On mornings once you need one thing heat and sustaining, oatmeal is a straightforward selection, however what you add to it’s what makes the bowl memorable. A part of oatmeal’s attraction is its status as a wholesome breakfast that is straightforward and versatile: Oats are fiber-rich, filling, and impartial sufficient to tackle no matter flavors you pair with them.

That blank-canvas high quality is each its energy and its downfall. As a result of oats are delicate, many individuals find yourself compensating with spoonful after spoonful of sugar—it is a straightforward, acquainted ingredient that takes no additional thought or time so as to add. However including a whole lot of sugar can shortly push the bowl in a route that feels extra like dessert than breakfast (which, to be honest, is not all the time a nasty factor—however perhaps not what you need each morning).

One ingredient solves the issue of oatmeal tasting too dessert-like: dates. They’re simply as straightforward to achieve for as granulated or brown sugar—no particular prep, no additional steps. They add sweetness, however additionally they convey depth, richness, and texture. Dates and oats are already a confirmed pairing—Zaynab Issa’s Sticky Date and Brown Butter Oatmeal for NYT Cooking is considered one of my favourite examples of how properly their flavors play collectively—however you do not even want a selected recipe to faucet into what dates do for oatmeal. Stored within the pantry or fridge, they seem to be a dependable ingredient value having available. Just some chopped dates stirred straight into the pot whereas the oats prepare dinner can remodel your breakfast into one thing you actually look ahead to consuming.

Why Dates Are the Finest Sweetener for Oatmeal

Dates convey a caramel-like sweetness that pairs particularly properly with oatmeal. As they heat within the pot, their sugars soften and unfold into the encircling liquid, giving the oatmeal a delicate, even sweetness reasonably than sharp bursts of sugar. Dates additionally change the feel of the oatmeal in a manner that different sweeteners do not. As they soften within the oatmeal, they provide it extra physique and a faintly “sticky pudding” high quality, particularly in case you’re utilizing very gentle Medjool dates. Firmer, semi-soft varieties—like Deglet Noor or Zahidi—preserve extra of their form, including chewy bites that break up the creaminess of the oats. Both manner, you are not simply including sweetness; you are including richness and construction.

On prime of that, they contribute fiber, which works alongside the fiber in oats to make the bowl extra filling. The result’s a breakfast that feels healthful however tastes way more attention-grabbing than plain oats with a spoonful of sugar.

How you can Add Dates to Oatmeal

Listed below are a couple of straightforward methods so as to add dates to oatmeal, every providing a barely completely different texture and degree of sweetness.

• Add chopped dates. The best manner to make use of dates—and the one I depend on most—is to pit and chop a couple of into small items, then stir them straight into the pot with the oats. Medjool dates soften into the oatmeal, giving the bowl a wealthy, sticky texture, whereas semi-soft varieties just like the aforementioned Deglet Noor and Zahidi maintain their form for a chewier distinction. As a normal information, use 3 to five dates (relying on their dimension) for 3/4 cup of old school rolled oats and about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of water or your milk of selection.
• Cook dinner the chopped dates, then stir them into the combination. For much more concentrated sweetness, I will typically prepare dinner the pitted and chopped dates down in somewhat butter or ghee earlier than including the oats and milk; they soften extra, and their sugars start to caramelize, giving the oats a deeper, toffee-like taste. 
• Use soaked dates. If you would like the chopped dates to melt extra shortly or disperse their sweetness extra evenly, soak them in a little bit of sizzling water for a couple of minutes (about 5 minutes earlier than including them to the pot). The fruit begins to interrupt down, the liquid turns into frivolously candy, and each can go straight into the pot, serving to the sweetness unfold extra uniformly by way of the oats. Use the identical date-to-liquid-and-oats ratio as above.
• Add date molasses. A small spoonful of date molasses provides a deep, concentrated sweetness. It is a good choice once you need a fast drizzle-style sweetener that also matches the general taste profile. Simply be aware that you simply will not get the sticky, chewy texture of chopped dates.
• Use date paste. Mixing softened dates with somewhat water in a blender creates a easy paste that evenly sweetens your complete bowl. It is helpful for batch prep however requires gear, so it is much less sensible for on a regular basis use. Alternatively, you should buy store-bought date paste as a substitute.

Taste Pairings That Work Particularly Effectively With Dates and Oatmeal

A bonus is how naturally dates work with the flavors folks already attain for in oatmeal:

• Cinnamon and cardamom: their heat amplifies the dates’ caramel notes.
• Vanilla: rounds out the sweetness with out overpowering it.
• Tahini or different nut butters: add richness and steadiness. Dates and sesame or nuts are a basic pairing for a motive, with the slight bitterness of the nuts offsetting the dates’ jammy sweetness and including richness to the oatmeal.
• Peanut butter: particularly good right here, its roasted, nutty richness enjoying straight into the dates’ caramel-like sweetness.
• Cocoa powder or cacao nibs: add a deep bittersweet edge.
• Orange zest: brightens the bowl with out overshadowing the dates.
• Recent fruit, corresponding to bananas or blueberries, echoes the dates’ fruitiness whereas including freshness.

However even with none extras, dates do a whole lot of heavy lifting and make a plain bowl richer, layered, and extra satisfying.