This is the best Oatmeal Recipe - ever! What could be more perfect than classic steel-cut oats, fresh berries, cinnamon, crushed pecans, and maple syrup?!
It's the perfect flavor combination to make this oatmeal recipe unforgettable. You've got to try this oatmeal recipe - it’s AMAZING!
Ingredients
It takes no time to make this yummy oatmeal recipe. Literally, less than 15 minutes! And it's going to keep you full for hours.
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- Steel Cut Oats
- Vanilla Almond Milk, Unsweetened
- Golden Raisins
- Pecans
- Cinnamon
- Maple Syrup
- Berries - Add your favorite berries: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries.
How do you make oatmeal?
Making oatmeal from scratch is simple!
- Bring the water or milk to a boil. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
- Once the milk has come to a boil, add the steel-cut oats, and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Make sure to stir the mixture every few minutes and cook for about 10-15 minutes.
- Add cinnamon, raisins (dried cranberries or dried cherries are great, too), crushed pecans, and a dash of salt, and stir well.
- At this point, you can add maple syrup. But I actually prefer to drizzle it on the berries.
- Keep an eye on the consistency of the mixture.
Oatmeal Consistency: For me, the perfect oatmeal recipe has to be creamy rather than thick. And sometimes, I've upped the amount of (almond) milk I use. But that's a personal preference.
Cooking Confession: In the past, my oatmeal would sometimes turn out clumpy and, at times, even slightly burned. So for years, I used single-serve microwave-ready packages of oatmeal. What has changed?
THE FIX: Reduce the heat to a low simmer immediately after the milk has come to a boil.
Tools you need to cook perfect oatmeal
To make perfect oatmeal every single time, all you need is a medium-sized saucepan, a spatula, and a timer. And if you don't have a timer in your kitchen, you can use the built-in recipe timer in the recipe card below!
How Good Is Oatmeal For Weight Loss?
Oatmeal is a great breakfast choice. Some of the nutritional benefits of steel-cut oats are:
- Steel-cut oats are going to keep you full for a long time.
- Oats contain fiber! And in fact, oats contain both soluble and insoluble fiber! Pretty sweet. Soluble fiber helps your body to absorb important nutrients. And insoluble fiber helps you to be regular!
- Steel-cut oats are also a good source of protein.
- Oats also contain lots of minerals such as magnesium, manganese, iron, and zinc.
Is It Good To Eat Oatmeal Every Day?
Oatmeal is one of the very best ways to start your day. It has lots of health benefits. Oatmeal recipes can help to lower your (bad) cholesterol and to regulate blood sugar!
There are many delicious oatmeal recipe variations. You can choose other fresh fruits like bananas or blueberries or add almonds, dates, walnuts, and even some brown sugar.
But I happen to think this oatmeal recipe is the best!
Steel Cut Oats vs. Rolled Oats
The good is that both steel-cut and rolled oats are healthy! But because steel-cut oats are less processed, they hold a slight advantage over rolled oats. It's all in the processing.
Oats are a type of cereal grass. For steel-cut oats, the whole grains are split into smaller pieces. To make rolled oats, the groats are first steamed and then rolled. As a result, rolled oats cook faster than steel-cut oats.
But as you can see, making delicious steel-cut oat doesn't take much time either!
Nutritionally, steel-cut oats have a lower glycemic index (42) than rolled oats (66). That said, overall, the benefits of using steel-cut oats or plain (gluten-free) rolled oats are pretty similar.
Single-serve (flavored) ready oatmeal has fewer nutritional benefits because the more processed food is, the less beneficial it is.
And you'll find that some oatmeal flavor packs have a lot of added sugar. And if you're trying to manage your weight, it's best to reduce the number of processed foods.
But here's the deal. No matter which type of oatmeal you choose, it's still a pretty healthy breakfast option.
Can I eat oatmeal if I am gluten-free?
It depends! And the good news is that generally speaking, oats are gluten-free. Most of us will be able to tolerate them without any problems. (Yay!)
There are two things to be aware of.
Oats contain a protein called 'avenin.' And avenin has similar properties to gluten. Thankfully, most people who are gluten-intolerant can process avenin without any problems. While oat sensitivity is rare, it does exist.
Another challenge is cross-contamination. Because some manufacturers process gluten-containing products in the same facilities as gluten-free products, cross-contamination can happen.
It means that, unfortunately, we'll have to read labels. If the label checks out to be certified gluten-free, you're good to go. If there's no certification label, you'll have to decide for yourself and weigh the risks of potential cross-contamination.
More simple Recipes
Fresh Berry Oatmeal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk unsweetened
- ⅓ cup steel cut oats
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup blackberries
- 2 tablespoons pecans
Instructions
- Bring the almond milk to a boil. Add the steel cut oats and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Stir occasionally and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Add crushed pecans, raisins, cinnamon and a dash of salt to the simmering oats.
- Allow the oatmeal to simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Once the oatmeal has reached your desired consistency, transfer it into a bowl.
- Add fresh berries and drizzle maple syrup on top.
Kev
Love this oatmeal recipe. But I don't have any maple syrup on hand.
What else could I add as a sweetener?
PS: I'd always wondered about steel cut and rolled oats. Thank you for sharing.
Maike
I'm glad like this recipe! No maple syrup, no problem. You can chop up some dates and use them as a sweetener or you can use brown sugar or even a bit of honey.