Turn Oatmeal Into A Soufflé For A Fancy Twist On Breakfast

Oats and soufflés might seem incongruous in concept. The former is often preceded by something like "quick," or "easy overnight." A lot of folks also associate oats with just-add-water variety packs and dubious fruit flavors. Soufflés, on the other hand are more often grouped with haute cuisine, evoking tableaus of toque-topped chefs tiptoeing around kitchens, lest the finicky creation collapses at the slightest disturbance. But the two disparate dishes can actually meet closer to the middle, in the form of a gracefully nostalgic oatmeal soufflé.

This delightful little culinary pairing more simply marries its titular elements than one might imagine. The oatmeal is, unsurprisingly, the easiest part, which you'll prepare more or less the way you would for any old breakfast or comforting snack. The soufflé component is a little more involved, requiring careful attention to its crucial egg whites, just like those cloud-like soufflé pancakes you might be more familiar with. Once you've got them whipped into ideal peak form and combined with your other soufflé ingredients (typically flour, separated yolks, and sugar), you'll fold it all together and put it in ramekins to bake. The finished product should imbue all the lightness of a standard soufflé with the dynamic texture of oats.

One of the great things oatmeal and soufflés have in common is that each is highly customizable on its own. For every decadent chocolate soufflé, there's a rich, cheesy counterpart or a veggie-forward adaptation. For every savory bowl of oatmeal, there's another that's been packed with berries, sliced bananas, or swirls of honey. Oatmeal soufflé is similarly versatile.

The easiest way to further dress up your oatmeal soufflé is with a little jam or compote on the side. Something like a raspberry sauce or crème anglaise would also be marvelous on top, if ever more time-consuming to whip up. Or, you can make it all heartier with the addition of cheddar or Gruyère. And, because oatmeal soufflé is most commonly baked and served in several individual portions, it joins crowd pleasers like elegant coddled eggs and sophisticated tinned fish charcuterie boards as great group brunch options when hosting at home.