Oatmeal can be a delicious, hearty, and nutritious breakfast, as long as you don’t make mushy oatmeal. Win every morning with this easy recipe for Not Mushy Oatmeal.
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Children learn what they live.
My mom had that on a plaque at our house growing up. And I’m finding it very true in many instances of life, particularly in food choices.
You see, my parents did not like oatmeal as children. Or liver. As a result, those are two foods I was never required to eat. Neither of them liked it, so why force their kids to eat it? Instead they fed us cream of wheat.
Which I think is nasty and will never subject my children to. You see, I learned early on not to feed my kids things that I didn’t like. Ha!
Children learn what they live — or they go the other way.
Unlike my parents, I love oatmeal. But, I don’t like oatmeal prepared according to package directions. Too mushy. Too soggy. Too much like what prompted poor Oliver Twist to say, “Please sir, could I have some more?”
Uh, no thanks.
Instead, I make my oatmeal to be more like rice with very little moisture left behind. If you don’t care for regular oatmeal, you might like it my way!
(Be sure to check out these other great oats recipes that aren’t mushy at all!)
The method is pretty simple. Instead of a 2-1 ratio of water to oats that most manufacturer’s recommend, use a 1-1 ratio. Equal parts of oats and water will allow the oats to absorb all the liquid and be slightly al dente. No mush.
Serve with a spoonful of dark brown sugar and a tablespoon of real cream. Or if you want to gild the lily, add to those toppings a handful of toasted nuts and a handful of dried cranberries or raisins or cherries.
The result? A hot breakfast with texture! Something to sink your teeth into.
Please, sir, could I have some more?
This ranks high on my list of whole grain recipes. Whole grains is what we’re working in at our house to improve our family’s diet.
(I also did a series on whole grains several years ago on Good Cheap Eats. If you haven’t visited already, pop over to learn some basics about grains, find some great whole grain recipes, and learn about whole grain storage.)
How I make this good:
Whenever possible, I like to cook with plain old ingredients. While the convenience of mixes and canned sauces is nice, I feel better about feeding my family just whole foods whenever possible.
This recipe has no processed ingredients, just real food. I like that. You can use gluten-free oats if you like. I usually try to buy non-GMO oats when I can. If not, I buy them in bulk from Costco or Sprouts.
How to make this cheap:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. Since oats are the main ingredient in this dish, it goes without saying, keep track of the price of oats at your stores and load up when you see a great deal.
(If you don’t already do so, consider following Good Cheap Eats, my food blog, where I regularly share money-saving tips and budget-friendly recipes.)
Tools I use to make this recipe easy:
This is a pretty straight-forward dish. You don’t need any fancy equipment. However, having some good basic kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.
- pot with lid – I have this “chili pot” which is great for making a bulk batch of Not Mushy Oatmeal
- Bob’s Red Mill old fashioned oats – This is a favorite brand of ours.
Not Mushy Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- pinch salt
- 1 cup rolled oats
- toppings for hot cereal , such as: cream, brown sugar, toasted nuts, dried fruit
Instructions
- Bring 1 cup water and a pinch of salt to boil in a pan. Stir in 1 cup old fashioned oats. Do not use quick oats — too mushy! Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes, covered. The oats will absorb all the liquid and be slightly al dente. No mush.
- Serve with desired toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Bethy
This oatmeal recipe has changed my life, not joking! My husband and I were visiting old friends recently that we regard as second parents and “mom” asked in the morning how we like our oatmeal: flaky or mushy. We both said flaky not knowing that was a real option! It was delicious and asked her how to do it, which I subsequently forgot. I googled flaky oatmeal when I got home and found this post. I’m making oatmeal twice In the same week, unheard of for our household. Thank you!
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad you found how you like it!
Annette Zentzis
What kind of oat meal if not quacker osts
Jessica Fisher
You can use Quaker, I just recommend that you use old fashioned oats.
Angéle Smith
Hi! Like many others have said, I have never been able to eat oatmeal, or any mochi food for that matter. I’m curious and excited about this recipe! I just have one question… Because you’re making it in a large pot, does that mean that it can be saved and warmed up for to the next morning? Or is this something that you need to eat right out of the pot?
Jessica Fisher
Yes. If there are leftovers, I package them up to reheat. But, I also have a very large family, so leftovers aren’t always possible.
Jeannie
Thanks Jessica! This looks just like the oatmeal my mom used to make when I was a kid. Very dry, and like you said, rice like. I will be heading to the store today for rolled oats. I have a question though, do you cover the pot while the oatmeal cooks, or leave the lid off?
Jessica Fisher
Cover it and then if it’s not as dry as you like, let it go a minute uncovered.
Karl
Has anyone substituted Soy Milk or Almond Milk for the water? I’m new to this whole eating healthy and I don’t want to destroy a potential good thing by trying something stupid like adding an ingredient and making it taste bad.
Jessica Fisher
I’ve seen recipes for copycat Jamba Juice oats that use soy milk, so I think you’re good to go. However, you could just make a half batch this way and a half batch with one of those milks to see which you like better.
Morgan
This was pretty good! It was the first time I could take a bite of oatmeal and not spit it out. I’ll try it with steel cut next time.
Jessica Fisher
Glad you liked it!
Sara
Okay, I REALLY hate oatmeal… the smell, the texture… all of it. But a friend of mine made some that was a LOT more dry than the “regular” paste. I tried a little bite, and was pleasantly surprised that it’s didn’t smell disgusting, resemble mush, and didn’t taste awful!! She said you HAVE to use old fashioned oats. I’m going to have to make a trip to the store for oats before I can try this, but that pecan and cranberry combo is just up my alley! I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll like it since I know I need to eat healthier!!
Jessica Fisher
I hope you love it as much as I do. I don’t like gloppy. This isn’t that. 🙂
Debi
LOVE! This is the texture I’ve been looking for. I made it like this on accident once and could never figure out what I did different! Thank you!
Courtney L
I happened upon this post on a rare rainy morning here in LA. I whipped up some oatmeal with your recipe and my girls devoured it before school. Yeah! Thanks!
Jessica Fisher
Yes! {fist bump}
de
I absolutely LOVE cream of wheat!! I also love a hot cereal called Oat Bran. My parents were really never around for breakfast for us growing up. Dad worked days and mom worked nights. But going by gramma was the best because she would have all the warm breakfast cereals!!! Nothing like oatmeal and cream of wheat at Grams. I will say we were not fans of Malto Meal. YUCK!!
Jessica Fisher
No to the Malt o’ Meal. 😉
Angela Ng
I hate mushy oat. Use steel cut oat for sure. I like savoury oat, so my favourite and easiest version is to add Marmite (it’s an acquired taste), fried anchovies and chopped spring onion. I also like sweet version with coconut milk and palm sugar.
Jessica Fisher
Interesting! Thanks for the ideas!
Molly
I don’t even cook my oatmeal because I like a cold, but filling, breakfast – raw oats, peanut butter, banana, milk!
Jessica Fisher
I tried that with steel cut and didn’t like it, but maybe I’d like it with old fashioned.
Alice E
I fix my ‘not mushy’ oatmeal with a different method. For 2 servings:
Bring one and one half cups of water to as rolling boil. Add salt if you wish. Add one cup of old-fashioned oats to pan and stir to moisten. Put the lid on the pan and turn off the fire under it. Now leave it alone and don’t lift the lid for 10 minutes. Uncover it and serve. If you wish you may add dried fruit at the same time as the oats.
My husband eats this with sugar. I prefer butter and salt, grated cheese or topping it with an over-easy egg since I don’t really like sweets early in the morning. Neither of us add milk. This leaves the flakes of oats separate and is a favorite with my husband who doesn’t like his oats mushy either. I like the fact that I don’t have to stand over the pan and it can’t burn.
I may try reducing the amount of water, but this works for us and is so easy. Just set the timer for 10 minutes and do something else.
Jessica Fisher
Sounds great. Thanks for the tips!
Lorrie
So glad to run across someone else who likes al dente oatmeal. I made mine this morning with walnuts, blueberries and unsweetened shredded coconut. (gluten free oats)
Jennifer G
Yes! I like my oatmeal to be about the consistency of oatmeal cookie dough! Love your recipe 🙂
Meg D
As a library paste oatmeal hater, there’s a surefire way to cook oats with better texture (like this) in the microwave. Put your dry old-fashioned oats in a large microwaveable cereal bowl (you need room to bubble), add just enough cold water (or juice) to float, microwave on high for 1 minute (add 30 seconds for mushier oats or lower power microwaves). Enjoy! I put a spoonful of peanut butter in it, but we ate it with a drizzle of molasses or cinnamon or carob powder as kids. My mom also makes this with apple juice in place of water.
MH in OH
YES! Microwave your oatmeal, who has time for the stovetop? 🙂 My husband taught me this years ago when we were dating. About 1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Thick Cut Oats + a little more than 1/2 cup water in a large cereal bowl. 3:35 on power level 6 in our microwave – I tried different times and power levels before settling on this one. Then I add a tablespoon of ground flax seed, cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup, and raisins and walnuts. All the water should not be absorbed by the oats when it comes out of the microwave – the raisins soak up some and get nice and plump. If it is too dry I add a splash of milk, but I like oatmeal to be chewy not mushy. This is my go-to breakfast most days of the year.
Kathy
This is fabulous! I have not ever had oatmeal like this. I love it!
Janine
I add 1/2 cup raisins to 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup old-fashioned oats and cook at medium temp for 6 minutes. Remove from heat and put lid on, and let sit for 6 minutes. Remove lid and add 2T brown sugar. My kids do not like mushy oatmeal or when their grandpa adds milk once it’s in the bowl.
JLynn
This is fab! I can not tell you how much I hate eating oatmeal because it reminds me of paste! Can’t wait to try this in the morning. Thank you so much!!
Christy B.
I had a hankering for oatmeal yesterday, so I fished through the cupboard only to find some “best by 2008” instant packets. Figuring that was only a guideline and they’d still be edible, I made some. And I gagged it down. My one year old seemed to like it, though!
This morning I found this recipe. Yum! I didn’t have the ingredients to fancy it up so it was just flavored with brown sugar and whole milk. I loved the non-mushy texture of the oats. I’ll definitely make it again. And while it may take a little longer than the microwave kind, it did give me a time to race to get the dishes done in. 😉
Oh yeah, and the one year old hated it! Spit out every bite. *sigh* there’s no accounting for taste. 🙂