Cool Down Your Hot Oatmeal With Frozen Berries And Thank Us Later

A tried-and-true breakfast staple that can be enjoyed savory or sweet, hot oatmeal is nutritious, filling, and customizable to boot. Whether you cook yours in broth or sweeten it with honey, there's no wrong way to enjoy oatmeal. However, there are some tasty tips, tricks, and hacks for cooking this quintessential morning meal. One of our favorite oatmeal hacks calls for frozen berries.

Hot oatmeal straight from the stove or microwave can be scalding. Adding frozen berries not only brings a vibrant burst of fruity flavor to the plate but also helps cool down the overall temperature of your oatmeal to make it more palatable and enjoyable right away. Don't fret about biting into a too-hard frozen fruit because these cold little berries will quickly thaw in the piping-hot oatmeal. As they warm to an agreeable temperature, the frozen berries will soften up while retaining a pleasant bite, and their decadent, zesty juices will imbue the oatmeal with rivers of flavorful color.

Adding frozen berries to hot oatmeal is as easy as grabbing a handful from the freezer and plopping them into your heaping bowl of oats. Although it's a straightforward and accessible breakfast hack, there are a few tips to keep in mind to get the most out of your berry-studded oatmeal.

To preserve their texture and structure and prevent the berries from becoming too mushy, stir the frozen berries into the hot oatmeal towards the end of the cooking process or after it has finished cooking so that it doesn't melt into a pulpy juice before you can enjoy them. If you prefer a juicier consistency, let the frozen berries thaw for a few minutes before adding them to your hot oatmeal for a more succulent texture. Be sure to gently introduce them to the oatmeal to avoid breaking the berries apart so that they maintain their shape and texture. However, if you prefer them broken apart and more integrated into the oatmeal, stir them in with a little more elbow grease.

If you want a blend of textures, reserve a portion of the frozen berries and add them as a topping just before serving. This way, you get a combination of the warm, cooked berries in the oatmeal and the cool, frozen ones on top.

Move over peanut butter and jelly, oatmeal with frozen berries is the hot new culinary pairing. As delicious as the tandem ingredients are on their own, there are other fun ways to jazz up frozen berry oatmeal to give it even more pizzazz.

Sprinkle a handful of chopped nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans, onto your oatmeal and frozen berries. The combination of creamy oats, juicy berries, and crunchy nuts adds an earthy flavor and a pleasant contrast between soft and crunchy textures. A swirl of honey or maple syrup over your oatmeal and frozen berries brings more natural sweetness to the dish that complements the zesty tartness of the berries and provides the oatmeal with a luxuriously silky texture. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or a blend of your favorite spices over the oatmeal and frozen berries to add a touch of cozy warmth to the light, refreshing berries. For a tropical twist, sprinkle shredded coconut over your frozen berry-kissed oatmeal to give the dish a beachy flair.

Whether you like it funky and filled with extra goodies or stripped down to the basics, as long as you add frozen berries to your oatmeal, your tastebuds will thank you.