Genius Recipes
A Genius Trick for Quicker, Creamier Oatmeal—With No Sticky Pot to Clean
Starring this joyful cocoa almond riff from Samantha Seneviratne and the ‘Simply Genius’ cookbook.
The elevator pitch for the recipe is a really good one: With one little equipment swap, you can make a quicker, creamier bowl of oatmeal, and leave no stubborn pot soaking in the sink.
This was how talented food stylist, author, and TV star Samantha Seneviratne hooked me at a Genius video shoot years ago. She’d picked up the trick in a test kitchen and really put it to use feeding her toddler son Artie. Ready for it? Grab a nonstick skillet for cozy oats that cook down quicker and creamier than in a deep pot (and clean up way easier).
But, at least in my family, there’s even more to Sam’s genius than that. This is the breakfast my three-year-old asks for as she’s going to sleep. The one that taught her how to measure as we made it together morning after morning; the one with few ingredients to spill and slosh.
It’s the recipe we always double or triple now, because we all want more and the fridge and freezer welcome it. It’s the one that convinced me that Cocoa Puffs always had it right: Chocolate brings joy and ballast to bleary mornings. Only now, it’s powered by almond butter and sweetened with only as much maple as you like.
Simply Genius Cookbook, by Kristen Miglore
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This is the recipe I squirreled away first for the Simply Genius cookbook, and the one I (and other parents) make the most. For the book, Sam also shared three more riffs: raspberry-cardamom, banana-cacao nib, and nutty multigrain—with leftover grains like quinoa or farro swirled in.
But the truth is, you can take Sam’s ratio and technique to any oatmeal you can dream up—again and again, no pots in the sink to hold you back.
| 1/2 | cup (50g) old-fashioned rolled oats |
| 1 1/4 | cups (300ml) unsweetened almond milk, plus more for serving |
| 1 | pinch fine sea salt |
| 4 | teaspoons cocoa powder |
| 2 | tablespoons creamy or chunky almond butter |
| Maple syrup (optional) |
| 1/2 | cup (50g) old-fashioned rolled oats |
| 1 1/4 | cups (300ml) unsweetened almond milk, plus more for serving |
| 1 | pinch fine sea salt |
| 4 | teaspoons cocoa powder |
| 2 | tablespoons creamy or chunky almond butter |
| Maple syrup (optional) |
The Simply Genius cookbook is out now—you can snag a copy in our Shop, or so many other places! Like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, IndieBound, Powell's, Target, Kitchen Arts & Letters, Now Serving, Omnivore Books on Food, Book Larder, or your favorite local bookstore.
From our new podcast network, The Genius Recipe Tapes is lifelong Genius hunter Kristen Miglore’s 10-year-strong column in audio form, featuring all the uncut gems from the weekly column and video series. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss out.
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Written by: Kristen Miglore
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2 Comments
NEVER USE a no stick pan or pot. They are far too toxic to use whatsoever. Don't even give them away, throw all nonstick pots into garbage.
If you want the healthiest oatmeal don't cook it at all. Insread, put oatmeal in milk or kefir, or both, let it sit overnight. In morning its ready to eat, no cooking, AND no wasted electric or gas. But for god's sake, don't use no stick anything.
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