Do Your Oatmeal A Favor And Finish It With A Slab Of Cold Butter

A bowl of piping hot oatmeal for breakfast usually comes with the addition of brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, fruit, honey, and a litany of other sweet accompaniments. But adding a healthy dose of cold butter has the potential to elevate your bowl of oats to a whole other level in a couple of ways.

Stirring cold butter into a steamy bowl of oats ups both the flavor and texture of your dish. As the butter melts, it will add a creamy lusciousness to the oats. They'll quickly go from thick and hearty to smooth and velvety. The butter will also impart flavor to the oats as it liquifies. Any spices, sugars, or toppings you added will be imbued throughout the dish. Fat also carries flavor and allows it to linger on the tongue longer. Much like how you infuse an olive oil with garlic before sautéing something, the butter will help distribute the flavor compounds throughout the oats as it melts.

Another added benefit of that pat of butter is the satiety factor. Fats help keep you feeling full by slowing down the digestive process and decreasing appetite by affecting hunger hormones. Not only will a slab of cold butter make your oatmeal have more flavor and a silky mouthfeel, it may just keep you full until lunch.

There are two things to consider before adding butter to your oatmeal: What kind of butter you should choose and when you should add it. The choice of butter usually just comes down to salted vs. unsalted, and in the case of oatmeal, either will work. Salt helps enhance flavors so you can opt for salted butter, or go with unsalted and add a substantial pinch of salt to mix in. Another great option for oatmeal is the addition of ghee, or a kind of clarified butter that has the milk solids and water removed. Ghee has a hint of roasted nuttiness to its buttery flavor that will add another layer to your oats. Ghee is also a great option to those who are sensitive to dairy as the milk solids are removed for the most part, according to Healthline.

As for when to add the butter or ghee? After the oatmeal is done cooking, add a generous slab to the top and close the lid to the pot. The steam will facilitate its melting and you'll just have to give it a quick stir once you add your toppings. As for how much butter? That is entirely up to you.