How to Make Oatmeal Taste Good

Oatmeal is a quick, inexpensive, and healthy food many people enjoy eating for breakfast. However, if you find that it tastes like cardboard, you’re not alone. The good news is, once you learn how to make your oatmeal taste better, you’ll soon start to crave it. Adding sugar is the easiest way to improve the flavor, but necessarily the healthiest.

There are many different ways to cook oatmeal, so it’s easy to find at least a few you love that don’t involve dumping in a day’s worth of sugar. You can try everything from adding fruits to using a spiced tea bag to add a little extra flavor. The following guide will tell you everything you need to know so you can start to really enjoy this incredible breakfast food.

Best cook times for different types of oatmeal

Learning how to make oatmeal taste good starts with figuring out how to cook it the right way. There are many types of oatmeal, and each requires a different cooking method. Here’s a look at some of the types you may come across:

• Whole oat groats – These whole, intact oats have only the hull removed. They take 30-45 minutes to cook and have a texture similar to barley or rice.
• Steel-cut / Irish oats – Made by chopping whole oat groats with a steel blade. These take 20-30 minutes to cook and have a chewier texture than oat groats.
• Scottish oats – Made by stone-grinding whole oat groats. These oats cook in about 10 minutes and are the best type of oats to use for porridge.
• Rolled / old-fashioned oats – Made by steaming oat groats then rolling them between steel rollers. Rolled oats cook in 5 to 10 minutes and are one of the most versatile types of oats to cook with.
• Quick oats – Similar to rolled oats, but thinner and smaller. Quick oats cook in 1 to 3 minutes. They’re quite versatile but can have a bit of a “mushier” texture.
• Instant oats – These are steamed and rolled, then pre-cooked, dried, and chopped into small pieces. Just add hot water and instant oats are ready to go. However, instant oats are often very processed and may have extra sugars and additives.

Oatmeal cooking methods

The type of oatmeal you’re working with will impact both the amount of time you’ll need to cook it and the ideal cooking method. You can cook whole oat groats and steel-cut oats on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot. Scottish oats can be made on the stovetop or in the microwave. However, if you’re cooking rolled oats, it’s best to avoid the microwave and just use the stovetop.

Quick oats and instant oats will both cook up quickly in the microwave, and you can also cook instant oats by simply pouring hot water on top.

How to make oatmeal taste good

Once you learn how to make oatmeal taste good without sugar, you’ll be able to experiment with different recipes until you find a few you love. Start with these creative ideas.

1. Cook it with a banana

For a sweet, creamy oatmeal, try cutting a ripe banana into thin slices and whipping it into quick oats as they cook. This will give it an amazing texture and just the right amount of flavor—all without having to add sugar or cream.

2. Add apples and spices

Want a breakfast that tastes like pie? Cook quick oats, then add a diced apple, some ginger, apple pie spice, and chopped walnuts. If you like it a bit sweeter, you can also add a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

3. Make it taste like carrot cake

You can make your oatmeal taste just like carrot cake by adding some finely shredded carrots to it while it cooks. When it’s done, add in a dash of vanilla extract, ginger, cinnamon, and a pinch of brown sugar. You can also top it with crushed walnuts and/or shredded coconut.

4. Add some milk, salt, and butter

It may seem strange to add salt to your oatmeal, but this is one of the best ways to bring out its natural, nutty flavor. Cooking your oatmeal in milk instead of water is also a great idea. This will make it more flavorful, give it a smoother texture, and add extra protein. Top your oatmeal off with a bit of butter for the perfect savory breakfast treat.

5. Use a spiced teabag

Before you cook your oatmeal, add a cinnamon or chai teabag to the water. Let it steep until the water starts to boil, then pull it out, add the oats, and cook it as usual. This will give you a tasty burst of flavor in every bite.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even add a bit of instant or brewed coffee to the water instead of tea. Just make sure you’re prepared for the incredible flavor it will add.

An intro to overnight oats

If you’re always rushing around in the mornings, you might not have time to cook oatmeal—but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy it for breakfast. Overnight oats are super easy to make and are another incredible way to make oatmeal taste great.

This no-cook method of making oatmeal basically involves soaking oats in milk. After a few hours, they will absorb the liquid and soften enough so you can eat them raw. The consistency is similar to a porridge or pudding, and you can add lots of different ingredients to create incredible flavor combinations.

When making overnight oats, it’s important that you use old-fashioned oats and not quick or steel-cut oats. Otherwise, the texture won’t be right. To make overnight oats, simply pour the oats into a container and top them with regular milk or almond, coconut, cashew, or oat milk. Then, add one or more of the following ingredients:

• Chia seeds
• Greek or vegan yogurt
• Vanilla extract
• Honey or maple syrup
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Nut butter (like peanut or almond)
• Nuts and/or seeds

Mix your ingredients together, cover the container with a lid, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (but preferably overnight). When you get up in the morning, you can just grab it and go!

Start enjoying oatmeal today!

Now that you know how to make oatmeal taste good, why not add this healthy food to your morning routine? It’s easy to experiment with new recipes when you don’t have to spend a lot of time shopping for ingredients. Simply head over to Instacart and add everything you need to your shopping list. Then, a professional shopper will buy everything for you and either prepare it for pick-up or drop it off at your home. Try it out today!

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