Perfect Stovetop Oatmeal Recipe

Perfect Stovetop Oatmeal is simple and satisfying. Learn how to make your own perfect stovetop oatmeal with these handy tips and tricks.

Making oatmeal from scratch is almost as simple as opening an envelope of the instant stuff. It’s not much more time consuming, but it is SO much more satisfying! This recipe for Apple Cinnamon Stovetop Oatmeal is one of the most popular on my own site.

And since people love THAT, I thought it would be fun to share the “good bones” of how to make stovetop oatmeal like a pro.

We all know that I typically prefer my oats in cookie form (like with these White Chocolate Blueberry Oat Cookies). But a good bowl of oatmeal goes a long way in the morning and I love playing around with add-ins and toppings. Some favorites:

• Dried cranberries or raisins
• Sliced apples or peaches
• Chocolate chips + bananas
• A spoonful of peanut butter + honey
• Maple syrup + brown sugar
• Almonds, pistachios, or walnuts

Once you have made some decisions about what’s going IN your oatmeal, you can focus on technique. I have a few tips:

• Old Fashioned Oats will give more texture; Quick oats will be creamier and will cook a little faster.
• If you buy the old fashioned oats and decide you prefer quick cooking oats, a pulse in the blender or food processor gives you quick oats in less than a minute!
•  If your oats threaten to bubble up and over the sides of the pan when you add them to the hot water, you need to reduce the heat.
• Your oats need a dash of salt to be perfect.

Let’s talk about this salt things really quick. Once upon a time my husband tried to get cute and make me oatmeal.

Annnnnd he added salt. But he salted my oatmeal like you would salt your pasta water.

So instead of enhancing the flavors of anything else we might have added, I just had to scrape my bowl of oatmeal into the trash #hotmess

This is on your list of oatmeal things to NOT do.

On the list of oatmeal things TO DO, however, is to cook it in WATER, not milk (the milk comes later). You want simmering water, not boiling water. Boiling water will turn your oats into sticky glue. You want to bring the water just to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer before adding your oats.

Also things to add to your oatmeal repertoire: 13 Oatmeal Recipes to Assure Yourself of a Healthy Breakfast (because who doesn’t need that?!!) and this Homemade Instant Oatmeal recipe (for the days you only have 1 minute to boil water).

Are you tired of the dinner routine?

Stuck in a rut or looking for fun new recipes to try?

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You can ask for recipe ideas, talk about cooking techniques, or get help figuring out the right new pan set for you. If you’ve already joined, invite a friend along!