041 / 75 · Breakfast in a New Place
Apple and Ginger Skillet Oats
2 bowls · Active 10 min · Total 25 min
Print recipe · PDFApple and fresh ginger give skillet oats a little bite, with the fruit softened in butter before the oats are added. A wide pan cooks quickly but also loses liquid quickly, so keep the heat moderate and stir along the edges. The final texture should be creamy with visible apple pieces.
Keep the apple small
A medium dice softens while retaining some shape. Large chunks need longer than the oats, while grated apple disappears into the porridge. Cook the apple with ginger before adding milk and oats so the ginger loses its raw edge. The butter is for flavor and preventing sticking, not frying the fruit until dark.
Watch the edges
A skillet exposes more surface than a saucepan. Stir around the rim as well as the center, and add a tablespoon or two of water if the oats thicken before they are tender. Rolled oats work here; steel-cut oats require much longer, and instant oats need less time. Serve as soon as the texture is right. The pan is easy to clean if filled with warm washing water soon after the meal, once it is safe to handle.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter (14 g)
- 1 large apple, cored and diced (180 g)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (5 g)
- 1 cup rolled oats (80 g)
- 1 1/2 cups milk (360 ml)
- 1/2 cup water (120 ml), plus more as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup (10 ml)
Set out
10-inch skillet, Wooden spoon
Allergens
Milk, Oats. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Melt butter over medium-low heat. Add apple and ginger; cook 4–5 minutes, stirring, until apple begins to soften.
- Add oats, milk, water, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until oats are tender and creamy. Add a little water if thickening too quickly.
- Stir in maple syrup, divide between bowls and serve.
A wide pan needs attention
Do not leave a skillet of milk unattended while setting up outside. Keep stirring and have bowls ready before the oats thicken.
A useful detail
Check the oat packet and adjust the simmer time for its thickness; this recipe is not for steel-cut oats.
Another way
- Use a firm pear instead of apple.
- Replace fresh ginger with 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger added with the cinnamon.
Keep it well
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 2 days. Reheat to 165°F/74°C, stirring in extra milk or water to loosen.