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When I was a child, I thought that the instant oatmeal that came in the little packets was a very yummy, healthy breakfast. Well, now I know better than the “healthy” part, but I still remember the flavor with pleasant nostalgia. Therefore, I recreated my favorite maple and brown sugar flavor – just without the sugar and other junk. This version relies on slow-burning carbs and plenty of protein for a breakfast that will start your day out right. I think the Quaker would be proud.
My favorite instant oatmeal packets had little bits of apple in them as well, so I like to top my bowl of oatmeal with a small amount of chopped apple.
The egg whites that are whisked into this oatmeal add creaminess and protein. If you don’t care for old fashioned oats because they’re too chunky, try adding some egg whites to your finished hot oatmeal. This addition smoothes out the oatmeal and makes it more like quick oats (in my opinion). Don’t worry about the whole raw egg thing. If you use carton egg whites, they’re pasteurized. Plus, the egg whites get mostly cooked I think. They thicken the oatmeal up, so you can afford to use more liquid when making the oatmeal and you end up with a bigger bowl of oatmeal for your same ol’ 1/2 cup serving of dry oats.
My personal favorite oatmeal is this chocolate overnight oatmeal, but if you’re not a chocolate lover, give this comforting version a try!
*Please note that this is not an overnight oatmeal recipe. It is made to be prepared and eaten hot in the morning.*
You can find this recipe in my cookbook, Necessary Food.
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats (use gluten free if necessary)
- 1½ cups of water
- ⅓ cup carton egg whites
- Rounded ⅛ tsp. salt
- 3-4 doonks THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder (a doonk is 1/32 tsp.), to taste, adding more if desired
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. Grandma's molasses (friendly to most allergies, but check the label)
- ½ tsp. maple flavoring
- A little unsweetened almond milk (or a small amount of skim milk, for a nut free option) and/or chopped apple for topping, optional
- Microwave the oats and water in a large microwave-safe bowl for 4 minutes (I use a serving bowl so it doesn't boil over). Whisk the egg whites into the hot oatmeal, adding the egg whites while whisking so they don't create scrambled eggs in your oatmeal. Add the other ingredients and stir. Taste and adjust as necessary, adding more sweetener or flavoring if you like. Top with the optional toppings if desired and enjoy!
- Imitation Maple Extract
- Grandma’s Molasses (gluten and nut free)
- THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder can be purchased from the Trim Healthy Mama online store.
My goodness! It really does taste just like the packets!
This oatmeal tastes EXACTLY like I remember those Quaker packets tasting as a kid. I’d gotten sort of tired of oatmeal, but it’s my go-to fast breakfast so I was searching for recipes to switch things up…this one is a total winner! The egg whites give it almost a pudding-ish texture which is just so fabulous. I your recipes have really blessed my THM journey! Thanks Briana!
Couple questions. Do people who do not eat THM find this oatmeal strange? Looking for a few ideas for a brunch. I’ve never been a fan of real oatmeal but I did love the packets. Can the recipe be multiplied and cooked in a crockpot?
Haha…interesting question. I haven’t served this to anyone besides myself so I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that. And I’ve never cooked oatmeal in a crockpot so I’m no help there either. What I can tell you is that I’ve made this baked oatmeal recipe for company many times and everyone enjoys it >> https://www.briana-thomas.com/special-occasion-baked-oatmeal/
Yummy! So quick to make, and has the nice creamy texture of overnight oats. I have all your books.
You absolutely nailed the flavor with this recipe. It’s delicious! Thank you.
Do you whisk the egg whites before adding to oatmeal,after the oatmeal has been microwaved
I typically use carton egg whites and just pour them into the hot oatmeal while whisking. This works well. If using a fresh egg white it may be a good idea to whisk first since fresh whites tend to stick together into thicker strands.
I used to always put butter in my oatmeal…would this still be an E meal with butter added?
E meals focus on carbs and keep fats to a minimum, but butter is an S ingredient (S meals focus on fats and keep carbs low), so combining the two would give you a THM Crossover – still healthy but not as weight loss promoting as a single-fueled meal. 🙂 However, you can have up to 5 grams of added fat in an E meal, which comes to about a teaspoon of butter. I enjoy a teaspoon of butter melted on top of my hot oatmeal so I can get a little bit of that richness with every bite!
Gonna try this recipe! I wish I knew the measurements for other sweeteners. I only use Super Sweet Blend or Monk fruit. Will try to “wing” it and see what I come up with. Thanks Briana!!
This sweetener conversion chart can help guide you! Personally I always start with less sweetener than I think I’ll need when converting between sweeteners, then taste and add more so I don’t accidentally start out with too much. 🙂 https://media.trimhealthymama.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/05/07222306/THM.Sweetener-Conversion-Chart.pdf
I like to have more volume to my oatmeal. How would I make this to have more volume? Can I make this on a Sunday and reheat all week?
This recipe already has more volume than the typical oatmeal/water ratio. 🙂 I’m afraid that adding any more liquid would make it too runny. I don’t recommend making it ahead and reheating because of the egg white addition. (If reheated, the egg whites will probably scramble.) Maybe some of my other overnight oatmeal recipes are more what you’re looking for: https://www.briana-thomas.com/scrumptious-overnight-oatmeal-5-ways-e/
Well this seemed too simple to be as good as the other comments said… and even though I like oatmeal it is not my favorite choice of breakfast. However, this recipe really surprised me! It is delicious!!!! I was a little weary about adding the egg whites too and they blended well. Just yum!
Thank you for sharing.
*** The only thing I changed was apples to blueberries but that’s because I didn’t have apples and I am buying some molasses for next time. So I just added the sweetener and maple syrup.
So glad you liked it, Brandy!
I made this oatmeal and it was delicious! However, I love Granny Smith apples and added 1/2 chopped to my oatmeal. Will this still be an E?
Yep, that’s fine!
Is Grandma’s Molasses different than Blackstrap Molasses?
Yes, it is. Grandma’s molasses is a brand that we’ve used for years and it’s not quite as bitter as blackstrap molasses. You can use either in this recipe. 🙂
Thank you!
Brianna–I have a question. I tried to make this oatmeal using 1/2 cup and 1 and a half cup water. Are the proportions
off? I microwaved for close to ten minutes and could not get the water to absorb. I put it into a very big bowl, so it wouldn’t boil over. Thanks.
Yes, those are the proportions I used. Didn’t it thicken up when you whisked the egg whites into the hot oatmeal?
Be sure to use old fashioned oats and not the quick cook kind. Otherwise it won’t thicken properly. 🙂
Oh how I missed my bowl of Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal in the morning! To be quite honest, I thought the whole egg whites thing was a bit strange but I believe in always trying a recipe exactly before dismissing it… and I’m so glad I did! I no longer miss my oatmeal. I’m pretty sure I will be eating this every morning for awhile… it’s been a long time.
How many egg whites of actual eggs would that be for this recipe? I am new to THM and haven’t bought everything I need yet!
2 small egg whites would probably work. 🙂 Whisk them before adding them so they’re not clumpy.
Hi. I followed the recipe exactly and my oatmeal is like SOUP! When you microwave for 4 min, is your mixture more dry?
After 4 min my oatmeal was boiling but still liquidy.
I added all other ingredients then microwaved it for 2 more minutes and while it’s still thin, it looks a little more edible. Microwave 5-6 min? Less water?
I’ll try less water because I prefer a bit more texture and extra cooking time will make it even mushier….
My oatmeal is a typical oatmeal texture. Microwaves vary in strength, so I’m guessing yours isn’t as strong as mine is. I would try using less water and see if that helps. 🙂
This looks so great! Could you use sweet blend or gentle sweet in place of the stevia? I always have such a hard time making things taste right with the stevia.
Hi Amanda! Yes, you can use an equivalent amount of any sweetener you like. This chart will be helpful: http://www.trimhealthymama.com/main-home/sweetener-conversion-chart/
Sorry Briana but I tweaked your recipe just a bit in that I made it for supper instead of breakfast. LOL. I work all day, all week and save my new recipe experimenting for supper cause then I’m not rushed. This was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS. Followed recipe exactly except I used 2 tsp Stevia blend instead of Extract Powder. This is a keeper recipe for any meal of my day. Another meal on my THM weekly planner. Thanks again Briana. Your recipes have never let me down.
Haha…no problemo! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I made this last night for this mornings breakfast. I just reheated it and added an apple. This is another one of your recipes I am adding to the regular rotation!
This is absolutely delicious! Thanks for giving me my new favorite way to eat oatmeal.
What is “Grandma’s Molasses?” And, how necessary is it? This look amazing, by the way!! 🙂
It’s just the brand of molasses I use. A smidgen of molasses is necessary in this to make the “brown sugar” flavor. You can use whatever brand you have. 🙂
Is blackstrap molasses different from regular molasses? I have it in my pantry for something else that I tried.
Blackstrap molasses is the strongest kind of molasses. 🙂 You may want to use a little less if using blackstrap versus regular molasses in my recipes.
I try not to use the microwave to cook with so would this turn out the same cooking the oatmeal on the stovetop?
How long would I cook the oats for? TIA
I’ve never done this on the stovetop so I’m not sure how long it would take, but I’m sure you could!
This is amazing, I will say that I added in about 1/2c instant oats after I cooked a dbl batch as too watery, I like my oats thick. And that is what I got in the end. Will be on my list of Breakfasts for sure, will make night before and warm in morning. Thanks so much for this.
SO GOOD. SO AMAZINGLY GOOD. I cannot rave enough about this. My oatmeal hating days are OVER!
Wow! Haha…thanks for the great review! I’m glad you’ve finally converted.
Brianna, love your recipes, do you know what the difference in cooking time would be if I do stovetop vs. microwave? Tia 🙂
I’m afraid I don’t; I don’t usually cook my oats on the stovetop. I’m guessing you should just follow the regular cooking time on your container of oats, then stirring in the egg whites will thicken up any excess liquid (since my recipe calls for more water than normal).
I made a triple quantity of this to share with my kids. We loved it! I made it on the stove-top using 5 fresh egg whites. I let the oats and water simmer for about 5 minutes until soft, then used my stick-blender to mix the egg whites thoroughly into the oats before adding the flavourings. For my children I added a dollop of whipped cream and a pinch of coconut sugar on top, I added a drizzle of almond milk to mine. SO delicious. Even my oatmeal-hating son enjoyed a small bowlful without complaint ?
Must say I love this recipe!!! One question. Any chance you could make a blueberry version? You know like the instant packets? 😉 They were my fav!
Hi Rose! Just tweak this one a little and you’ll have your blueberry version. 🙂 I’ve never had the blueberry instant oatmeal packets (and don’t really want to try them now…lol), so I don’t know what spices/flavorings are involved, but just switch some of that stuff up, omit the apple, add blueberries, and you’ve got it!
Absolutely delicious! Loved it! You are a talented foodie girl!!!
Yum! Eating now!
Briana, this recipe is FANTASTIC! I hope you don’t mind a tweak, but I’ve had a hard time adjusting to Stevia, so instead I used my THM “brown sugar” and it turned out great! This is officially my new favorite breakfast. ?
I love when people tweak my recipes to make them what they like!
Ok!!! This looked so good but pouring in the egg whites seemed a little weird 🙂 so I made it for my son today and I tasted it!!!!! Oh my!!! It was soooo good! I wish your cookbook was coming out this Christmas ;)!!!! I love lots of your recipes and you do beautiful work!!! Thank you so much!!! I am 38 and pregnant with our 12th little baby!!!! Your site is a total blessing!!!! Hoping for an awesome THM pregnancy!
I’m so glad you liked it, Lana! As for the cookbook wish – I wish that too. 😛 I hope your pregnancy goes well!
I used to be obsessed with the instant oatmeal packs of this flavor! Its comforting to know that I can now create a sugar-free version!