Do you ever wish for an overflowing oatmeal bowl?
As opposed to the measly amount you get from one serving of oats? If you answered “yes” to the above, then the Voluminous Oatmeal Trick is for you!
*Ends sales pitch*
What is the Voluminous Oatmeal Trick?
The idea is to add 1 and 1/2 times the recommended liquid to the oats, prior to cooking. Then you can either microwave or cook on the stovetop, but stop before all the water is absorbed. Come back the next day (or a few hours later), and all the liquid has been absorbed, leaving you with pillow-soft oats that are double the size of regular oats!
Step One: Measure out one serving of dry oats (40g). I also add 1/4 tsp salt.
Step Two: Add a little over 1 1/2 cups liquid (I add 400g).
Step Three: Microwave or cook on the stove, but stop before all the water is absorbed. (I microwave for 4 1/2 minutes, then leave in the closed microwave for 5 more minutes.)
Step Four: Put in the fridge, uncovered. When you return the next day (or a few hours later), the watery mess above will have magically turned into 2 cups-worth of pillowy, voluminous oats! Now, I am strange and like my oatmeal cold (like pudding!). But if you want it hot, you can still re-heat the next day. Re-heat it just until it gets hot, no longer, and the volume will stay.
Oatmeal on Steroids!
Try this trick on any of: My Oatmeal Recipes.
{ 137 comments… read them below or add one }
Haha, Katie, I would have totally enjoyed that love letter—it’s not too weird for me
. All those dessert pictures of tofu looks amazing. Mmmm, can’t believe that’s all tofu! Thanks for another fabulous recipe. Hope you have a lovely July 4th weekend!
Fave childhood after school snack: graham crackers or cottage cheese with jam.
4th plans: BIG bbq with my mom and stepdad and my sister & her boyfriend. SO MUCH COOKING!
ok i need to make this.
I love cinnamon too. What brand of cinnamon is that? I can’t tell from the linked picture. Thanks!
That looks genius! When I first read the idea, I though ok tofu blended into cooked oatmeal I’ve heard of that, but this is really original! I’ll definitely be trying it.
oatmeal pudding?! i can’t wait to make some. anything with the word oatmeal in its name gets my attention. blueberry cheesecake oatmeal sounds particularly wonderful.
my favorite childhood snack was a croissant with melted cheese on top. obviously i wasn’t vegan OR health-conscious as a child. haha. when i got older, my favorite after-school snack was a banana nut muffin and a glass of milk. (also pre-vegan days.) hmmm…now i want to look up a vegan recipe for banana nut muffins. yummmm.
my 4th of july plans are to spend the day at my cousins’ house with family. we’ll probably all just swim/do fireworks/hang out/barbeque (well, i won’t be barbequing, but they will be.) hope you have a fun weekend!
-JB
http://cardiovegsular.wordpress.com
Looks creamy & delicious. You should still try blending oats with tofu though – uber creamy!
Seeing as we don’t celebrate July 4th, I don’t have plans per se. Well, I am going to a pizza party in the evening, but otherwise, it’s just another weekend.
When I was little, I wrote an essay about how going grocery shopping at Sam’s Club and Albertsons were my favorite thing to do because of the free samples! That was my favorite after school snack. I was a little scavenger! hahahaha
Oh… and I will driving home all day July 4th
I’m going to miss any festivities. BOO! Oh well, I will just have to plan another excuse for a party!
*still waiting for help retrieving my blender*
I think I could live off Kozy Shack…
My favorite after-school snack was raw mushrooms and raisins. Yes, they laughed at me
I loved saltine cracker sandwiches. Saltines, cheese, salami, cream cheese, apples, all sorts of stuff…relates to my love of contiments and personalizing each bite
My 4th will our final weekend living in the Big Apple. So, hopefully most of the packing will get done today, then tomorrow we’ll be chillin’ in Prospect Park picnicin’ with our best city friends. Have a great 4th and steer clear the patriotic spandex this year! Ha ha!
Favorite afterschool snack would be…oatmeal!
This sounds even better than rice pudding to me! I can’t wait to eat it.
My favorite childhood snack was goldfish. I loved how they made the cracker into cute smiling fish:)
My fourth of july plans is to go to the golf course to watch the fire works with my friend visiting from out of state. I am so excited.
You just never stop creating new oatmeal creations! Everyone sounds better then the last. I looove rice pudding so I’m going to have to try this one!
http://whatyourmommadidntknow.blogspot.com/
Who’da thunk it?? I love oatmeal, love pudding. . . going to try this!
Hope you have a great 4th of July, Katie!
Okay.. lol my favorite afternoon snack as a child was.. lettuce or carrots with ranch dressing. I’m thinking I must’ve had a strange connection with rabbits or something?
AND your oatmeal ideas make me want to have oatmeal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anytime in between!
Have a happy 4th of July girlie!
XO
The oatmeal pudding looks sooo good! I’ll have to make it.
My favorite childhood after-school snack was anything with cheese.
I too have fond memories of rice pudding. Definitely my favorite of all puddings.
My fourth will be spent at a wedding. (Who gets married on a holiday?!) Hope yours is a blast!
my fave childhood snack was either carrots and ranch dressing (not a vegan as a child obviously) or a peanut butter sandwich!
your pudding sounds AMAZING…
i need to make it soon!! hope you have a great 4th of july!!
Fav childhood snack was ranch doritos, but Mom NEVER let me have them!
If I liked rice pudding, I’d be all over your recipe. I guess I’ll just miss out and take your word for it, lol!
Yum, looks delicious!
I always liked sugary snacks when I was younger (actually, I still do)…usually I could be found eating oatmeal raisin cookies or ice cream. Now I can be found eating chocolate soy ice cream or kabocha
You are just a sneaky little experimenter, aren’t you?? Oh my goodness, I just know I need to try this! But it’s going to kill me waiting all those hours for killer oatmeal pudding! I know I’m crazy enough to do it though…I spend about 30-40 mins cooking up breakfast every day anyway.
You are a genius – I will never stop saying it!
YUM! My dad is a total Kozy Shack fanatic, so perhaps I’ll make this for him for his bday. Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve tried tofu in oats before but never to THAT extent and it’s definitely never looked that good. Must try this recipe!
I don’t even REMEMBER what my after school snacks were, how sad is that! I think celery with cheez whiz and “pizza” crackers with cheese and pasta sauce were pretty frequent after school eats though.
MmmMMM! I’m so glad you’ve been loving that combination! So creamy and voluminous, right?
YUMMY!
Thanks for the mention love pie!
So I tried this recipe yesterday. It is really voluminous and kept me stuffed for quite a while. I think I’d use a little less water next time because my oats didn’t absorb a lot of the water.
While I normally don’t use any sweetener in my cereals I added some maple syrup to the warmed up mix at the end.
I’d say this really is comfort food!
Entry for the close up giveaway photo contest!!! I want that scale soo bad!! That is nice of you to do this give away
I think Kosy Shack is the extreme close up!!! I want the scale
Perhaps this is the close-up…?
Could this be a close-up? I’ll make another guess!
Ahh no way! I just barely uploaded a post yesterday with the “double the liquid” trick. Dang, I didn’t realize you all ready had. Sorry, I will make note of that.
Hey Katie,
Thanks for that oatmeal trick, I used it yesterday and had wonderfully voluminous oatmeal for breakfast.
Ivy,
Aww you’re so welcome!!
can i make this without a microwave?
rebecca,
Sure! I’d probably add even more liquid, though. If you do try it, let me know how it goes!
I love your concept of the voluminous oatmeal! I’ve also heard to double to cooking liquid and double the cooking time. Have you tried this?
I haven’t. I’m always up for trying new ideas, though. I guess my “voluminous oat” idea is 1/2 of that equation, since it’s double the recipe. And then it cooks even after you take it out if you leave it overnight. It’s my go-to recipe for all oatmeal lately: cook the oats with double the water, then leave in fridge overnight, then add whatever you want
.
I love your idea of voluminous oats. I’ve tried it before, but it has always been watery (as you said). I love your suggestion to put it in the refridgerator over night. I must try it out.
Thanks for all of your inspiring recipes!
Ooh…i’m excited to try this method…I usually soak my oatmeal overnight, without precooking it…they turn out pretty good…but this version sounds even more luscious. thanks!
Ooh let me know what you think if you try it, Lauren
.
Thanks Katie! I’m just curious – what brand of oats do you use?
I just had a grainy oatmeal-”like” breakfast and your post was a good reminder to try it differently next time. Even though it wasn’t technically oatmeal, I still totally felt like it wasn’t enough while eating it. It went by way too fast, as does my regular oatmeal. I love oatmeal and I will definitely try this next time, hell maybe tonight for tomorrow, live dangerously eh?
By the way, you’re always an inspiration for any chocolate on the agenda, and this morning was no different – I used leftover raw cacao nibs from my “Organic Superfood Mix” (way too expensive, so this was a treat) in my grainy concoction.
I cooked my nine-grain hot cereal in almond milk and put a few bits of raw cacao in it while cooking, then transferred it to the magic bullet and added a few more bits of cacao, a couple goji berries, a little chunky peanut butter, a few frozen strawberries, a tablespoon of toasted wheat germ, and a quarter cup more almond milk, then I blended. Then I added more cacao bits and berries for texture. It was delish but still too grainy as I was trying to blend it enough to smooth out the grainy texture without turning it to liquid (which I’ve done). I thought of you because I realized I could’ve blended it longer last night and put it in the fridge overnight for a puddingish texture, but laziness got the better of me. I was still hungry when finished so I ate the rest of the cacao nibs in the bags, raw and naked, perhaps as they should’ve been eaten from the get-go.
My favorite are the Old Wessex Irish organic oats. They come in a green container. But the other day I ran out, and I was forced to use Quaker… I actually liked them too
. The OW are still my #1, but at least I know I can survive (happily) on Quaker if need be.
Happy Saturday, Jenn!
Thanks!! I’ll check out Old Wessex when I run out of my grainy stuff and my Quaker packets. LOL, “Old Wessex” = OW. that doesn’t seem fair, ha.
Question – do you cook it again in the morning to make it hot?
Ooh good question! I should edit that in my post, huh? lol I just never thought about it, because I like cold oatmeal! But yes, if you want it hot, you can still re-heat the next day. Re-heat it just until it gets hot, no longer, and the volume will stay
.
I’ve read about this trick on so many other blogger’s pages. You have started quite a trend, Ms. Katie.
I’ve been reading more about this, and your step-by-step is so simple I really need to give it a try!
Hi Katie,
I clicked on the Kozyshack-Style Oatmeal Pudding link, and it directed me to this. Do you not have that recipe up anymore? If not, do you think you could maybe email it to me?
Oo sorry about that, Bryana! I need to remember to fix the link now that I changed that post.
Here’s the recipe: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2009/08/27/tofu-in-oatmeal/
Yay!! Thank you so much.
Love the trick and here’s another: a serving of oats is 1/2 c not 1/3 c (at a mere 150 calories that aint too shabby) which in and of itself would add more volume. The types of oatmeal look so delicious must try the blueberry muffin one. I like to cook my oats with 1/2 a banana and eat the other half with almost butter while oats are cooking ; ) then top with crunchy cereal. Oatmeal is so yummy!
I usually make oatmeal another way and I always get a huge bowl of oatmeal!
I use 1/4 Cup of oats, 1/2 cup of almondmilk or oat milk and 1/2 cup of water. I put this in a small pot and immediately add 2 Tbsp Chiaseeds, 1/2 Cup frozen blueberries and 1 banana (sliced). Then I turn the heat up quite high and wait (stirring) until it has a lovely texture. It does only take a maximum of 8 minutes and it turns out fabulously! I sometimes sweeten it with maple sirup if I am in the mood for something really sweet
[sorry for any mistakes, I'm not a native speaker]
Mm thanks for a yummy-sounding idea, Clara! I’m always trying to find a way in which I’ll like chia seeds, because they’re so healthy!
This sounds fantanstic, who wouldn’t love a bigger bowl of oats:) I like banana in my oats, would you recommend cooking it in with the oats the night before or in the morning when you reheat it?
I think either way would work just as well. Personally, I do it the night before, but that’s just because I like my oats cold in the morning, so I don’t reheat them. I’m weird
.
Oops didn’t mean to be anonymous:) Thanks, plan on trying it out tonight. And cold oats are totally yummy, not weird at all.
That is an awesome trick. I have never heard of doing that before but guess what?! I am doing it for my breakfast tomorrow
Good luck hehe
.
trying this tonight for the first time! so excited!
I just tried this and it’s still in the fridge, but it’s working!!!! I’m so excited! I love oatmeal, but the portion is too small and I am watching my weight. 1/3 cup is even less than I normally eat:)
I think I need to try this. I love oatmeal! Thanks for the tip.
Have made this the last few nights and have been experimenting on combos. This morning I layered the oats in the jar with peanut flour sauce, strawberry jam & frozen strawberries. A yummy cold parfait…thanks for the recipe.
Ooh wow, your version sounds like a jelly doughnut in oat form!
I tried the voluminous oat trick last night and am enjoying my bowl right now! I love it! I first tried this idea with Hungry Girl’s “grow your oatmeal” trick but she said to cook the oats with all that liquid until it was thick and that took forever. Like 15-20 minutes! I like your way much better! I didn’t do anything fancy, just used half water, half Silk coconut milk and stirred in some flax seeds an nuts today. And I’m eating it cold so if you’re crazy, I’m joining the team!
Do you think this recipe could possibly be adapted to quick-cook oats?
The highest ratio of water-to-oats I’ve tried with quick oats is 300g water to 1/3cup (40g) quick oats. Microwave 3 minutes, then leave in microwave 5 minutes, then fridge uncovered. This works well… but I haven’t tried quick oats with more water than that. If you do, I’d love to know how it works!
After 3 tries, I finally got the hang of it! We bought a 5lb bag of oats last week and my wife promised to eat oatmeal if I made it for her. Now 1/2 cup make breakfast for two, supplemented by her necessary toast and my fruit/nuts.
I concocted a new flavour today: gingerbread! After cooking the oats, I added a generous drizzle of molasses, a pinch of salt, and a generous pinch of ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg! Yummy, especially topped with pecans!
Thanks for the vegan inspiration! It’s nice to see someone else takes a second breakfast… I find I need one after a 40-minute bike ride to school in the morning!
That sounds delicious! I love gingerbread… who says it has to be eaten only at Christmas?!
Hi Katie, I included your oatmeal in my list of 50 favourite vegan recipes
Thanks!
http://www.goodnessbakeshop.com/2011/04/goodness-bakers-50-favegan-recipes.html
omg Katie! I tried this last night, and as i type this im sitting with my big ‘ol bowl of oatmeal! It is way to much and I’m too full to finish it! Haha but thank you for the awesome recipe!:)
Aww I’m so excited you tried it!!
great idea! this looks so good, I’m going to try it asap!
I have tried this a few times now and it never works for me!! I follow you instructions exactly, and I just have a big watery mess in the morning.
Also, Carrie (movesnmunchies) told me she doesn 1/2 cup oatbran + 1.25 cups water, and I tried that and still didn’t work for me, overflowed and had a big mess in the microwave!
I’m thinking that maybe my microwave is just more or less powerful than yours, or something! I don’t know!
Wow, that is so weird
. Over 100 people have left comments or trackbacks or emails about that post and you seem to be the only one for whom it doesn’t work 
. I have no idea why! Maybe it’s your fridge? Or where you live? I really don’t know, because I’ve used the trick all over the US and it even worked in my dad’s old microwave. I;m so sorry!
I have had to be careful about mine overflowing in the microwave. I usually use a huge bowl & still keep an eye on them. But that’s because my microwave is powerful & somehow got locked where I can’t change it to a lower setting.
Last night I did 1/3 cups oats + 1 1/3 cup water for 3 minutes, let cool for like 5 minutes, then stirred in a tbsp of chia seeds and let them sit overnight. In the morning I added 1/2 container Strawberry Oikos with fresh strawberries and almond butter. It was one of the most filling breakfast I have had in a long time. Almost couldn’t finish it…almost
I need to try adding chia to my oats! Been meaning to do that for-evah!
I just put mine in the fridge and can’t wait to dig in tomorrow morning. I’m such a volume eater so this is gonna be awesoooome
Thanks!
Ooh I hope you like it!
And lol I’m posting another “voluminous” recipe today because you’re definitely not alone: a TON of people tell me they like the voluminous recipes!
When you say that you stop cooking it before all the water is absorbed do you mean as in almost all the water is gone or the oats have puffed up because I waited for most of the water to be absorbed but I ended up overcooking it and the next morning it was like a pudding that completely gelled together into one big jelly.
I’ve actually never done this on the stovetop, only in the microwave. When I stop cooking, it is still VERY liquidy (as shown in the photo). Also, I like cold oatmeal so I usually don’t re-heat it the next day.
This sounds awesome! What would the liquid to oats ratio be if i used 3/4 cup of oats?
It actually depends on what brand you’re using. For example, quaker rolled oats are 40g to a 1/2 cup, but old wessez 40g is only 1/3 cup. For 40g of oats, I use 400g water, so for 60g of oats (which would be 2/3 old wessex), try using 600g water. But you’ll have to find a huge dish… and I think you’d have to microwave longer too. So you’ll have to experiment!
Hey katie, if wont go bad uncovered right?
Also, im using stove top (no microwave dont ask y lol) and theres a white foam ..?
Sorry, I’ve never used the stovetop. But I think the white foam is just the starch coming to the top. And yes, leave it uncovered overnight.
Every time I try the trick, my oats never absorb all the liquid: they’re a watery mess! Too soupy. Is it possible to under-cook the oats which result in soup?
How long do you cook the oats? (And do you use the microwave or stove?) And what brand oats do you use, and how much?
I used two kinds: Bob’s Red Mill steel cut and rolled oats. The rolled oats was the one I wrote about. I used about 1/4 cup oats to 1 cup water and microwaved it for 2 minutes (any more than that and it’ll boil over/dry up ) and the oats, though there were “alot,” was pretty soupy. Now the steel cut oats were tougher. In short, I just don’t know how long to cook the steel cut oats for ( the rolled oats too), because if there’s water left they look undercooked, so after they sit I nuke them again, but then there’s little water left and there’s little change in volume. Gah! I just want voluminous oats without raw oats and soupy-ness!
I can only vouch that it works if you follow my recipe exactly. Do try it that way before giving up
. Also, I would think steel-cut oats would never work.
Yes ma’am! I will try again tonight! Why won’t steel cut oats work? It kind of doubled in volume for me but I think it’s because I heated the water separately then added the oats. I just don’t know if they’re properly cooked or not ( I’m new to them).
Ahh it worked! I think I microwaved it a bit too much because the resulting oats looked a bit dry, but a little extra milk made it perfect! I had a huge bowl of carrot cake oatmeal. Howeveeer I’m not a fan of the mushiness of rolled oats so I experimented with steeI-cut oats.The process is longer than the rolled oats since I had to heat the water prior to adding the oats, and I also had to stir and cook it again, BUT it was a success! My oats doubled in size! Now I enjoy my chewy oatmeal. Thank-you! I now have an (un)healthy obsession with oatmeal.
Ooh so cool to know it works with steel-cut oats. I might need to try that!
Your recipes are wonderful! I have been thoroughly enjoying your voluminous ice cream (with peanut butter yum!) Just wondering… I don’t do the best on oats but use amaranth sometimes… could this recipe be adapted using amaranth flakes? If so do you have any recommendations?
Thanks!
The only way to find out is to try! I do know that it will work (slightly adapted) with spelt flakes, but that kamut flakes won’t absorb enough of the water. But I’ve never tried amaranth. If you do try it, let me know!
Don’t you find when you microwave them for 4.5 minutes your oats are overflowing in the pan? even with 1/4 tsp salt it still does this for me. Any suggestions?
I use a tall pyrex, and I microwave 3.5 minutes without watching at all. After that, I microwave a minute more, watching very closely! If it starts to overflow (which sometimes happens when there are around 20 seconds to go), I open the microwave very quickly and then keep microwaving in ten-second increments, stopping and starting again after the oats go back down. Then I leave it in the closed microwave for 5 minutes before transferring to the fridge.
man . . .I can’t til I get paid so I can try this!
Also, this is completely irreverent, but I love your blog. I am 5’4 and weigh about 135 or 140, and am somewhat overweight. I have struggled with various diets, starved myself for days, abused laxatives to such a degree that my digestive system no longer works correctly, and to no avail. However, I realized I was merely trying to make myself look ‘skinny’, as to please others, and didn’t care how I felt. I now realize that that was my problem. I walk nearly 10 miles a day now, do over 300 jumping jacks, eat healthier whenever I can, I still haven’t lost much weight, but I feel much better about myself.
Aww Erin, thank you so much for this comment! Sometimes (a lot of times!) I get bogged down in caring about what others think of me (and my weight) and I need to remember that it really isn’t important what others think. YOU are the only one who needs to be happy with you. I’m so glad you’ve learned that… I need to learn it too. You can’t ever please everyone, so you have to be healthy for you. Thanks for the reminder
.
Tardy to the party here… you’re not overweight. At all.
I am the same height about around 130-135 and my BMI is 22ish.
22 is super healthy. You aren’t overweight until you hit 25.1 or higher.
You are technically, scientifically a very healthy weight for your height.
I also have EDNOS tendencies and yeah, you’re not overweight. Neither am I. (need to chant this to myself now since seeing my stats linked to “overweight” triggered the hell outta me!)
Just saying. It freaks me out to hear someone my size saying they are overweight.
I’m a size 4! You must be similar. That’s not overweight!
Oh my gosh! I do the EXACT same thing!
Add more water, fridge overnight and eat next morning.
Guilt free binging!
aww that sound awesome! gotta try but ive just got millet flakes @ home… do you think those might do it as well?
I’ve never tried millet flakes. I don’t even know what they look like… they sound interesting!
so im gonna try and tell then thx
Hi
I love your recipes. I am trying to reduce sugar intake while still getting my “sweet tooth” fix, and I love your voluminous oatmeal with fruit for the sweet factor.
But for those of use watching sodium, does the salt help with the volume or is it just a taste thing?
Thanks!
I’m pretty sure it’d still be ok (volume-wise) without the salt. I just add it for flavor
. I don’t actually know if it does anything to the water!
This just makes me so sad. If you want a “voluminous” bowl of oatmeal, just double the serving. Put whatever you want in your bowl. How weird to have a size trick regarding oatmeal of all things! Of all the ways there are to watch calories and portion size, I certainly don’t think oatmeal is critical. Food tricks like this make me worry about fostering women’s eating disorders.
That’s great for you, honestly, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Some people don’t WANT to eat that much at once and some people may not be able to eat that much at once and lose weight. The way I make this (with soy milk, a full banana, and two tablespoons of peanut butter) I’m already at 550 calories. That doesn’t even include side items like extra fruit or a smoothie. I don’t really need the extra oats, but I love the texture.
I’m not currently working on losing weight, but if you’re eating 1500 calories per day to lose weight (a number that is totally reasonable and can be healthy) then a 550 calorie breakfast is just fine. 700 might be pushing it. It’s all up to the individual. I think if you want extra food, you should add extra oats. If you don’t want extra food, but you do want the texture etc., then there’s no harm in trying this.
I totally agree that we need to be careful about things like body image and eating disorders, etc. but there’s nothing wrong with making an old favorite in a new way. Just my two cents. I don’t feel like she’s framing it in an unhealthy way. I definitely don’t think it’s something to be sad over.
This was soo helpful. Oatmeal used to never satisfy me but after this trick it really is never ending . I love it!
P.S. I love your blog
Do you use quick oats or only regular oats!??!
You can do the trick with quick oats, but I’d use less liquid.
Hey,
I just discovered your website. It’s so great, i love your recipes! I’m from Germany, so some ingredients
I can’t find in our supermarket, e.g. coconut butter. Anyway, I want to try looooooots of recipes!
I love oats and just prepared the voluminous oatmeal trick for tomorrow’s breakfast. Already curious about the outcome ^^
it’s soooo awesome! Just enjoying it right now! I added rasberries and , cinnamon and cocoa powder. deeeeeeeeeeeeelicous!
Katie,
I am a relatively new reader and really enjoy reading your recipes. Hope I get to try more of them very soon! You may have heard about this but I do something similar and it really makes my oats stretch and (according to some) makes them more healthy too. I soak my oats overnight according the the Nourishing Traditions way (see book with the same name) with an acid like yogurt, whey, or apple cider vinegar. This makes them quick and easy to cook and really increases their volume and digestibility.
I also wanted to tell you I made a 4x batch of your apple cinnamon boatmeal for our family yesterday. They worked great in a regular muffin pan when we baked them. I think it made 10. Since I used soaked oats I just drained them out little and didn’t add any milk or water just applesauce, rapadura, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Thanks and keep up the good work!
Hi Chris!
Thanks for the fun comment… I’ve never actually tried soaking my oats, but maybe I should because I know a lot of people say it adds a fun flavor and texture.
And thanks for letting me know that the boatmeals work in muffin tins. Someone actually asked me that yesterday, and I didn’t have an answer because I hadn’t tried it!
Hi Katie,
You could also just add more oats! 1/3 cup isn’t even a full serving, a half a cup is! But with your metabolism, you could even double that. Then you’d REALLY have voluminous oats! It would probably keep you full for longer too, since you aren’t filling up on water. I am trying to gain weight as well, and a piddly 100ish calories for breakfast definitely won’t help us, haha! Oh, and you could also make them with milk instead to make them even creamier. (and extra healthy calories). I know that you said you would like to gain weight the healthy way, and oats are healthy AND delicious! So eat up girl!
Hi Rachel,
LOL I would never eat just 1/3 cup oats for breakfast
. I run a blog where a lot of my readers are looking to fill up for fewer calories, and so I often try to include lower-cal ideas for them. But it doesn’t mean I, myself, use these ideas. Personally, I usually DO eat 1 and 1/2 servings of oats (as I wrote in my Snickerdoodle Oatmeal post I published awhile back). And I always have nut butters and other such things with my oats as well. I eat huge breakfasts 
.
(Same goes for my other recipes– for example, I offer applesauce as an option for some of my recipes, but I usually use the oil option when cooking for myself.)
Whenever I do this, my oats overflow in the microwave and I end up with a big mess
what am I doing wrong?
Be sure to use a BIG measuring cup to cook it in. Also, use a little less water if it’s spilling way over. And finally, if it’s spilling over just in the last minute of cooking, stop the microwave (without opening the door) until it goes back down. Then microwave again in ten second increments until the time’s up, letting it go down again every ten seconds (or as soon as you see it start to spill over again).
I tried this trick for the first time & I am in LOVE!!
I was skeptical, how can 40g of oatmeal make a bowl full??
My mom always made a pan full of oatmeal with just one cup of oatmeal but she let it slow cook in the slow cooker for hours.
It always tastes sooo good!! way better than microwaving oats with milk & then eating it right away.
This is easier and quicker (well it has to sit, but you can make it the night before & its done when you wake up!) It’s so creamy (and i used 1/2 water, and 1/2 milk with 1 tbsp of non dairy creamer)
I will be using this trick way more!! It fills you up too!!
Thanks!!!
I’m not vegan, but I love all your recipes & I will feature this recipe on my blog with a link to yours.
Won’t the oatmeal absorb all the taste from the fridge? I’ve tried this today and it was all watery and not very yummy. My dad covered it though, so it wasn’t in the fridge uncovered, is it because of that?
As it says in the recipe, it needs to stay uncovered to work.
But won’t it taste like the fridge?
Thank you for your answer, I love your blog and could stay on it for hours.
This method is AMAZING with some added cocoa powder and sweetener/sugar! The chocolate gets extra-melty and it’s like eating a molten chocolate oatmeal cake for breakfast. Mmmmmm nothing wrong with that…
hey katie!
I LOVE YOU FOR MAKING THIS!!!! <3 I like mixing in some peanut butter! <3
Hey Katie! Love your recipes- they’ve changed my life! Quick question. If you cook the voluminous oatmeal overnight, how do you incorporate it to all the oatmeal recipes in the morning. I specifically want to try it with the 5 minute chocolate oatmeal. Any help would be great! Thanks:)
Hi Sara,
I actually don’t use the voluminous oatmeal trick for that recipe. I cook that one on the stovetop.
Thanks for the response! Can you suggest how I can incorporate the voluminous oatmeal trick with any of your other oatmeal recipes? Im confused how to cook the next day with the already pile of voluminous oats. Thanks so much, Katie!
Just add the other ingredients in to the already-cooked oats. I like my oats cold, but you can re-heat if you wish
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Hi! I know this is an older post, but I just found your website a few days ago. I cannot tell you how amazing this tidbit is for me! I always had a love/hate relationship with oatmeal. I’ll like it for awhile but then I just can’t stand it. However, I always made it that morning..and after awhile I just can’t eat it anymore. I don’t even care about the volume. Doing this makes it so creamy and amazing that I feel like I’m eating something bad for me! No wonder you like it cold like pudding, because it tastes so sinful you’d think it is. In this form I don’t even want sugar in it anymore!
Cant wait to try your oatmeal recipe! I love oatmeal and I also eat it cold not only because I think it taste better but I seem to have a problem with reflux if I eat it hot but it never bothers me when I eat it cold. I thouought I was weird also eating my oatmeal cold. Glad to know I’m not the only one who likes cold oatmeal. Thanks for all the great recipes!! sooo glad I found you!!
Katie,
I’ve tried this recipe 6 times now but I can’t seem to get it right. Granted, the first three times I was using quick oats, so that explains that mess-up. But I’ve tried rolled oats and followed the directions as you said, except, that on the back of my rolled oats it said to cook for 5-6 min. on 50% power, so I cooked them on 50% power for 4:30 minutes and the oats were extremely watery in the fridge when I came back the next day. Should I be cooking them for 4:30 minutes on full power instead? (Just FYI I’m using Wegman’s brand rolled oats, )
The directions for Quaker rolled oats in the microwave are as follows:
Combine water, oats and salt in medium microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes. Stir before serving.
The directions for Wegman’s brand rolled oats in the microwave are as follows:
Cook for 5-6 min. on 50% power.
Should I just try using the Quaker rolled oats (not quick) and cooking them in the microwave on regular power for 4:30 minutes? (who knew rolled oats could differ among brands so much???)
Please ignore my previous ridiculously long comment.
Ok so I just realized I’m a dummy and the point is to cook the oats fully and then some to absorb some of the extra water and I’ve pretty much been doing the exact opposite. Tomorrow I will go out and buy my third tub of oats (Quaker) and follow your directions exactly. Please let me know if I got it right this time!
I wish I hadn’t wasted all those oats! I would’ve gladly eaten them except that I’m on ww and I’m pretty sure they discourage eating your weight in oats.
I am soooo impressed by you! Whenever I click on a great idea on Pinterest….guess who’s blog I am redirected to! Thank you for sharing your ideas. I am new to the “healthy” eating. I went to the Dr. and found that I am in basically good shape other than my cholesterol is slightly high…it inspired me to get healthy! I am right around the corner! I love this idea and the cold oatmeal in the fridge. (along with many more you have) I had some cold oatemal with pineapple reminded me of rice pudding
Aw lol you just made me smile so much
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hey katie! i try theese oats all the time bc i love oats and who wouldnt want to eat a gigantic bowl! however i cant seem to get this to work! it never absorbs all the water any tips or ideas?
Use less water, cook longer, and make sure you’re leaving the oats uncovered.
i will def give this a tr! thank katie! LOVE YOUR BLOG! your seriously amazing! such an inspiration! youve helped me in more ways than you know. your helping me on my road to recovery and getting over my fear of healthy fats! thanks so much for everything
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