, and thawed blueberries
  • Orange zest
  • Scoop of Greek yogurt
  • Chia seeds
  • Coconut flakes

Instructions

  • Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the oats and salt and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom, if desired. Remove from heat and let stand for two minutes. Serve hot with desired toppings and honey or maple syrup, if desired.

 

24 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Teo
    01.03.2024

    5 stars
    I added too much water when i made this and i didnt see the serves 4 people thing so i ended up trying to finish it all myself. Apart from that it was great.

  2. Jayashree
    08.02.2023

    5 stars
    Loved it. So good. Today we tried
    Thanks for sharing

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      08.04.2023

      Hi, I’m so glad you loved it!

  3. Mobina
    03.16.2023

    Sooo good 👍 👌 👏

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.16.2023

      So glad you loved it!

  4. Christie
    07.22.2022

    I have been trying to mame oats like the steel cut oats I had at Port Orleans riverside in Disneyworld. They were large and puffy oats, more like the shape of smacks cereal, and the color was very “clean” white. The color looks simar to your bowl here and yours looks fairly puffy. Ive tried Quaker steel cut and it is not puffy like im trying to get. Any suggestions for this? Do I need whole oats?

  5. THE HUB COOK
    05.31.2021

    5 stars
    I like all those toppings choices…..I personally love that blueberry one. Just love this recipe and want to try more like these. But anyone who want to make this amazing Oatmeal recipe with different toppings, then must checkout this……..am sure you’d love these toppings also.

    https://thehubcook.com/oatmeal-recipes/

  6. connie
    03.09.2021

    This recipe is cook oats or raw oats? Also, can I use Ripple (pea milk)?
    If you double the batch and then just add the toppings the next, how long does the oatmeal keep?

    Overnight Oats recipe
    1/2 cup whole rolled oats
    1/2 cup almond milk or light coconut milk, more as needed
    1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
    Pinch of sea salt
    Desired toppings from above

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.09.2021

      Hi Connie, the recipe you list is for overnight oats (raw oats). The post that you’re commenting on (above) is a cooked oats recipe. You can use any milk you like. The overnight oats will last in the fridge for up to about 4 days.

  7. Lulu
    09.19.2020

    5 stars
    Thank you, Jeanine! When I saw Love & Lemons show up in my “oatmeal over the stove” search results I felt confident I’d come to the right recipe.

    I forgot how easy it is to make it this way and it really didn’t take much more time than the instant oats which have to site for at least 3-5 minutes. The quick oat packets are no longer necessary 🙂

  8. m.
    03.29.2020

    Thanks so much for creating recipes that don’t rely so heavily on avocados, tomatoes and chickpeas!!…. it seems so often that in vegetarian and vegan recipes these are just considered go to staples but are foods that I don’t like.

  9. You always guide us wonderfully. Oatmeal is very healthy and my favorite too. Thanks for giving us so many ways to cook oatmeal. You are doing it amazingly . Keep doing it.

  10. jaynorman
    12.09.2019

    100% sure will try that blueberry and coconut recipe. Though I might experiment a bit like having it with açai and a bit of coconut milk.

  11. Anne
    12.04.2019

    I have been making oat groats for a long time and have tried various ways to dress them up. I usually grate fresh ginger into them while they cook as well as add a cinnamon stick. Often I will add chopped dried apricots or dried apple. My most recent addition for a savory bowl is to mix in some homemade lentil soup…honestly, on the really cold days, this is amazing!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.08.2019

      ooh those sound delicious – I love your savory bowl idea – yum!

  12. Wanda Melebeck
    12.04.2019

    5 stars
    Healthy nutritious oatmeal recipe!

  13. Gaurav from inrelationshipwithfood.com
    12.04.2019

    5 stars
    Thanks for such a delicious recipe. Your Oatmeal Recipe is just yum, i loved it.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.08.2019

      I’m glad to hear that!

  14. Akshaya from cabinetofthoughts.com
    12.04.2019

    Great Post! I love oatmeal and I have new ideas now 🙂

  15. Susan
    12.03.2019

    I’ve never been a fan of oatmeal, but have been stuck on overnight oats for several years now. I really like your version here that’s topped with blueberries and coconut. Definitely something I want to try.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.08.2019

      Hi Susan, I hope you enjoy it!

  16. Kelly K
    12.03.2019

    5 stars
    Thanks, Jeanine, for this delicious recipe. I am a big fan of oatmeal and looked for years to try to find a recipe for the memorable porridge I had at the Athenaeum Hotel in London.

    I finally got close when I discovered “Scottish Oats” from Bob’s Red Mill. I just added a little salt, a little brown sugar and a bit of vanilla, and cooked it down in water in the microwave. Milk may work also, but I’ve never tried that. Really yummy if you like creamy oatmeal.

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.