How to soak and cook oatmeal the traditional way, aka โovernight oatsโ for a digestible and nourishing breakfast that will keep you feeling full all the way to lunch!
How do you cook oatmeal the healthiest way possible? Is it acceptable toย cook it in the microwave, quickly poured out of convenient, ready to use packets? Do you think this is a healthy start to the day?
Reality Check: Ripping open a package of instant oatmeal, pouring it in a mug with some water and nuking it in the microwave for a couple of minutes is NOT a nourishing breakfast! And guess what โฆ you will feel hungry again about an hour later!
Donโt get me wrong here โ oatmeal can and should be a healthy breakfast!
How youย choose to cook oatmeal, however, is the critical step that most people completely miss and which determinesย how much nourishment and benefit you will actually derive from the experience. It is one of the most important cooking skillsย to learn yourself and teach children before they leave home.
Preparation determines how long the oatmeal will fill you up. ย What good is a bowl of oatmeal if you are hungry again and ready for a donut fix by 10 am?
Overnight Oats the Traditional Way
Learning to prepare overnight oats as practiced for centuries by ancestral societies will take a little planning on your part. But, you will be greatly rewarded with a much more nourishing, digestible breakfast that will stay with you all the way to lunchtime!
Traditional peoples knew through observation that grains were very hard to digest and caused health problems over time for those who consumed them without careful preparation.
Throwing out those boxed breakfast cereals that are at least twice as expensive per serving and toxic to boot and replacing with a simple, nutritious bowl of porridge will also help your food budget considerably with no loss in pleasure or enjoyment particularly on chilly winter mornings!
TIP:ย Iโve had people email me to complain that when you cook oatmeal by first soaking for at least 7 hours or overnight, it results in a sour tasting porridge. ย Iโve found that soaking in water plus lemon juice produces a delightful and slightly lemony porridge that is not sour at all and absolutely pops with flavor! If you still need help adjusting to the taste of soaked oatmeal, the linked article plus video will share an easy way to slowly adapt.
How to Cook Oatmeal (traditional method)
The traditional method for preparing overnight oats and cooking oatmeal the next morning that results in a bowl of porridge that is very digestible, filling and nourishing compared to modern convenience methods.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats preferably organic
- 2-3 cups filtered water
- 1-2 Tbl lemon juice optional
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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Mix the oats, 2 cups of water, and lemon juice in a pot. Cover and leave on the counter (NOT in the refrigerator) for at least 7 hours or overnight. If you have trouble digesting grains, feel free to soak for as long as 24 hours.
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When soaking is complete, add 1/2-1 cup additional filtered water to the pot. Bring to a boil with the salt. Cook oatmeal thoroughly for 5 minutes. You do not need to rinse the oats before cooking.
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Traditional oatmeal is best served with butter and/or cream for optimal assimilation of minerals. A natural sweetener, nuts, raisins or other fruit may be added as desired.
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Refrigerate leftovers.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
ย
Store bought or homemade apple cider vinegar, yogurt, or kefir may be substituted for the lemon juice.
If you are just starting to soak oatmeal for breakfast, feel free to just soak with water at first and gradually build up to the 4 tablespoons of recommended acidic medium (I prefer lemon juice).
Detailed Video Tutorial
In this longer video below, I show you exactly how I cook rolled oats into oatmeal.
It requires the initial step of soaking the night before. Then, it cooks up quickly the next morning! ย
Be sure to refrigerate any leftovers for a fast warm-up on the stove on subsequent mornings.
No Rinsing Required
You do not need to rinse the soaked oats before cooking. The antinutrients are deactivated, so no further effort is needed other than simmering for a few minutes on the stove!
I do not recommend soaking oat groats. The linked article explains why.
Soaked Oats vs Sprouted
If you donโt think you can manage the two minutes it takes before you go to bed to put on a pot of oatmeal to soak, this article shows you how to prepare traditional oatmeal without soakingย using sprouted rolled oats instead.
This article on sprouting vs soaking explains the differences nutritionally and digestively speaking.
More Soaked Porridges to Enjoy!
If you find overnight oats to be enjoyable and more digestible, try amaranth breakfast cereal, teff porridge and buckwheat hot cereal too.
Hi Sarah, I prepared my oatmeal last night with lemon juice and it was nice to have breakfast ready this morning. I was wondering if it is a problem to use steel cut oats instead of rolled oats?
You can use steel cut if you like, of course.
Would you soak the steel cut oats overnight too? Or just cook them in the morning?
My 2 year old & I have porridge for breakfast most days. We do not like it made with water though, we prefer milk. Is it ok to substitute the cup of water for milk? Thanks
You need to soak it in water with an acidic medium not milk. You can add milk after it is cooked if you like.
What I did, was soaking them in water and whey, but then adding a cup of milk to cook. I also added some raw heavy cream and homemade raisins pure before serving and oatmeal didn’t taste sour at all. It was the best oatmeal ever! The cream makes it some much better!
Sure, that approach would work fine.
I’d love to know what you all think about oats and tooth decay. My 2yodd has some severe decay, 2 teeth worn to the gums. Thanks to changing her diet the other teeth are beautiful. In Ramie Nagel’s book he basically warns to stay away from oats if you have decay. I’ve taken so much out of our diet and we do miss oats. I’d love some input…thanks!
I would also be interested in the answer to this question. I was wondering the same thing.
Even if one’s child doesn’t have tooth decay, I can’t imagine it’s good to have oats every day. If it’s not good when you do have cavities, why would it be good when you don’t have cavities except maybe very infrequently.
I’m assuming that why many people’s teeth decay from the result of consuming oatmeal has a LOT to do with how they sweeten it. Refined sugar is the absolute WORST thing to consume for our health, and will literally cause our bodies to rot from the inside out. Organic sugar in moderation is okay, but I strive to sweeten everything I eat that requires a sweet flavor with the sweet herb stevia. My teeth have never been so healthy looking as a result.
I must also warn to beware of refined grains as well such as white flour. Strive for a healthier whole grains/flours, preferably gluten free varieties such as oats/oat flour, brown rice/brown rice flour, tapioca/tapioca flour etc… your teeth will thank you, and will look absolutely beautiful.
=)
Sorry for the second post, but to make something clear when using flour… make the flour yourselves. Soak the grain that is desired, then dry them, and then grind them up to a dust. This way they’ll be far more digestible than any of the non-soaked flours one can purchase at local health-food stores.
I know this is WAY late to the game, but in case someone else comes here looking for answers… as a child, I ground my teeth to the gums and also had many cavities. Believe it or not, grinding and clenching teeth is not just an adult issue – by age 12, I had the wear of a 40 year old on my teeth! So while cavities may create problems on teeth surfaces, if the teeth are ground down, talk to your dentist about the possibility of making a dental night guard for your child, which these days can be very unobtrusive, and can be made and formed to not disrupt the tooth formation. I have seen smaller child-sized bite guards even in CVS for about $20.
Good luck!
Perfect timing! I soaked oatmeal last weekend for the first time and did think it tasted too sour. I used ACVingar to soak it with though so next time, I will try the water/lemon juice.
Thanks again for all the wonderful info you put out on this blog!
I have been mulling over the question of how to best prepare oatmeal all winter. So happy you answered it! By the way you look beautiful in this video. Healthy and vibrant!
My secret is BUTTER! ๐
LOL, Sarah, that’s my reply whenever anyone asks me why I look so healthy!
That, or raw milk! ๐
Sarah, I’m baking our next batch of oatmeal with sourdough starter mixed in the night before. Sourdough is supposed to be the number one souring method, right? I’ll let you know how it turns out. We don’t eat a lot of oats, but I’m working on a sourdough granola, too for when we do have them.
I had my 8 year old do tonight! It saves time, teaches him how to do it, and he remembers what we are having for breakfast eliminating one question for the : )! Why have I never thought of using the pan that I am going to cook it in instead of a separate bowl? I love to find ways to save on dishes.
oops that was supposed to be one question for the day! It is getting late.
Thanks for the reminder, I will do this now for breakfast tomorrow! I remember your blog from November 2010 regarding grains and cavities, and that using a medium with calcium such as yogurt or kefir does not work as well as an acidic medium as lemon juice, vinegar or liquid whey. I have tried lemon juice in the past and my son finds the taste to be too sour. If I were to use kefir, would that have the sour taste even though it may not work as well, and how much would I use, 2 tablespoons per 1 cup of oats? Thank you ๐
Yes, the taste would be sour using kefir. Try different ones and see which produces the best taste for your taste buds.
No sour taste from soaking in liquid whey and water.
I found that ne way to beat the sour taste is to try to complement the flavor. Our favorite is to use apple cider vinegar. I rinse the oats before cooking and I shred some apple and add cinnamon, nutmeg and a splash of vanilla extract. Really helps cover the sour taste right up. Oh, and if you can add a little wheat flour to the oats when soaking.
I soak 3 cups oats overnight and then make a baked oatmeal with eggs ( also raisins, nuts, cinammon, vanilla. Coconut oil, etc) we eat it almost every morning with fresh fruit and yogurt( heated up in pan with butter) it’s the best breakfast ever!
That baked oatmeal sounds really good. How many eggs and how long do you bake it for? Guess I’m really asking for your recipe! I have a ton of oatmeal and would like to use it. After getting negative info for oatmeal in general, I am relieved to find that I can soak it and use it. Thanks!
Soak 3 c oats with water to cover & 6 tablespoons lemon juice overnight( lg bowl)
Add the following:
5 eggs (beaten til smooth)
1/4t salt
Cinammon
Nutmeg
Sucanant or maple syrup to your liking
Vanilla
Raisins
Walnuts
Dries fruit- optional
1/4 cup melted coconut or butter
App 1 cup milk
Stir well and bake in buttered casserole dish on 350 until set
You can cut off a square each morn and heat up with butter- serve with fresh fruit/yogurt
Thanks, Teresa. I will be making this for breakfast tomorrow. Sounds delish!
Sounds really good. Thank you for sharing your recipe Teresa!
Thank you Teresa for posting this recipe. I have made it twice now. My family and I absolutely love it! It’s great to have in the frig to grab as a quick breakfast on the go. This and Sarah’s cold cereal recipe have become a great addition to our breakfast choices.
Yes, thank you so much for sharing your recipe!! I’ve got 1 child who loves oatmeal, and 1 who hates it but loves bread and cakes, so maybe this can please them both. I love the addition of eggs and coconut oil for nutrition density! I’m trying it now.
Do you drain the liquid from the overnight soaking before baking? About how long do you bake it? Thanks so much for sharing!
thanks so much for posting, I can’t wait to make this tomorrow! I need a quick easy breakfast.
Teresa, if this is from Jenny’s Nourished Kitchen, it is indeed one of the best ways I’ve ever had oatmeal and my family thinks so too. My hubby and son just cut it the next day cold and eat it like a muffin. It packs well too and we took it on our last road trip and had it with yogurt for breakfast. I’m having a houseful of guests soon and I’ll bake a huge pan for everyone. They all love it and what a great way to begin the day! Tip: besides soaking the oats overnight, I prep what else I can, so it’s easy to mix since it takes about an hour to bake.
Do you have an exact recipe?
Are rolled oats stored in bulk bins Ok to buy? Are they likely or not to be rancid like brown rice stored in bulk bins?
If oats are rancid, you can smell it really easily. At least I can! But, best to buy in sealed bags or a sealed bucket. Large buckets can be purchased through local grain co-ops if you use a lot of oats.
Please tell me what oats smell like when they’re rancid? One of my biggest concerns with eatings grains is that they’re rancid before I even start the process of breaking down the anti-nutrients. Thanks!
Do you rinse the oats before you cook them?
I don’t rinse mine.
I don’t understand. If you don’t drain them, then aren’t you just consuming the very antinutrients you’re trying to avoid? Surely they’re in the soaking water?
oh wait, you said you don’t RINSE them. my bad. so you drain but don’t rinse. okay maybe i should just watch the video. haha.
well the video and instructions don’t mention draining, just adding more water in the morning. So my original question stands i guess.
I have the same question. I was assuming that you needed to rinse and drain them to get rid of the phytic acid. If not, can you help me understand? I’d prefer to skip this step if it’s not necessary but hoping to get clarification first. Thanks! Love your website.
You have to look at it differently. It’s not something that needs to be removed or washed away. It’s an acid and you are neutralizing it. Basic chemistry. So no need to rinse once the acid is neutralized.
Don’t bother with the acid. You need something with phytase in it to work. Just add a teaspoon (per serving of oatmeal) of rye or buckwheat flour to the water the night before and cook it all right in with the oatmeal and eat it. The acid does nothing to remove physic acid.
Sarah,
Where are you getting this information saying that an acid will neutralize physic acid in oats? Here is what I have read….
HERE IS THE ANSWER TO DEACTIVATING PHYTIC ACID IN OATS:
In a comparison of the ability of grains to break down phytic acid by soaking, even with an acid in the soak water, oats and corn were stand-outs: you can soak all you want and still end up with the same amount of phytic acid. You are wasting your time and your ingredients by trying to soak your oats with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or yogurt.
The phytic acid in wheat and rye was reduced entirely in one hour or soaking, and barley in 2 hours. Oats and corn when soaked for 12 hours still retain 75% of their original phytic acid content. Research has shown that millet and brown rice can be difficult too in removing phytic acid.
The key to making the most of your oatmeal is โcomplementary soakingโ which is to add a high-phytase grain to a low phytase grain. The reason that the phytic acid declined so much in the wheat, rye, and barley in experiments is that they have higher levels of the enzyme phytase that work to break down the phytic acid.
Phytase level in rye is extremely high. Wheat and buckwheat are very high also. Corn, rice, soybeans and chickpea all have low levels. Oats have very low levels as well based on the difficulty researchers had in reducing the phytic acid.
So the solution for soaking oats is to keep whole rye kernels on hand (or dark buckwheat flour for a gluten-free diet (Not the light buckwheat flour without the hulls ground in.) Grind 1 or 2 tablespoon of rye kernels in a dedicated coffee grinder or use 1 – 2 tsp of dark buckwheat flour and add the ground rye or buckwheat to your soak water for the oats. Soak overnight. Cook in soak water and eat. Tastes so much better than using an acid but mainly, it is the only way to remove the physic acid.