All About Baking with Oats

Many recipes call for Rolled Oats.. others just say Oats… and still others say Quick Oats…

So just what are the differences?… it’s a common question and many home cooks and bakers are too shy to ask… so … that’s what Cooking Tip of the Day is here for… providing all those pesky little answers to those questions you may have on your mind…

Most Americans are familiar with Quaker Oats… the brand most often used by cooks and bakers… I know my Mother and Grandmothers used them.... and for good reason.. they’ve been around a long time.. Quaker Oats was trademarked back 1877… and has been a good quality and value ever since.

A Little Trivia..

Quaker Oats introduced the “Oat Cake” in 1908… the forerunner of today’s oatmeal cookie (Bless them)…

The familiar round cardboard box was introduced in 1915.

Quaker Quick Oats was introduced in 1922 as one of the first convenience foods.

So… you could say the folks at Quaker have had a bit of experience with oats.

Types of Oats

Rolled Oats are also called Old Fashioned Oats… they are oat groats (whole oats) that have been rolled into flat flakes by heavy rollers, the hard outer husk is almost always removed…..then they’re steamed and toasted.

Steel Cut Oats are oat groats that have been chopped into smaller pieces. Since the hard husk is still on them and contains an enzyme that causes the oats to become rancid… the oat groats are steamed.

Quick Cooking Oats are rolled oats that have been processed more than Old Fashioned Oats… therefore they cook quicker. They’re also mushier and produce less chewy oatmeal cookies.

Instant Oats are just what they sound like… even more processed than Quick Cooking Oats… and shouldn’t be used for baking.

What Type of Oats to Use for Baking?

You can use either the Old Fashioned Oats (Rolled Oats) or the Quick Cooking Oats… however… I highly recommend that you use Old Fashioned Oats, since they are thicker and less processed, they will produce a chewier cookie.

I hope this helps answer your questions!