Egg White Oatmeal (No Protein Powder)
⏱ 10 min💪 26g protein per bowl🔥 ~400 cal🍽 1 bowl
Egg whites whisked into oatmeal off the heat triple its volume and turn it into something closer to a mousse than porridge. Half a cup of whites adds about 13g of protein with almost no calories and no flavor of its own. The whole recipe hinges on two things: take the pan off the burner first, and whisk constantly. Do those and you get fluffy oats, not oats with scrambled bits in them.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup skim or 1 percent milk
- 1/2 cup liquid egg whites (about 4 whites)
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup blueberries
Instructions
- Bring the water, milk, oats, cinnamon, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the oats are tender and most of the liquid is gone.
- Pull the pan off the heat and let it sit 30 seconds so it stops bubbling. Egg whites hitting a boiling pot scramble instantly.
- Pour the egg whites in a thin stream while whisking constantly and vigorously. Keep whisking a full minute as the mixture pales, thickens, and nearly doubles in volume.
- Return the pan to low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, still whisking, until the oatmeal is thick and glossy and no longer smells eggy.
- Stir in the vanilla and maple syrup, top with hemp hearts and blueberries, and eat right away. This does not keep, so cook it to order.
Tips
- Constant motion plus a cooled pan is the whole technique. Either one alone gives you soup with white flecks in it.
- If you do get flecks, the pan was too hot. It is still perfectly good to eat, and 5 seconds with an immersion blender smooths it right out.
- Carton egg whites beat separating your own here. They are pasteurized, they pour in a controlled stream, and you are not left holding four yolks.
FAQ
- Is it safe to eat egg whites cooked this way?
- Yes. Returning the pan to low heat for a minute or two takes the mixture well past the 160F where egg proteins set, and pasteurized carton whites add margin.
- Does it taste like eggs?
- Not once it is cooked through. If you smell egg, keep it on low heat another 30 seconds. Undercooked whites are what taste eggy.
- How does this hit 26g of protein with no protein powder?
- Half a cup of egg whites is about 13g, the oats add 6g, the milk 4g, and hemp hearts the rest. It is a straight whole-food swap for a scoop of whey.
- Can I make it in the microwave?
- Yes, in stages. Cook the oats, whisk in the whites off the heat, then microwave in 20 second bursts whisking after each, or you end up with an omelet.
