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Home » Recipes » All Recipes

Good Morning Oatmeal

Published: Feb 14, 2018 · Modified: Feb 19, 2023 by Jan Nunes

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Cooked oatmeal in a pale blue bowl is sitting on a white plate with a spoon. Red and blue text "Easy Homemade Oatmeal" is at the top of the image. Pinterest Pin #4.
Cooked oatmeal in a pale blue bowl is sitting on a white plate with a spoon. Red text "Homemade Oatmeal" is at the top of the image. Pinterest Pin #2.
A bowl of cooked oatmeal topped with cinnamon, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds with text overlay.

Good Morning Oatmeal is a creamy, easy-to-make cooked oatmeal with dried cranberries, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. It is a hot, filling breakfast you can make in just 15 minutes.

Sometimes you need a breakfast that you know will warm you up, fill you up, and keep you going for the day. If that's the case, this old-fashioned cooked oatmeal with cranberries and spices is a perfect choice to start your day and make it a good morning!

Cooked oatmeal in a pale blue bowl is sitting on a white plate.
Jump to:
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions on How to Make It
  • My Special Tips
  • Substitutions & Variations
  • More Delicious Breakfast Ideas
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Good Morning Oatmeal is creamy with lovely sweet cinnamon plus fruit and nuts. Once you've tried it, you'll never buy packets of instant oatmeal again.

It is so simple to make since everything will cook together in just one pan. You can quickly measure the ingredients and add them to the pan in the order listed in the recipe.

When the oatmeal begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the oatmeal thickens, which is generally for 10 to 13 minutes.

Why This Recipe Works

Simply put, cooked oatmeal does not take a long time to cook and this Good Morning Oatmeal is generally ready in 15 minutes including measuring the ingredients.

Now I know the packets of instant oatmeal are super convenient, but I have found the portion size of those packets has been shrinking for some time. I need two packets to get a portion that feels like a meal and the texture and quality are just not tasty.

Trust me, it is totally worth it to spend 10 extra minutes and have an oatmeal breakfast that you look forward to and want to make over and over... and this Good Morning Oatmeal delivers hearty and tasty nutrition that is extra special good.

I hope I have convinced you! Are you ready to make the best, cooked oatmeal ever? Great!

So, Let's Cook!

Ingredients

Ingredients for cooked oatmeal with dried cranberries. From left to right: old fashioned oats, vanilla extract, whole milk, dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon, dried cranberries, and optional ingredients of orange zest and sliced almonds.

Here's what you need to make Good Morning Oatmeal:

  • Old-Fashioned Oats - You actually can use any of the following types of oats: old-fashioned, steel cut, or protein. But do not substitute quick oats for old-fashioned oats. Quick oats will be cooked before the dried cranberries have a chance to plump up in the oatmeal.
  • Whole Milk - You can use any whole milk. However, I have a preference for Fairlife brand milk because it is high in protein.
  • Dried Cranberries - Dried cranberries are tart and sweet at the same time and super delicious when matched with the other flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, and orange in this recipe.
  • Dark Brown Sugar - Dark brown sugar gives lovely caramel notes to cooked oats.
  • Vanilla Extract - There is something about adding vanilla that makes oatmeal extra special and luxurious. Either pure or imitation extract is fine.
  • Ground Cinnamon - There is nothing like the flavor of sweet cinnamon to make something feel homey and comforting. A small amount raises the flavor of this oatmeal.
  • Sliced Almonds - Totally optional, sliced almonds give a nice crunch and contrast to the smooth and creamy oatmeal.
  • Orange Zest - Also optional, but I never make this oatmeal without a few gratings of orange zest. It lifts all of the flavors and makes a super delicious bowl of oatmeal.

Instructions on How to Make It

Process Photo 1 - Measuring the dry ingredients and putting them in a small saucepan.

In a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk, old-fashioned oats, ¼ cup of dried sweetened cranberries, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and orange zest to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low.

Process Photo 2 - All of the ingredients are in the pan and ready to be cooked.

Cook oatmeal uncovered for 10 to 13 minutes over medium-low heat or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Divide the oatmeal between 2 bowls. Sprinkle each portion with ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and top each with 1 tablespoon of dried sweetened cranberries and 1 teaspoon of sliced almonds.

A pale blue bowl of cooked oatmeal topped with cinnamon, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds.

Then portion out the oatmeal and top it with a sprinkling of cinnamon, a few more dried cranberries, and some sliced almonds.

My Special Tips

♡ If your morning time is very short, you can measure the ingredients the night before to speed up your prep the next morning.

Substitutions & Variations

  • SUBSTITUTE Steel Cut Oats or High Protein Oats - for the old-fashioned oats.
  • SUBSTITUTE Raisins - for the dried cranberries.
  • SUBSTITUTE Walnuts - for the sliced almonds.
Cooked oatmeal in a pale blue bowls that are sitting on white plates.

Of course, there is a myriad of fruits and nuts you can substitute for dried cranberries and almonds. For extra creamy flavor add a splash of cream.

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♡ Did you try out this recipe? Please give it a Star Rating below and tag @enchartedcook on Instagram and hashtag it #enchartedcook.

📖 Recipe

Square, close-up image of cooked oatmeal in a pale blue bowl that is sitting on a white plate.

Good Morning Oatmeal

4.34 from 3 votes
Encharted Cook | Jan Nunes
Good Morning Oatmeal is a creamy, easy-to-make cooked oatmeal with dried cranberries, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. It is a hot, filling breakfast you can make in just 15 minutes.
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Prep Time 2 minutes mins
Cook Time 13 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 447 kcal

Ingredients
 

Oatmeal

  • 2 Cups Milk, Whole, 2%, or Non-Fat
  • 1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats, Not Instant
  • ¼ Cup Dried Sweetened Cranberries
  • 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ Teaspoon Grated Orange Zest

Topping

  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons Dried Sweetened Cranberries
  • 2 Teaspoons Sliced Almonds

Instructions
 

  • In a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk, old-fashioned oats, ¼ cup of dried sweetened cranberries, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and orange zest to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low.
    2 Cups Milk, 1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats, ¼ Cup Dried Sweetened Cranberries, 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar, 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ½ Teaspoon Grated Orange Zest
  • Cook oatmeal uncovered for 10 to 13 minutes over medium low heat or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
  • Divide the oatmeal between 2 bowls. Sprinkle each portion with ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and top each with 1 tablespoon of dried sweetened cranberries and 1 teaspoon of sliced almonds.
    1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, 2 Tablespoons Dried Sweetened Cranberries, 2 Teaspoons Sliced Almonds
  • Serve and enjoy immediately!

Notes

My Special Tips
♡ If your morning time is very short, you can measure the ingredients the night before to speed up your prep the next morning.
Substitutions & Variations
  • SUBSTITUTE Steel Cut Oats or High Protein Oats - for the old-fashioned oats.
  • SUBSTITUTE Raisins - for the dried cranberries.
  • SUBSTITUTE Walnuts - for the sliced almonds.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 573mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 351mg | Iron: 2mg

All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

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I'm Jan and I love to cook for friends and family. Over the years I have learned that many recipes are related and if you learn to make one delicious dish and you can make many more. So come join me as I chart recipes and ingredients and share my favorite dishes.

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