The Best Steel-Cut Oatmeal

On days like today, when the weather gets cold, nothing quite beats a hearty bowl of oatmeal. This is one of my favorite winter morning breakfasts (albeit a no-go now because of my sensitivity to oats).

Weekend days, when you have a bit more time to cook than that make, shower, eat, go routine more typical of a weekday morning, steel-cut oats are the way to go.

Begin with the basic recipe, below, adding in fruits like dried plums or cherries into the oatmeal while it cooks, along with flavorings like vanilla or almond extract, cinnamon, cardamom, etc. Garnish with toppings like salted, roasted almonds, toasted walnuts, or mixed salted nuts, sliced bananas - or sweetened coconut flakes.

Basic Oatmeal Recipe

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 cup steel-cut oats

1 cup milk

1 cup water

Pinch of salt, to taste

Add oil to a pot and heat over medium until melted. Add oats and gently toast for about 2 minutes. Add milk and water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until oats are tender, about 30-40 minutes or until the oats are al dente. Stir, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Flavoring Ideas

Dried plums

Dried cherries

Dried cranberries

Salted mixed nuts

Roasted almonds

Toasted walnuts

Almond butter

Coconut flakes

Sliced banana

Mango chunks

Pine nuts