What to cook with oats: 5 recipes

How to choose and store oats

All the recipes here use rolled oats: flat, whole flakes that hold their shape in overnight oats, granola and cookies. Quick-cook or instant flakes are thinner and turn softer, which is fine for the oat crepe or muffins but makes granola less crunchy. Check the pack for whole flakes, not a lot of dust.

Keep oats in a closed jar or tin in a cool, dry cupboard, away from the stove. Because oats contain some natural fat, they can go stale over months; if they smell bitter or dusty, replace them. Homemade granola stays crisp for a couple of weeks in an airtight jar.

Plain oats are the best buy; flavoured instant sachets usually contain added sugar and cost much more per portion.

Tips that make oat recipes better

• Give overnight oats the full night. The flakes need hours to soften; stir in a little extra milk in the morning if it's too thick.
• Bake granola low and stir it every 10 minutes for even colour; it crisps up as it cools, so don't wait for it to feel crunchy in the oven.
• Let the oat crepe batter rest for a few minutes so the flakes absorb the eggs and milk, then cook over medium heat.
• Chill cookie dough briefly if it's soft, so the cookies spread less.

An oat week: what to cook

• Sunday: bake homemade honey nut granola for the week's yoghurt.
• Monday and Wednesday: overnight oats in a jar.
• Tuesday: an oat crepe with cheese and tomato, 15 minutes.
• Thursday: banana oat muffins for snacks.
• Saturday: oatmeal raisin cookies with tea.

Batch cooking, kids and budget

Fill three jars of overnight oats at once; they keep for two to three days in the fridge, with berries added in the morning. Muffins and cookies freeze well. A tray of granola lasts a family most of a week.

Kids enjoy choosing toppings for their jar and helping to stir granola. Oats are one of the cheapest breakfast staples you can buy, and one pack covers everything in this collection.