The Old-School Ingredient That Gives Oatmeal A Subtly Sweet Upgrade

Oatmeal may not be seen as the most exciting breakfast food in the world. Other cereals have Tony the Tiger and the Trix Rabbit, while oatmeal got the gruff, authoritative character actor Wilford Brimley. However, there's something to be said for a dish as versatile as oatmeal. You can make it sweet with maple syrup and brown sugar — in fact, most store-bought brands of instant oatmeal will do that for you — or you can make it savory with eggs and greens. No matter what you do, you might find yourself getting sick of it if you have it too often. That's why, instead of just using regular old water or milk for your oatmeal, you can enrich it by adding sweetened condensed milk.

Condensed milk is just milk that has had more than half of its water content taken out and a large amount of sugar added to it. It's been around since the mid-19th century before refrigeration became widespread and fresh milk was readily available. Today, condensed milk is used most often in cakes, pies, and cookies, and if you add it to your oatmeal, you might find that it tastes more like dessert than breakfast. But there's nothing wrong with a bit of indulgence at the breakfast table, is there?

Now, if you've ever opened a can of sweetened condensed milk, you probably know that you won't be able to use it like you would water or other milk. It's a thick, viscous substance, and if you were to use all of it at once, it would be like ... well, it would be like eating a bowl of sugar-sweetened milk. That's why, when you're using condensed milk for your oatmeal, it's important to add a little bit at a time, tasting as you go to make sure it's not too sweet for you.

If you don't have a huge sweet tooth, you can instead use evaporated milk to create an ultra-creamy oatmeal not unlike Mexican avena. This will achieve that decadent mouthfeel condensed milk will give you, without quite so much overwhelming sweetness. And no matter what additive you prefer, you can always upgrade your morning oatmeal even further. You might wish to toast your oats to add a greater depth of flavor, or you might even try to use apple cider as your cooking liquid for a sweeter, fruitier twist on the meal.