It's hard to imagine a quicker breakfast than oatmeal. Simple, filling, healthy, and familiar. But an oatmeal dessert is something new. But before you diversify your menu with original uses for oatmeal, it's worth finding out why it's considered so healthy.

Rolled oats contain a rich array of microelements and vitamins, organic acids and fiber, as well as enzymes that help improve metabolism and detoxify. Oatmeal energizes the body, boosts immunity, and slows down aging. Oats are also a very effective antidepressant.

A bit of history

For many, oatmeal is associated with the traditions of English cuisine. And this is partly true: the English have indeed been eating it for breakfast for several centuries. However, the true birthplace of oatmeal is Scotland. There, oats were the most popular and revered grain crop. It would be an exaggeration to say they were used in everything from porridges and soups to desserts.

Oatmeal cookies

Oatmeal cookies

Despite the obvious health benefits of rolled oats, not everyone loves it. Oatmeal cookies are a different story! Incidentally, this popular oatmeal dessert is also a Scottish invention. However, at first, it bore little resemblance to dessert—it was simply unleavened, dry cakes.

It took centuries for modern oatmeal cookies to finally acquire their familiar sweet taste. To make oatmeal cookies, you'll need the following ingredients:

  • 300 g of the finest rolled oats;
  • 2 chicken eggs;
  • 1 glass of sugar;
  • 220 g butter;
  • 200 g flour;
  • baking powder, cinnamon and vanilla (1 teaspoon each).

Preparing an oatmeal dessert is very simple:

  1. Thaw the butter to room temperature. Combine it with the sugar and stir. Add the eggs and beat the mixture with a mixer.
  2. Combine the flour, cinnamon, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Gradually add the flour to the butter-egg mixture while using a mixer. Now put the mixer aside and finish mixing the dough with the rolled oats. Mix everything together with a fork.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon the cookies onto it, flattening them. Leave a couple of centimeters of space between each cookie.
  4. The oven temperature should be 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Bake for 12 minutes. Don't remove the hot cookies from the baking sheet, as they will crumble. Let them cool completely.

In theory, oatmeal cookies can be stored for quite a long time. But, as a rule, this doesn't happen: they disappear instantly.

No sugar, flour or oil

Oatmeal cookies without sugar and flour

You can make delicious oatmeal cookies in another way. You'll only need four ingredients:

  • 300 g rolled oats;
  • 300 ml kefir;
  • 3 tbsp. honey;
  • 40 g raisins;
  • Cinnamon and vanilla can be added if desired.

First, soak the rolled oats in kefir and leave for about 40 minutes. After this time, mix the remaining ingredients into the swollen mixture.

Spoon the cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for half an hour in an oven preheated to 180-200 degrees Celsius. For a special touch, sprinkle them with flaked almonds before baking.

Plum crumble

Plum crumble

Another amazingly delicious oatmeal dessert is plum crumble. The principle of this English pastry is as follows: a large amount of fruit is sprinkled with flour crumbs and baked in the oven. The result is a unique, juicy and crunchy dessert.

This recipe suggests replacing some of the flour with rolled oats when making the crumble: it will give it an even better crunch, but the calorie content will be significantly reduced. Here's the list of ingredients you'll need:

  • 160 g rolled oats;
  • flour – 250 g;
  • brown sugar – 80 g;
  • butter – 210 g;
  • plums – 500 g;
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey).

Turn on the oven at the very beginning of the baking process. Set it to 200 degrees Celsius. While it's heating, mix the butter and flour, rubbing everything together with your fingers. Add the oats and sugar. Stir.

Place the halved plums in a baking dish. Drizzle with maple syrup or honey and crumble the prepared pie crust over the plums. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Crumble is usually served hot, with ice cream. Naturally, plums are just one option. Any berries or fruits will do. Incidentally, the classic crumble is baked with apples.

These are just a few examples of unusual uses for oatmeal. We hope oatmeal desserts become a favorite and frequent guest on your table.

Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Video