When you want a bowl of cold oatmeal fast but forgot to prep them overnight, this simple recipe comes to the rescue!
In just a couple of minutes, you’ll be able to enjoy a hearty breakfast topped with your favorite toppings or berries.
Fastest Cold Oatmeal Recipe
Did you know you don’t have to cook oatmeal to enjoy it? That’s right! Oats can be enjoyed just like cereal and milk: in a bowl and with a spoon!
In 3 minutes, you can enjoy all the benefits of oats without having to cook a thing!
The trick to enjoying oats cold is to be generous with the fruit. After a few minutes, the oats take on the texture of muesli, which is a traditional German way of eating oats cold that have been minimally soaked or simply with milk in a bowl.
If overnight oats recipes are what you’re looking for, check out Banana Overnight Oats, or Strawberry Overnight Oats.
Ingredients
This cold oatmeal recipe is not only the fastest but also the easiest! And that means you can make this fabulous breakfast with just a few simple ingredients!
Here’s what you need:
- Oats: old-fashioned or instant, both work for this particular 5-minute method.
- Berries: strawberries, blueberries, any berry works. Make sure to dice them small, so they fit in your spoon, and mix them with the oats. You can also add banana slices, chopped apples, or any other fruit you have on hand.
- Milk: regular o your favorite dairy-free milk.
- Honey or maple syrup: optional and adds a nice touch of sweetness!
How to Make Cold Oatmeal – FAST!
Making this cold oatmeal is as fast as mixing everything together in a bowl! And unlike overnight oats, there’s no need to wait!
- Make an oat base
Divide the oats among the bowls. - Add the fruit
About ½ cup or more diced berries or your favorite fruits. - Stir in the Milk
You’re almost there. Add the milk, stir, and wait 5 minutes for the oats to soften. - Enjoy!
Drizzle with honey or maple syrup, and enjoy!
Texture of cold oatmeal
Cold oatmeal has a similar texture to muesli. They are thick and full of texture, and yet the quick soak has made them softer and doesn’t feel like you’re eating oatmeal flakes.
Is Cold Oatmeal Raw?
In theory, yes. There is no cooking involved when you make cold oatmeal. The oats soften when they are hydrated with the milk giving them a semi-cooked texture.
Best toppings for Cold Oatmeal
You can customize this cold oatmeal with your favorite toppings for more flavor and extra nutrition! These are some delicious and easy ideas:
- Fresh fruit (sliced banana, chopped apples, cubed peaches, etc.)
- Coconut flakes
- Mini chocolate chips
- Nuts
- Sprinkles
- Dried fruit
- Cinnamon
5 Minute Cold Oatmeal with Berries
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup berries, chopped
- 1 ½ cups milk, your favorite
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, optional
Instructions
- Divide the oat among the bowls. Top each bowl with half of the fruit and half of the milk.
- With a spoon, stir to combine the mixture, and let it sit for 5 minutes to soak up the liquid and soften. If you can wait ten, they'll soften up some more.
- Drizzle with honey if you want, and enjoy.
Shayne
This is so good. I didn’t know about eating cold oatmeal with really “cooking” the oats. I will try it. Thank you, Laura!
Nika
This may be a dumb question but what oats did you use? Rolled oats? Does it matter?
Laura Fuentes
I use old fashion oats or quick. The ones in this post are old fashion oats.