Creamy oatmeal porridge

Hot, creamy and just right. The ultimate winter breakfast.

10 min
Total time: 10 min
Hands-on: 1 serving
Servings: 380 cal
Per serving: Easy
Difficulty: Saucepan
Method

Photo: Shisma · CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Ingredients

1 serving

Nutrition facts

per serving

380cal

Protein: 14 g15 %
Carbs: 62 g66 %
Fat: 8 g19 %
Fiber: 8 g
Sugarstotal, including the natural sugars in fruit and dairy: 21 g

Approximate values, calculated from food composition tables. They vary with the brands and cuts you use.

Step by step

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Creamy oatmeal porridge

Hot, creamy and just right. The ultimate winter breakfast.

1Step 1 of 4

Everything into a cold pan

Put the oats, milk, water, salt and cinnamon in a saucepan. Starting cold, rather than with the liquid already boiling, is what makes the oats release their starch slowly and turn creamy.

2Step 2 of 4

Medium-low heat and stir

Bring to a gentle boil and turn the heat down. Stir every so often for 6 to 8 minutes, scraping the bottom. You'll see it go from milk with floating oats to a thick cream.

Tip: If it's bubbling furiously, the heat is too high: it will stick to the bottom and taste burnt.

07:007 min · Medium-low heat and stir

3Step 3 of 4

Add half a mashed banana

Mash half the banana with a fork and add it to the pan in the last minute. It melts in, sweetens the whole pot and gives it a silky texture.

4Step 4 of 4

Serve with the rest on top

Pour into a bowl, slice the other half of the banana over the top and add whatever you like: walnuts, a little peanut butter, seeds or fresh fruit.

About this recipe

Oatmeal has a reputation for being bland, and it's because of how it's usually made: oats and water boiled hard. Made properly it's a completely different thing: creamy, naturally sweet from the oats and filling enough to keep hunger away for hours.

There are two keys. First, the ratio: 1 part oats to 3 parts liquid. Second, low heat and stirring: the starch in the oats needs to come out slowly, exactly like in a risotto.

It's ready in eight minutes and pairs with practically any topping.

Tips for getting it right

The pinch of salt isn't optional. Without it oatmeal tastes flat; with it, it seems sweeter than it is.
For an even creamier result, use half whole milk and half water and cook for two more minutes.
Letting it sit off the heat for a minute before serving thickens it even more.

Storage

You can make a double batch and save half. It firms up as it cools; a splash of milk and a minute in the microwave bring it back.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What's the right oats-to-milk ratio?

One part oats to three parts liquid: 50 g (½ cup) of oats with 250 ml (1 cup) of liquid in total. If you like it thicker, use 200 ml; if you prefer it loose, 300 ml.

Can I make it in the microwave?

Yes: same ingredients, 2 minutes, stir, 1 more minute. It's a little less creamy than on the stovetop but works perfectly on weekdays. Use a tall bowl, because it rises.

Does oatmeal make you gain weight?

No single food does that on its own. This bowl is 380 calories with 8 grams of fiber: very filling for what it provides, which is exactly what you want at breakfast.

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