Unbelievably Creamy Oatmeal

Water or milk? Apparently, when it comes to oatmeal there are two warring ideologies out there, with one side proclaiming that oatmeal can only be made with water and the other declaring that oatmeal with milk is the only way to be. Although I understand why people may prefer milk, I put myself firmly in the water camp on this one. And I am not alone: even bon appétit, a renowned food magazine, seems to agree that if you want to some creamy and delicious oatmeal, cooking it with water is the way to go!

Having said that, I recently discovered to way to kick it up a notch and create an incredibly creamy oatmeal, that’s silky, smooth, rich, and packed with protein. The secret to my newfound success is adding some protein powder to the oats.

I use quick cooking oats, those are oats that have been specially processed to decrease the cooking time. I prepare them in the microwave and they are done in about 2 minutes. But: if you prefer steel-cut oats, or rolled oats – go for it! The recipe below will work with any oat variety, and you don’t need to change anything about how you normally cook your oatmeal. All you need to do is mix in one scoop of your favorite protein powder with your oats before adding water (1/4 cup more than you would otherwise) and then cook the way you usually do.

This small amount of protein powder will add incredible creaminess and smooth texture. As I said, you can add any protein powder you like. I used unsweetened, unflavored pea protein powder, but vanilla flavored varieties will work, as will peanut butter protein powder – although in that case you better like peanut butter flavored oatmeal!

Lastly, don’t forget the toppings – you can use anything you have on hand. In the case of my recent breakfast, I had some bananas, coconut flakes and freeze dried strawberries. Some others topping you may want to try are raisins, or other dried fruit, chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, brown sugar, maple syrup, fresh fruit of any kind (well, maybe not citrus fruit, but you get the idea), some spices, like cinnamon or cardamom…

Or, if you are feeling adventurous (and you used unsweetened and unflavored protein powder) you may want to try savory oatmeal and add sour cream, perhaps some hummus, or some diced olives and similar types of toppings. I can see how this may sound strange, but oatmeal is really almost like polenta or grits, so it’s worth playing around with savory side of oatmeal as well.

Enjoy!

Unbelievably Creamy Oatmeal, via Eat the Vegan Rainbow

Unbelievably Creamy Oatmeal

Note: serves 1

What you’ll need:

1/2 cup quick cooking oats (or any other type of oats you like)
1 scoop pea protein powder (or any other type of protein powder you enjoy)
1 1/4 cup water (use the amount of water you usually use to cook oatmeal + 1/4 cup extra)
optional: toppings of any kind you prefer (fresh fruit (bananas, berries…), dried fruit (raisins, chopped dates…), nuts (chopped walnuts, slivered almonds…), sweeteners (maple syrup, brown sugar…), coconut flakes, spices (cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom….)

What you’ll do:

Note: this is a recipe for quick cooking oats prepared in the microwave. You will need to make adjustments if you are using other types of oats or other cooking methods. In a microwave safe bowl, mix the oats and protein powder. Pour the water in, and mix again. Cook on high for 2 to 3 minutes (this will depend on your microwave so stick to the time you usually use; if this is your first time making oatmeal, please note that oatmeal has a tendency to boil over very quickly and make a sticky mess that’s pain to clean. I recommend you place your ingredients in a deep bowl to avoid spills. Also: place a paper towel or something similar under the bowl, to help soak up the mess in case the spill over happens). Mix the oatmeal and return to the microwave for another 20-30 seconds.
Serve the hot oatmeal with as many of your favorite toppings as you like. Keep it simple or go wild – you can’t go wrong with oatmeal!