How to Make Perfect Oatmeal with Honey Fig Topping

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A napkin tucked in beside a bowl of perfect oatmeal with honey fig topping

How to Make Perfect Oatmeal with Honey Fig Topping

The best bowl of creamy oats includes a dollop of honey fig topping. Here's how to make perfect oatmeal using steel cut oats.

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: honey fig, how to make perfect oatmeal

Servings: people

Calories: 268kcal

Ingredients

Perfect Oatmeal

3 cups water
1 cup whole milk
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup steel-cut oats
1/4 tsp salt

Honeyed Fig Topping with Vanilla and Cinnamon

5 ounces Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs quartered and stemmed
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp water
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Perfect Oatmeal with Honey Fig Topping with Vanilla and Cinnamon

Bring the water and milk to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until just beginning to foam; add the oats and toast, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden and fragrant with a butterscotch-like aroma, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
Stir the toasted oats into the simmering liquid, and reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer gently, until the mixture thickens and resembles gravy, about 20 minutes. Add the salt and stir lightly with a wooden spoon handle. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally with the spoon handle, until the oats absorb almost all the liquid and the oatmeal is thick and creamy, with a pudding-like consistency, 7 to 10 minutes. Off heat, let the oatmeal stand uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve immediately, with topping if desired.

Honeyed Fig Topping with Vanilla and Cinnamon

Bring the figs, honey, water, vanilla, and cinnamon to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until the liquid reduces to a glaze, about 4 minutes. Spoon a portion over the individual bowls of hot oatmeal; serve immediately.

Notes

NOTES: Many supermarkets sell prepackaged steel-cut oats, but we found they were often stale and always expensive. A better option is to buy them in bulk at a natural foods store. To double the recipe, use a large skillet to toast the oats; increase the cooking time to 10 to 15 minutes once the salt has been added. If desired, pass maple syrup or brown sugar separately when serving, or try the topping at right.

This recipe is reprinted with permission of Cook's Illustrated.
Recipe source: America’s Test Kitchen. Valley Fig is a proud sponsor of the America’s Test Kitchen.

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