Kid-Friendly Overnight Oatmeal | America's Test Kitchen Kids

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Overnight Oatmeal with Blueberries and Almonds Overnight Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar Overnight Oatmeal with Toasted Coconut

Most of the “cooking” for this breakfast happens while you’re asleep.

Prepare Ingredients

3 cups plus 1 cup

water, measured separately

1 cup

steel-cut oats

¼ teaspoon

salt

2

ripe bananas, chopped

3 tablespoons

packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon

unsalted butter

Gather Cooking Equipment

Large saucepan with lid

Wooden spoon or rubber spatula

1

3 cups

water

1 cup

steel-cut oats

¼ teaspoon

salt

In large saucepan, bring 3 cups water to boil over high heat. Turn off heat and slide saucepan to cool burner. Stir in oats and salt. Cover saucepan with lid and let sit overnight.

2

1 cup

water

In morning, stir remaining 1 cup water into saucepan with oats and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is creamy and oats are tender but chewy, 4 to 6 minutes.

3

2

ripe bananas, chopped

3 tablespoons

packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon

unsalted butter

Turn off heat and slide saucepan to cool burner. Stir in bananas, sugar, and butter. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve.

Food for Thought

Overnight Oatmeal

If you think oatmeal comes in a packet, think again. They know about oatmeal in Ireland and Scotland, where whole-grain, steel-cut oats are popular. Yes, these slightly chewy oats take longer to cook than old-fashioned rolled oats (and way longer than instant oats in a packet), but the results are so much better. To shorten the usual half-hour cooking time, start the process at night and then finish up in the morning.