What’s the best oatmeal recipe? This toasted oatmeal takes the cake: it has an irresistible nutty flavor and chewy texture.
Do you love oatmeal? We do. In fact, we eat it every day! Now: are you ready to have your oatmeal game changed forever? Enter toasted oatmeal! The other day we received a cookbook in the mail called Whole-Grain Mornings. It’s written by English-teacher turned entrepreneur / baker Megan Gordon, who started a granola business (Marge Granola) in Seattle that’s become nationally-known. I immediately began to pour over the recipes. A recipe caught my eye called the best oatmeal.
Want our fan favorite best oatmeal? Go to Best Oatmeal Recipe (Vegan & GF).
About the book: Whole Grain Mornings
I wasn’t sure what to expect with the book Whole Grain Mornings because we’re not huge breakfast eaters (peanut butter English muffin and I’m good to go). But I paged through the recipes, I started to get excited. The book is full of innovative yet accessible ways to embrace whole grains: from California Barley Bowl to Yogurt Cups with Roasted Cherries and Toasted Millet. Yum!
I compiled an entire list of recipes for meal inspiration throughout the day (not just the morning!). When I passed the book off to Alex for perusal, he only made a few pages through before he decided to get his hands dirty. The recipe I’d passed right by because it said it was the best oatmeal.
Related: Gluten Free Breakfast Ideas for Everyone
How to make toasted oatmeal
I’m generally suspicious of recipes with superlatives like “the best oatmeal”, but Alex was already toasting the oats. After a few minutes, a smell filled our kitchen that was so nutty and sweet I forgot my hesitation. What resulted was indeed “the best” oatmeal I’d ever tasted: the oats were chewy (instead of the creamy texture of the stirred method) and deliciously nutty from toasting, topped with a bit of sweet maple syrup. We were both floored. The best oatmeal? I guess she was right!
The rest of the book is incredibly lovely; beautifully written with lots of sweet personal details, and gorgeous photographs by the talented Clare Barboza. I think what we like most though, it that it is such an accessible resource: not only does it have our favorite oatmeal recipe, I can see ourselves taking inspiration from it for months to come. The book is available here. The best oatmeal? Below.
Related: Easy Breakfast Ideas | Vegan Breakfast Ideas
Got an Instant Pot?
Alex and I are Instant Pot fans, so we made a version of this for a pressure cooker, too! And it’s just as tasty. Go to Easy Instant Pot Oatmeal.
Looking for more vegan breakfast ideas?
Outside of this best oatmeal recipe, we have dozens of vegan breakfast ideas and quick healthy breakfast recipes on our website. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Apple Cinnamon Pressure Cooker Steel Cut Oats
- Homemade Breakfast Cereal
- Perfect Oatmeal or Steel Cut Oats (vegan options)
- Turmeric Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Chai Tart Cherry Jam or Cranberry Jam on toast with almond butter
- DIY Instant Oatmeal
- Pumpkin Oatmeal
- Tofu Scramble Recipe with Black Beans
- Healthy Granola
- And if healthy vegan’s not your thing…try our Chocolate Banana Bread!
This toasted oatmeal recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten free, plant based, vegan, dairy free, and refined sugar free.
Print
The Best Toasted Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
What’s the best oatmeal recipe? This toasted oatmeal takes the cake: it has an irresistible nutty flavor and chewy texture.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or coconut oil
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup milk or almond milk, plus additional to serve
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- Maple syrup, to serve
- Toasted almonds or pecans, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the oats and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats start to smell fragrant and nutty.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add the milk, kosher salt, cinnamon, and water. Bring to low boil over medium heat. Add the toasted oats and stir gently to combine, then cover the pot, turn off the heat, and allow to sit for 7 minutes.
- After 7 minutes, the oats are ready to serve. The texture will be a chewy texture, not creamy as with the stirred method. To serve, top with real maple syrup. Add toasted almonds or walnuts and/or additional milk if desired. Leftovers can be kept refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Note that this method yields for a chewy oat texture, rather than the typical creamy texture. The recipe serves two, so double or triple for ample leftovers. A large pot works best, since it allows the oats to cook evenly. Adapted from Whole-Grain Mornings by Megan Gordon
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Best Oatmeal, Toasted Oatmeal, Breakfast Ideas, Healthy Breakfast, Vegan Breakfast Ideas, Vegetarian, Vegan
I am in serious need of a revamp of my daily oatmeal, and this recipe is totally it. Sounds amazing!
Oh My Grains! This is absolutely delicious! And so simple to make. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
I’ve just ordered this book based on all the amazing recipes I’ve seen from it – I’m similar in my breakfast habits to you but can’t wait to change things up a bit!
PS the pics in this post are totally brilliant, some of my absolute favourite ones of yours.
I think you’ll enjoy it! And thanks–we had fun with the photoshoot on our snow day :)
I never thought of toasting oatmeal before cooking it! I think i need to order this book and try some of these breakfast delights; I am getting tired of getting jealous of looking at recipe from it!
This is such a neat idea! Toasted oatmeal sounds killer – also, I need that book!
What a great idea to toast the oats before cooking them! I just finished my morning oatmeal (our staple), and it was loaded with other stuff that added flavor (pb, yogurt, nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut, etc). I think we’ll try this tomorrow, thanks!
Awesome! Let us know if you like it :)
sounds like great book and awesome recipe because my ideal breakfast is oatmeal, mainly in the form of granola or museli.
Oatmeal never looked so beautiful! What a lovely, lovely post and a tribute to one of the more humble recipes in the book (but one of my very favorites!) Thank you so much for the sweet words here — I’m so glad you both are enjoying the book. xox
Very yummy oatmeal variation! Thank you for sharing, Alex and Sonja (and Megan). I made the recipe for lunch today – perfect for being snowed in here in Indy! My usual cooked oatmeal gets added butter, vanilla extract, (sugar-free) maple syrup, maybe brown sugar and some kind of fruit, such as raisins, stewed apples or craisins. I did add Smart Balance, vanilla, the SF syrup and craisins with toasted walnut pieces. So yummy.
I think a bowl of hot oatmeal with nuts, etc. is a great way to start the day, but even with all of my extras, I’ve never been able to get my “oatmeal-phobic”, 86 y.o. mother to indulge. She still has horrible childhood memories of being forced to sit at the table on her birthday staring down a bowl of cold oatmeal that “tasted like wall-paper paste” for hours after everyone else had finished. The trauma has lasted all these years (ha).
But, harkening to MY childhood, I employed the “you have to have ONE ‘tasting bite'” and was shocked to see Mom actually eat a spoonful of the “Best Oatmeal (in the World)”! No convert to oatmeal but after 75+ years, she has at least overcome her phobia. There IS life after wall-paper paste oatmeal.
Anyway, the 2nd serving won’t be lost; more for ME! Thanks for sharing!!! And I hope we all get dug out by Spring!
i know this is belated, but I love the new design. sorry I haven’t commented earlier but it looks so sharp, I love it! I am enjoying megan’s book too and need to try these oats!
I LOVE these photos! The lighting in your new house/kitchen is treating you well (I need to come visit to check it out first hand ;) And I agree about the book- so many lovely recipes and stories!