This chewy and creamy whole oat groats recipe is versatile and easy to cook, although it does take about 60 minutes hands free stovetop time.
I eat this whole oat groats (oatmeal) recipe nearly every morning and sometimes serve it cold for lunch on a hot summer day.
Updates On Finding Oat Groats
UPDATE Jan 2024 - I keep trying different oat groats. Food to Live seems to be the best, but honestly it's hard to recommend them because of consistency issues. Having said that, I can't find anything better and have switched to Steel Cut Oats. I long for the day of consistent oat groats and will continue searching. Leave a comment if you have a brand.
UPDATE: FEB 2021 - Who knew there would be a run on oat groats. It's the most basic whole grain. I used Bob's Red Mills for years and they discontinued in the summer 2020 during covid. Since then, I have tried several different brands of Oat Groats and they all take substantially longer times to cook, ranging from 2-4 hours. I will update this post once I find a brand that cooks in an hour. Such a bummer. C'mon Bob's Red Mill! Where did all the whole grain oat groats go - must've been the great oatmeal run during the pandemic?
UPDATE: APRIL 2021 - Try these Oat Groats from Food To Live (Affiliate Link). These cook ~ 1 hour if you like chewy and around 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours if you like 'em creamy. Closest I've come to finding oats that cook in an hour. They are not as affordable as they used to be (and also not as consistent in quality), but are still an uber affordable breakfast. Likewise, they come off and on in availability, so check back if you don't see them available currently.
Variations For Oat Groats
Can't find whole oat groats? Try farro. Cooks in about 30 minutes and is a fiber and protein packed whole grain. But, farro also contains wheat if you're on a gluten free diet.
Add some flavor like ground cardamom (my current favorite spice next to cinnamon in this dish), ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon to your groats. Spices can be added while cooking or after the fact.
Like breakfast on the sweeter side? Try adding a little sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar to your oatmeal.
Want to add a little more flavor or fat? Add a tab of butter or a little bit of coconut oil to your groats while cooking. Feeling really decadent? Add half and half or heavy whipping cream and you've got a full on dessert breakfast, especially appropriate around the holidays. 🙂
Try oat groats with almond milk, milk, or a favorite vegan non dairy alternative. My favorite "milk" is full fat oat milk with no added sugar in the milk. Top it off with the fruit and nut of your choice.
What are Oat Groats?
The term groats describes hulled kernels of a cereal grain that has the endosperm, germ, and bran.
Oat groats are minimally processed and low on the glycemic index and take longer to digest. They provide a smoother nutrition uptake over a longer period of time. Groats are nutritious, healthy, and filling.
Steel cut oats are the next best thing on the nutrition basis if oat groats are unavailable.
Groats are affordable and good for you.
How To Cook Oats Groats
Whole oat groats are prepared / cooked on the stovetop and have a 1 part oat groats : 4 parts water ratio.
I make 2 cups oat groats at a time and reduce the water a little to about 3.25 cups water per cup of oat groats. This makes it chewier and firmer. Cook it a little longer if going for creamy oats.
What My Man Says
"The only thing to pay attention to is to ensure the groats don't boil over, as that can make a bit of a slimy mess (don't ask me how I know). On our stove, I set a timer for 1 hour, and another timer for 4+ minutes, because that's about when the water is going to start to boil. Turn it down to low and let everything simmer for the remainder of the hour. Done."
Serving Suggestion
If you like this easy Oat Groat dish you may also like these breakfast recipes.
You May Also Like
Like whole grains like oat groats? Try these whole grain based recipes.
Things In My Kitchen:
- Oat Groats Food To Live - check back occasionally if they are not available currently.
- Oat Groats - These are cheaper in the grocery store if you can find them, but order them here if you just want to get started and find them elsewhere for cheaper later.
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Easy Oat Groats with Fruit and Nuts
EatSimpleFood.com
This chewy and creamy whole grain oat groats (oatmeal) recipe is versatile and easy to cook, although it does take about 60 minutes hands free stovetop time.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat groats
- 4 cups water
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup strawberries, sliced
- ½ cup pistachios, roasted, salted, shelled
- 2 cups almond milk, oat milk or milk
Instructions
- Add oats, water, and salt to a large pot. (Oat groats have a 1 part oat groats : 4 parts water ratio). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer ~ 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add fruit and nuts and any spices, sweeteners, or fats that you like. Top with milk. Enjoy! Beckie
Steve Stapleton says
Have you tried soaking the groats over night. It may reduce the cooking time. Through hikers use this technique with oat pellets.
Beckie Hemmerling says
Hey Steve - thanks for the comment and suggestion. I have tried soaking them overnight but it only reduced the cooking time for oat groats about 20%. Plus, I nearly always forget too (I forget with beans too and end up cooking them a little longer. Thank you! Beckie
Eugene Mark says
Has anyone used oat groats for overnight oats? I have dialysis 3 times a week and eat my breakfast about 4:15 in the morning. I try to have something to eat already set up to either heat up or eat cold.
Beckie Hemmerling says
Hi Eugene, I have not done overnight oat groats before. I did a quick google search and did not find anything that looked like it legit worked. I would either switch to rolled oats, or cook oat groats overnight in a crockpot that turns to warm after cooking. My husband and I make oat groats once per week and then just keep them in the fridge. We warm them up in the winter and eat them cold the rest of the time. On busy days I will individually make them in serving size bowls to heat up. Hope that helps, Beckie
Sarah says
Look up Maine Grains! They make whole oat groats.
Beckie Hemmerling says
Sarah - thank you for passing this information along to me! I will be ordering some of the regular oats and oat groats. I also love that they carry Carolina Marsh Hen Mill (I live in Charleston and eat these products too). Cheers - Beckie