January is National Oatmeal Month: Recipes and Facts

January is National Oatmeal Month. Did you know that Americans buy more oatmeal during the month of January than any other month during the year? It's no wonder, oatmeal is a hot breakfast, perfect for cold, wintery days, and it's good for you. Many create New Year's resolutions to eat better and improve their health, so it's just natural for so much oatmeal to be consumed during the blustery days of January.

Below are a bunch of recipes from our site that use oatmeal as an ingredient. You can see our complete search for "oats" here, or visit our Oatmeal Cookie section here. Be sure to check out our oatmeal tips below as well!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Almond Granola Bars
Low Fat Fruit & Oatmeal Bars
Apple Crisp
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Honey Banana Bread
Mennonite Oatmeal Cake
Cranberry Caramel Bars
Granola
Cowboy Cookie Mix

Oatmeal Tips
by Amanda Formaro

Oatmeal is a very versatile grain. You can cook it and eat it as is, use it in baked goods, and even make it into soap! There are several different types of oatmeal, knowing the difference can save you from a bowl of cardboard for breakfast.

Types of Oatmeal
There are several types of oatmeal, the most common being old fashioned oats, quick cooking oats, steel cut oats, and instant oatmeal. All oatmeal is made from oat groats. Oat groats are minimally processed whole oats that take a long time to cook in their whole state.

Old Fashioned Oats
Probably the most common type of oats, widely available on grocer shelves, old fashioned oats are used in baking as well as cooked and eaten for breakfast. This type of oat has been steam heated and then flattened, forming an oat flake. A bowl of old fashioned oatmeal usually takes about 5 minutes in boiling water or 2-3 minutes in the microwave.

Quick Cooking Oats
These are basically old fashioned oats that have been flattened further still and cut into smaller pieces to allow them to cook faster. This process allows for a much faster cooking time.

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