Name: How to Make Oatmeal (Stovetop)
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup old-fashioned oats; 2 cups milk (or water); Pinch of salt; Toppings: sliced fruit Greek yogurt, etc.

Recipe

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Learn how to make oatmeal using old-fashioned oats on the stove and enjoy a breakfast that's so good, you'll crave it!

Tired of runny oats or a texture so thick it’s not right? Use this old-fashioned oats recipe to make oatmeal on the stove in 5 minutes that tastes great!

large pot of cooked oatmeal with a wooden spoon

The Best Oatmeal Recipe with Old Fashioned Oats

During marathon training, I consumed oats in every which way a few times a day; so I’m fully confident when I tell you that this is the best oatmeal recipe with old-fashioned oats you’ll make.

You can use water or milk, regular or dairy-free, to make the oats on the stove. The outcome is a hearty bowl with a creamy and rich texture that’s perfect to enhance with your favorite oatmeal toppings.

By the end of this post, you’ll have learned how to make oatmeal and understand why I eat a bowl daily to get all the health benefits of oats first thing in the morning.

Quick Oats vs Old Fashioned

Both quick oats and old-fashioned oats can be cooked on the stovetop. They’re both the same groat (grain of oat) that’s been steamed and rolled flat into a flake; the fashioned oats are larger in size and take 5 minutes to cook, and the quick oats have been cut into smaller pieces, so they cook faster in about 1 minute.

What You Need to Make Oatmeal

Here's what you'll need to make that classic bowl of creamy oatmeal you can top with your favorite toppings:

Old-fashioned oats: they yield a thicker and richer bowl.
Water or milk: use only water or a mix of both.
Salt: just a pinch to enhance the flavor of your oatmeal.

Can You Make Oatmeal with Milk

Absolutely! In fact, using milk (dairy or plant-based) to make oatmeal gives it a creamier texture I personally love.

Are Old-Fashioned Oats and Rolled Oats the Same Thing?

Yes! Both old-fashioned oats and rolled oats are the same large flattened oat flakes with a thicker texture. Both of these take 5 minutes to cook.

These thicker, old-fashioned, or rolled oats are the best to use in all the overnight oats recipes.

saucepan of milk and water with a cup of oats about to be poured in the top, a box of Quaker Oats next to it

How to Make Oatmeal on the Stove

In each of the steps below, I share some additional tips to help your stovetop oatmeal have the best consistency:

Combine
Use a small-to-medium 1.5 qt to 2 qt saucepan. Combine the oats, liquid, and salt in it.
Cook
I start at medium-high heat, and once the mixture starts to simmer, I reduce it to low. It’s important to stir occasionally so the oats at the bottom of the oats don’t burn. You can cook them for the 5 minutes covered or uncovered.
Enjoy!
Serve the oats warm as is or topped with fruit.

Bonus tip: soak the saucepan with water immediately to make cleanup a breeze!

Ratio of Water to Old Fashioned Oats

When cooking old-fashioned oats, the optimal ratio of water to oats is 2:1. This translates to 1 cup of water for every ½ cup of oats.

Servings	Oats	Water
1	½ cup	1 cup
2	1 cup	2 cups
3	1 ½ cups	3 cups
4	2 cups	4 cups

Old-fashioned oats-to-water ratios for oatmeal

large bowl of oatmeal with strawberries, greek yogurt and almond butter on top

Oatmeal Texture

The amount of liquid added when cooking a serving of oats will vary the results of the oatmeal texture. As is, you’ll enjoy a nice hearty bowl, but if you want to adjust the texture to be more like porridge, which is thinner, you can add more hot water, about 2 tablespoons, to your cooked oats.

How to Thicken Oatmeal

If you eyeballed adding liquid to your old-fashioned oats and your oatmeal is too thin, there are a few ways to thicken oatmeal. Some of my favorites include:

Protein Powder: quickly absorbs extra moisture! Stir in 1 tablespoon at a time, mix well, and wait a minute.
Coconut Flour: is highly absorbent and adds extra fiber. Add 1 teaspoon of coconut flour, mix it well, and let it sit for 1 minute.
Flax Meal: stir 1 teaspoon into the old-fashioned oatmeal and let the mixture rest for 2 minutes. This adds omega-3s and fiber.
Nut Butter: a favorite! Add 1 tablespoon of any nut/seed butter to your oats and stir to combine. Using peanut butter powder is lower in fat and works great!

a hand holdin a bowl of oatmeal topped with fruit and greek yogurt

Favorite Oatmeal Toppings

Loading up my bowl with a few healthy toppings is my favorite way to make oatmeal feel exciting to eat on repeat:

Fruit: sliced bananas, blueberries, diced strawberries, cinnamon apples, diced peaches.
Yogurt: regular or Greek yogurt, plain or flavored, adds protein and an additional creamy texture.
Healthy fats: any nut butter or nut-butter alternative, chopped nuts, coconut flakes, flax seeds, or chia seeds.
Sweeteners: brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, homemade fruit syrup, chocolate chips, and even roasted strawberries!
Spices: cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg.
Savory: a fried egg, roasted veggies, crispy bacon, and/or cheese!

These savory oatmeal recipes turn a bowl of cooked old-fashioned oats into a meal!

More Ways to Make Oatmeal

You can make an epic bowl of oatmeal in other ways beyond the stovetop! I love overnight oats, baked oatmeal, slow cooker oats with steel-cut-oats, microwave oatmeal, or for a grab-and-go option; you can also make your own instant oat packets with quick-cooking oats.

How to Make Oatmeal (Stovetop)

Servings: 2

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Learn how to make oatmeal using old-fashioned oats on the stove and enjoy a breakfast that's so good, you'll crave it!

5 from 21 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 cups milk (or water)
Pinch of salt
Toppings: sliced fruit Greek yogurt, etc.

Instructions

Cook:

Add the oats, milk (or water), and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and once it simmers, reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
Cook the oatmeal for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the desired consistency is reached. Turn off the heat. For a thicker oatmeal texture, cover and let the oats sit in the saucepan for 3 more minutes.