The Unexpected Drink That Amps Up Your Breakfast Oatmeal

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but it seems like there's never enough time to make it. Any time there's a way to combine two breakfast components into one, it's a win for people on the go, especially if you can make something you like taste even more delicious. This is why waffles make excellent breakfast sandwiches, and it's probably the reason why people started stuffing things inside French toast, too. In that same spirit of adventure, if your morning routine includes oatmeal and coffee, try combining the two for an entirely new take on breakfast.

People typically make oatmeal with either water or milk, but there's no culinary rule that says you can't cook oatmeal with any other type of liquid. Using coffee to make oatmeal will give your breakfast bowl a rich depth of flavor, not to mention a boost of caffeine to get you going. If it seems too weird, think of the combination as a latte made with oat milk, which has a similar flavor profile. And just like a cup of Joe, you can customize coffee oats to suit your mood with all kinds of extra ingredients.

Making oatmeal with coffee is as easy as swapping out water or milk with the same volume of coffee. If you're already making a pot of coffee for breakfast, all you have to do is make an extra cup or so for the oats depending on what type of grains and how much of them you plan to cook (instant oats have a 2:1 ratio of liquid to oats, for example). You can then use that as the cooking liquid either on the stove or in the slow cooker which is the ideal cooking method for the most flavorful oats. If you like oats with milk, mix the coffee with milk or a milk alternative of your choice (go for barista milk over the regular kind as it has more fat which will give the oats some extra creaminess). The same goes for overnight oats; sub in coffee or a combination of coffee and milk for the water in any recipe. If you find that the coffee flavor is too strong, you can also tinker with adding some water until you come up with a ratio of liquids that tastes just right.

For more flavor, try customizing coffee oats with toppings and spices. Any additions that can give your coffee a boost of flavor are on the table, like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, chai, vanilla extract or paste, and cocoa powder. Fruit, nuts, and seeds are also tasty, and any kind of nut butter will build more flavor and mouthfeel, plus you can squeeze in a few extra grams of protein to elevate your coffee oats to an all-in-one all star meal.