We’ve all been there for that one morning when you’re rushing around trying to get some speedy oatmeal, and what you’re left with is a gooey mess spreading outside of the bowl. Worst your healthy, quick breakfast just became a scrub the microwave endeavour. I’ve been there, and let me tell you, it’s not pleasant. But the best part is, you can avoid it for sure. Oatmeal’s great cheap, high in fibre, and a snap to personalize. If you’ve got a few little secrets hidden up your sleeve, you can prevent the boil over and make mornings so much easier. Let’s see why this occurs and how we can keep our oatmeal where we want it in the bowl.
Why Does Oatmeal Boil Over?
When you microwave oatmeal, the water or the milk gets heated up and turns into steam. The oats absorb the liquid and become gooey and thick. When that steam is trapped, it generates pressure and blasts the oatmeal up and out and onto your counter in a catastrophe. There are certain things that tend to make this happen more likely, but once you know what they are, you can confront them head on.
Five Tricks to Prevent Oatmeal from Boiling Over
Try these five simple tricks to end the frustrating spills and make oatmeal preparation a breeze.
1. Try Using a Larger Bowl
The bowl size matters. A small, shallow bowl is essentially setting you up for failure it holds in the steam and allows the oats nowhere to go. Use a broad, deep glass or ceramic bowl rather, since they get along with heat better than plastic. Choose one that’s double the quantity of oats that you are cooking. Half filling it should give you sufficient space for the oats to froth without overflowing. As long as the oats bubble not more than two thirds of the bowl when cooking, you’re a winner.
2. Get a handle on Liquid Ratio
The quality of oats that you use and how much milk or water you add can be the difference between a cooked or uncooked meal. Instant and quick oats are very quick to cook and thus more inclined to overflow when cooking compared to rolled or steel cut oats, which are more dense. This is a quick guide to attaining liquid ratio perfection:
- Instant oats: 1 cup oats to 1.5 cups liquid.
- Quick oats: 1 cup oats to 2 cups liquid.
- Rolled oats: 1 cup oats to 2.5 cups liquid.
- Steel cut oats: 1 cup oats to 4 cups liquid.
Begin with a little less than these volumes. You can always add another splash later and make it just so. A great deal of liquid in a little bowl is an accident waiting to happen.
3. Soak Your Oats Overnight
Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Electric Mixer Or a hand mixer
- 2 Mixing Bowls One large for wet ingredients, one medium for dry
- 2 Baking Sheets For baking multiple batches
- 1 Cookie Scoop For consistent cookie size, or a regular spoon
- 1 Rubber Spatula For scraping bowls
Ingredients
Main
- 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup 2 sticks salted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat together the brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each one.
- Mix together the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add it into the creamed mixture in 2 to 3 batches, mixing until just combined. Mix in the oats until just combined.
- Use your preferred size cookie scoop (or a regular spoon) to drop portions of dough onto baking sheets, spacing them a couple inches apart. Bake until dark and chewy, 12 to 13 minutes. If you'd like a crispier cookie, just cook a little longer!
- Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer onto a plate for serving.
Notes
This is a total game changer: soak your oats overnight. Simply combine them with milk or water and stick them in the fridge overnight for a minimum of 12 hours. This has the oats soak up liquid ahead of time before you heat them up, so they don’t require as long in the microwave which means less opportunity for a boil over. Add a little more than double the quantity of liquid to oats for a creamy consistency. Water’s great because it’s less likely to make a sticky mess if something spills, but milk or plant based milk adds extra nutrients like protein. If you’re worried about spills, cook with water and stir in milk or yogurt at the end for that creamy taste.
4. Add a Bit of Fat
Here’s a trick: add a bit of fat before microwaving. About 2 tablespoons butter or peanut butter per serving works perfectly. The fat lets the steam bubbles get released, so your oatmeal cooks evenly without blasting out of the bowl. And your oatmeal tastes even better double win!
5. Be Smart with Your Microwave
Apricot Oat Bars
Equipment
- 1 9x13-inch Metal Baking Dish
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Small Mixing Bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
Main
- Vegetable oil cooking spray
- 1 13-ounce jar apricot jam or preserves (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 8 dried apricots chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 packed cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup 4 ounces coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg at room temperature, beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13 by 2-inch metal baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with vegetable oil cooking spray and set aside.
- Filling: In a small bowl, mix together the jam and the apricots. Set aside.
- Crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Stir in the oats and walnuts. Add the butter, egg and vanilla and stir until incorporated.
- Using a fork or clean fingers, lightly press half of the crust mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a spatula, spread the filling over the crust leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge of the pan. Cover the filling with the remaining crust mixture and gently press to flatten. Bake until light golden, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 1 hour. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
The way you use your microwave might just save your life. Have a go at these three things:
Take short bursts of cooking. Blast it for 1 minute, leave it waiting, stir it, and then another 30 seconds to 1 minute, monitoring it closely. Stirring prevents bubbles from forming and makes the heat distribute evenly, so no spills.
Turn down the power. Use 50% or take off 30%. It will only take slightly longer, around 30 seconds, but it prevents things from boiling too fast.
Do not use a lid. A lid catches steam, and that’s the last thing you need. Leave it open so the steam can escape, and your oatmeal remains in place.
Extra Tips for Tricky Situations
If spills persist, try this: set a chopstick or wooden skewer on top of the bowl. It’s absurd, but it disrupts the surface tension that holds steam in, allowing bubbles to pop before they send the oats spilling over the rim. And if milk is the issue, use only water to cook. Milk foams because it has proteins in it, so it’s more likely to spill. Add the milk or yogurt toward the end for the silky texture without the spills.
Overnight Oatmeal
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker Essential for overnight cooking
- 1 Measuring Cups For accurate ingredient portions
- 1 Ladle For stirring and serving
- 4 Serving bowls For individual portions
Ingredients
Main
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup dried figs
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and set to low heat. Cover and let cook for 8 to 9 hours.
- Stir and remove to serving bowls. This method works best if started before you go to bed. This way your oatmeal will be finished by morning.
Notes
An additional trick: don’t put in extras such as fruit, nuts, or honey until the oatmeal is cooked. Those can contribute additional moisture or sugar and cause the oats to bubble more. It’s better to put them in towards the end so your microwave stays mess free and so you get to determine the texture just the way you require it.
When the Microwave Isn’t Working Out
If your microwave still doesn’t satisfy you, use a different method to create a perfect bowl each time.
Stovetop Cooking
Stovetop cooking provides even more control. Combine 1 cup of rolled oats with 2 cups of water or milk in a saucepan. Heat it on medium until it begins to simmer lightly, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir a lot to keep it from sticking, and leave the lid cracked open so steam can escape. Rolled oats take about 5–10 minutes; steel cut oats need 20–30 minutes. You’ll get a great texture with no surprise spills.
Instant Pot Cooking
For a simple, mess free solution, an Instant Pot is your best bet. 1 cup rolled oats and 2 cups of liquid or 1 cup steel cut oats and 4 cups of liquid. Set it on “Porridge” setting, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes then quick release. It’s creamy, uniform, and leak proof.
Handling a Spill
Occasionally, despite all these gimmicks, a spill does get through. In case your oatmeal is running over, stop the microwave and remove the bowl carefully grab oven mitts if it’s hot. Wonder what went amiss: bowl too small? Too drippy? Power too strong? Make changes next time.
Microwave Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Equipment
- 1 Large Microwave-Safe Bowl
- 1 Microwave-Safe Cover Plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid
- 1 Spoon For stirring
- 1 Chef's knife For chopping the apple
- 1 Cutting Board
Ingredients
Main
- 1 apple preferably McIntosh, cored and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans
Instructions
- Combine the apple, oats, cinnamon, and salt in a large microwave-safe bowl water, and stir in the water. Cover and seal with plastic wrap or a tight fitting lid and heat in the microwave on high until apples are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup. Divide between 2 bowls and top with the nuts. Serve immediately.
Notes
To clean, be quick. A damp cloth or sponge can clean up recent spills in a flash. If the oatmeal has hardened, place a bowl containing an equal amount of water and white vinegar in the microwave and microwave for 5 minutes. The steam will relax the gunk, so easily scrub it off. For truly terrible spots, apply a paste of baking soda and water, leave for 10 minutes, then wipe away. Remove the turntable and clean with warm, soapy water to complete.
A Spill Free Morning
With these tips, oatmeal spills are a thing of the past. A larger bowl, the proper liquid ratio, overnight soaking, a dot of fat, and a bit of microwave know how will keep breakfast in the bowl. If spills persist, the stovetop or Instant Pot are good options. And if a spill does happen, a quick clean up saves the day. Your mornings will be smoother, your kitchen will stay clean, and you’ll love every bite of that warm, hearty oatmeal.
