Trader Joe's Has An Affordable Oatmeal Add-In That'll Make Your Morning

Trader Joe's has done it again. While it's no secret that Trader Joe's freezer aisle is full of hidden gems, their produce is fresh and affordable, and their dairy section is packed with quirky artisanal cheeses, there is one product the store carries that you may have been sleeping on — Trader Joe's Non-Dairy Brown Sugar Oat Creamer. Not only is it dairy-free and vegan (a benefit to the lactose-intolerant and plant-based crowds), it's also less expensive than similar products, costing around $2 per 16-ounce container.

The best part is that this product scored very high on our ranking of 12 popular coffee creamer brands, coming in hot in second place. It scored points for affordability and accommodating various dietary needs but was also thick and creamy with a deliciously subtle brown sugar flavor. In fact, our taste testers had trouble telling the difference between this creamer and regular dairy options. The only real drawback was that it had a slight tendency to separate from the coffee, but this is a non-issue if you use it to elevate your morning bowl of oatmeal, which is where it really shines. TJ's brown sugar oat creamer adds rich texture and flavor to this breakfast favorite. The fact that it's made from oat milk helps it blend in easily and disappear right into your bowl. Plus, there's no lingering graininess from undissolved sugar — just sweet, creamy deliciousness.

Though this hack is fairly simple, there are some mistakes everyone makes with oatmeal that could ruin your breakfast if you're not careful. First and foremost, while using water alone is a surefire way to make bland oatmeal, nixing the water entirely for milk or coffee creamer is also a big ol' no-no. Though water doesn't add much flavor, it quickly and easily soaks into the oats to create a smoothness that coffee creamer can't replicate. Coffee creamer and milk can make oats gummy, which is how you get oatmeal roughly the texture of wallpaper paste.

Instead of using one or the other alone, the best method is to combine the two by starting your oatmeal off in water and adding an equal amount of coffee creamer after the water has absorbed. This creates that chewy, silky richness everyone hopes to achieve when cooking oatmeal. Another method for enhancing your oatmeal with TJ's brown sugar oat creamer is to simply add a few tablespoons at the end of the cooking process, along with goodies like a handful of Trader Joe's homestyle cherry pistachio pecan or chocolate coffee granola. Trader Joe's also sells a wide range of dried and freeze-dried fruits, including tart cherries, raspberries, cranberries, and apricots. Combining these with some selections from the store's nut and seed section can easily take your oatmeal from a daily obligation to the best part of your morning.