Oatmeal with Milk (How to make Oats with Milk)

Here's how to make a perfectly creamy bowl of rolled oats (or old-fashioned oats) with milk. Inspired by Dalia, a South Asian porridge, this recipe shares how to make your oatmeal with milk in the optimal way. All you need is a (preferably non-stick) saucepan, 3 ingredients, and 20 minutes!

📝 Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• pinch kosher salt (optional)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (I’ve tried quaker & bob’s red mill)
• 1 - 1 1/2 cup whole milk (or 2% reduced milk - See Note 1)
• sweetener of choice (as desired)
• toppings (as desired)
• 1 small ripe banana, sliced 1/4” thick widthwise or halved lengthwise
• 1 tsp turbinado sugar, demerara sugar, brown sugar, or cane sugar
• 1/2 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted are both fine)
• blanched, slivered or sliced almonds (optionally toasted)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Heat a small to medium nonstick saucepan over med-high heat. Add water and a pinch of salt (if using) and bring to a boil.
2. 2Add the oats and lower the heat to bring it to a simmer. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the water evaporates and the oats swell (~5 min).
3. 3Add the milk and raise the heat to bring it to a boil (or allow it to come to boil on its own). Lower the heat to medium and allow the oats to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes (depending on the heat and size of your pan). Meanwhile, prepare topping, if desired.
4. 4(Optional Topping) - To prepare caramelized bananas: Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and lay the bananas in a single layer. Sprinkle sugar on the bananas and fry for 2-3 minutes, until the bottom is caramelized. Use a fork to flip them over and fry for another 2 minutes. Set aside.
5. 5Scrape the edges of the saucepan as needed. The milk will thicken and reduce, but it’ll still be runny and pourable. If it gets too thick (likely if you used 1 cup milk), add a splash of milk and mix to combine. (Mine always gets too thick, and I always finish off with a splash of milk after adding to bowls.)
6. 6Turn off the heat and place into your bowl. Serve hot with sweetener of choice. If topping with caramelized bananas, spread the bananas on the oatmeal, and top with almonds, if desired.