Creamy Oatmeal Custard

This oatmeal custard recipe was introduced to me by John. He and his dad made this creamy oatmeal recipe together when he was young. Now, this nostalgic breakfast has also become a part of our lives. This recipe yields a thick, creamy oatmeal with a custard-like consistency. We make this oatmeal when we want to indulge in the morning. I can't say this oatmeal recipe is healthy, but you get a bit of protein from the eggs mixed in! If you love oatmeal and feel like changing up your typical bowl, give this one a try.

Update Disclosure: This post has been updated for one or more of the following reasons: easier reading, updated photos, clearer instructions, and just plain ol' improvements to the recipe (as noted).

Jump to:

• What Makes this Oatmeal Custard
• Ingredients
• Subtitutes
• Recipe Tips
• How to Make Creamy Oatmeal Custard
• To Dress or Not to Dress
• Oatmeal Custard Recipe
• Have You Tried This Recipe?

What Makes this Oatmeal Custard

According to our good friends at Merriam-Webster, custard is a cooked, thickened creamy product made with eggs and milk or cream. The oatmeal in this recipe is first boiled with milk and some water to cook thoroughly. Then we add the egg once the oats have finished cooking.

The key to this recipe is how you add egg to the oatmeal. If you simply plop the raw egg in the hot oatmeal, the egg will cook quickly. As you mix, you will end up with streaks of yellow and white. That is not what we want.

Ingredients

This simple recipe requires a few ingredients:

• Oatmeal
• Water
• Whole Milk
• Eggs
• Salt and Sugar to taste

Subtitutes

• Whole Milk: You can substitute whatever type of milk you'd like to use for this recipe. The type of milk you use will have an effect on the creaminess of the oatmeal.

Recipe Tips

• Tempering: To achieve the custard texture, we will use a technique called tempering. First, you will add some of the hot oatmeal to the raw eggs to increase the temperature of the raw eggs. Once the eggs' temperature is close to the temperature of the oatmeal in the pot, we pour them in the oatmeal and mix gently. The eggs won't bind quickly and scramble in the pot. Instead, it will create a creamy texture. 

• Heat Sensitive: Pay attention to the cooking process and your stovetop's heat so that you can yield a consistent texture!

How to Make Creamy Oatmeal Custard

If you have made oatmeal before, you know that the cooking process will go very quickly. In less than ten minutes, you will have a piping hot bowl of oatmeal!

Here is an overview of the process:

1. Crack eggs in a bowl and whisk together then set aside.
2. Add the water plus the milk to a pot and bring to a slight simmer. Once it starts simmering, add the oatmeal and mix it in.
3. Cook the oatmeal on low heat for about three minutes. 
4. Remove the pot from the heat. Add a spoonful of cooked oatmeal to the bowl of eggs and stir.
5. Repeat step number four until the bowl of eggs are incorporated and is the similar temperature of the oatmeal.
6. Pour the eggs in the rest of the oatmeal and combine.
7. Place it back to the heat on the lowest setting and stir as you continue to cook for no less than two minutes. 
8. Add salt and sugar to taste.

To Dress or Not to Dress

I leave it entirely up to you on how to top this creamy oatmeal recipe. For photography's sake, I added some strawberries, blackberries, almond slivers, and brown sugar syrup. 

But to be honest, on regular days, all I have to do is add a spoonful of brown sugar to feel like I am eating a deluxe bowl of oatmeal. The creaminess of this oatmeal custard does a lot to make it feel luxurious!