9 Comforting Foods You Didn’t Know You Could Make With A Jar Of Oats

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There’s a good chance you have a container of oats lying around your kitchen. When you’re tired of oatmeal and looking to make something outside the box, there are plenty of ways to get creative with steel cut oats, old-fashioned oats and rolled oats. Here are nine comforting foods you probably didn’t know you could make with a jar of oats.

1. Veggie Burgers

If veggie burgers are part of your lunch or dinner routine, oats can help you out. Here’s recipe for veggie burgers with oats, mushrooms, carrots, onions, zucchini, kidney beans, brown rice and other seasonings. The oats act as a binder for all of the vegetables.

2. Pie Crust

Oats can come in handy when you’re making a pie crust. Along with flour, brown sugar, salt and butter, add some quick-cooking oats to the crust. You’ll end up with a coarse, crumbly mixture and that’s perfectly fine. Here’s a recipe for a simple oatmeal pie crust.

3. Oatmeal Bread

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For anyone into making homemade bread, use leftover oats to add a little more substance to your loaf. This recipe calls for oatmeal, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, water, honey, oil, salt, sugar and yeast. This one doesn’t even require bread making experience.

4. Oat Milk

If you’re lactose intolerant or you’re looking for dairy alternatives to milk, oat milk is a rich and creamy option. This easy recipe for oat milk has you blend old-fashioned oats with water, vanilla and your sweetener of choice. After you blend the oats mixture on high, strain it through a cheesecloth and disregard the pulp (oats) to get the oat milk.

5. Smoothies

Oats are a great way to make your smoothies a few levels creamier. This recipe from Martha Stewart incorporates ice, yogurt, old-fashioned rolled oats, coconut water, frozen berries, bananas and honey.

6. Cookies

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Oatmeal cookies are like a hug from a grandma. When you have extra oats, why not make a batch of chai oatmeal raisin cookies, Guinness oatmeal cookies or double-chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies?

7. Pancakes

To give a little extra body to your pancakes, mix in some of those oats with the rest of the ingredients before you pour the batter out onto the griddle. Whole grain organic oats are a great source of fiber and protein, so adding 1/3 or 1/2 cup of oats to the batter will give you a boost. Here’s a recipe for whole wheat oatmeal pancakes with cinnamon and bananas.

8. Baked Apples

Baked apples are the most comforting wintertime dessert. Certain apples can hold their shape in the oven and the results are creamy and amazing. Here’s a recipe for baked apples that are stuffed with oatmeal and smothered with brown sugar, cinnamon and butter.

9. Savory Oatmeal 

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Sweet oatmeal can get a little too routine, but savory oatmeal is a completely different world. You can add a fried or poached egg and avocado on top of your oatmeal along with some salt, pepper, olive oil and chili flakes for a savory dish. Here’s a recipe that uses steel cut oats and freshly grated Romano cheese.