Sticky Date and Brown Butter Oatmeal
Published September 9, 2025
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 Medjool dates, pitted and torn into smaller pieces
1¼ cups milk (plant-based milk also works well)
¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Fresh fruit, for serving
Heavy cream, for serving, optional
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
67 grams carbs; 40 milligrams cholesterol; 427 calories; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 16 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 644 milligrams sodium; 10 grams protein; 40 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a small pot over medium heat, melt butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter foams and browns, about 2 minutes.
- Step 2
Add dates and ½ cup water and cook, undisturbed, until the dates soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, mash the dates into a paste.
- Step 3
Add milk, oats, vanilla and cinnamon, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender and the oatmeal has reached your desired consistency, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Step 4
Divide the oatmeal between bowls, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve with chopped fruit and a drizzle of cream, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
Delicious! For those who are looking for protein: Maybe find another recipe and leave this one alone.
Wow, what a treat! I prefer steel cut oats, so I added 1/2 cup of oats and increased almond milk to two cups. It does take longer to cook and more stirring, but I thought the result was worth it. I otherwise followed the recipe. Served my oatmeal with sliced banana and a sprinkle of slivered almonds.
@Katie - it sounds like at least a few people do not have or know anyone with diabetes as they assume that sugars are necessarily fine if they are wrapped up in other good things. If you are dealing with high blood sugar, 40 grams, even in something lovely like dates, can be too much. I love to do 1/2 a chopped apple, cinnamon and chopped walnuts to get a hint of sweetness without quite as much sugar. :)
One of my favorite things to eat! Can riff it, change seasonings, add or reduce dates, use different liquid, very customizable. I’ve also done this with steel cut oats - very good.
Mine was took a lot longer than ten minutes to cook and was much more watery than I wanted. Could I use quick cook oats?
Delicious and easy. The dates added just the right amount of sweetness. I only had the smaller Deglet Noor dates, so I used 6 small dates. I followed the recipe, except I added sliced bananas while it was still cooking because I prefer my bananas cooked.