Popular Porridges
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Most Popular Recipes!
I work in a data-based school, which means we are constantly collecting and analyzing data about our students’ progress to guide our decisions to further their growth. Although I am not a fan of over-testing kids, the past two years have definitely converted me to a believer in the value of data.
This is true of my blog as well. I love studying page views, “favorites” and “repins,” and Instagram trends. Considering how frequently people tell me they enjoy my blog but don’t know where to start, this post might help you decide what to try first! 🙂
Most Favorited on FoodGawker
I had to list these first, considering how honored I am every single time one of my recipes is published here. Whenever a post is “successful” here, it’s the dairy-free icing on the vegan cake. According to my observations, the FoodGawker community will gravitate to the most aesthetically pleasing or “fanciest” recipes, as opposed to healthy or easy. Here are my most favorited recipes on FoodGawker:
5. Salted Brownie Baked Oatmeal: Revisited – Favorited 180 times
4. Bananas Foster Oatmeal – Favorited 183 times
3. Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal – Favorited 211 times
2. Elvis Oatcake Stack – Favorited 239 times
1. Choco-Banana Oatcakes with PB Mousse – Favorited 284 times
Most Repinned on Pinterest
Frustratingly, I cannot track every single time something is repinned on Pinterest from other people’s pins; I can only track when people repin MY pins. Thus, this data was taken from my own Pinterest board, The Oatmeal Artist. Compared to FoodGawkers, Pinners are less picky about aesthetics and more interested in EASE and CHOCOLATE. 🙂 Here are my top five most repinned recipes on Pinterest:
5. Brownie Batter Oatmeal – Repinned 320 times
4. Tiramisu Overnight Oatmeal – Repinned 327 times
3. Cookie Dough Overnight Oatmeal – Repinned 343 times
2. Chocolate Banana Overnight Oatmeal – Repinned 410 times
1. Peanut Butter & Banana Baked Oatmeal – Repinned 872 times
Coming soon… Most Liked on Facebook!
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
Best of 2013
See also: Best of 2012
One more year has passed, which means my blog is just over a year and a half old now. Like I said a year ago, I can’t believe I was able to stick with something for this long! Can you believe I’ve been pumping two to three original oatmeal recipes every week for a year and a half? How is that even possible? How is it possible that I still have ideas left?
Much to my great pleasure and gratitude, 2013 was a great year for me. I began my partnership with Country Choice Organic, started my Facebook fan page, introduced the Oatmeal Enthusiasts series, was featured on the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed, celebrated my first FoodGawker acceptance, and–last but not least–this happened.
With all of that peppered throughout my exhausting first and second school year in urban education, my life seems pretty satisfying right now. Being tired and stress most of the time, it’s not until moments like this that I actually have time to reflect on how great my year has been–with many thanks to this site and all of you for supporting it!
Here are my most popular OR personal favorites from 2013. I had to change the categories a bit from last year (because “Best Stove-Top Oatmeal” is way too overwhelming of a competitive field!). I also added categories (because I’m the boss and I can do that). Feel free to comment with recipes you think are missing from the list. 🙂 I love hearing your thoughts on this!
1. Fan Favorite Recipe
Brownie Batter Oatmeal: I love this oatmeal (although I tend to make the peanut butter version), and–by making it the most-viewed recipe posted in 2013–you all demonstrated that you share this love! Not only did it receive tons of views, but it also gathered double the amount of comments of my other popular recipes.
2. Pinterest Queen
Chocolate Banana Overnight Oatmeal: I was originally horrified when this recipe became a hit because I hated the photos for it. I was mortified every single time I saw it repinned. Luckily, I found the time to redo them, and now I love sharing this recipe with others! This oatmeal received the most “repins” than any other recipe born in 2013 (although it may never catch up with Peanut Butter and Banana Baked Oatmeal, which currently has over 500 repins!).
3. Best Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Pumpkin Pie Steel-Cut Oatmeal: Of course a pumpkin pie recipe made it on the list–you all proved this year with the mega hits my other recipes received from you that you love pumpkin pie oatmeal! I always loved all of the pumpkin pie recipes, but something was truly special about the steel-cut version. I made it for my roommates, and they all moaned in appreciation as they ate it. When I tried it myself, I had to agree that it was absolutely decadent–except it was sweetened entirely with dates!
4. Best Baked Oatmeal
Pecan Pie Baked Oatmeal: This oatmeal received more page views and repins than any other baked oatmeal recipe in 2013. I can understand why; it’s fabulous. However, I’ll be the first to admit that it’s more of a dessert than a breakfast, but hey, there are oats, so…fiber? 🙂
5. Best Savory Oatmeal
Sweet Potato & Soyrizo Oatmeal: This combination is incredible. It’s one of the few savory recipes that I’ve made multiple times. I didn’t even look up how many views, comments, or pins my savory recipes received this year; I simply made the executive decision that this one is the best. Deal with it. 🙂
6. Best Stupid-Easy Oatmeal
Applesauce Oatmeal: I scared some readers off when I said the words “homemade applesauce,” but seriously…I made it in the microwave. I sliced the apples, added some cinnamon and other spices, and steamed in a covered container. After a couple minutes, I took it out and mashed it up easily. All that was left to do was stir it into the eagerly awaiting oats. EASY.
7. Best Labor-Intensive Oatmeal
Grilled Peach Steel-Cut Oatmeal: I had to grill a GD peach, for Quaker’s sake!
8. Best Non-Porridge Recipe
Banana Chocolate Chip Oatcakes: The fact that I was able to eat these while suffering from food poisoning tells you how delicious they are. I fought through the pain for each decadent bite!
9. Best Unusual Oatmeal
Strawberry Basil Oatmeal: I loved seeing how many of you were brave enough to try this one (and you all agreed that the results were fabulous)! Oh yeah, and if you added the optional balsamic reduction, you are officially an honorary Oatmeal Enthusiast.
10. Best Muesli
Cookie Dough Muesli: Personally, I’d rather have Autumn Muesli, but my readers showed their preference loud and clear by giving Cookie Dough Muesli the most views, comments, AND repins. Additionally, I also received a slew of Tweets from readers who had tried and loved this recipe. Fine, Cookie Dough wins. 🙂
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
Oatmeals to Impress
I definitely do not pretend to be the kind of person that understands humans. On the contrary, I find them incredibly perplexing. Like, how can there be an entire population of people who loathe oatmeal? How? How?
Alas, these people exist. I believe most of them simply haven’t had it made properly. They think of the crappy instant packets, or the super gummy stuff served in some cafeterias. Here is a round-up of recipes I think are delicious enough to please the pickiest eater, but fun enough to appeal to the most unenthusiastic!
Psst…if you’re really having a tough time trying to win over an oatmeal hater, I would also suggest checking out the chocolate recipes!
It beautifully replicates the taste of Neapolitan ice cream, and it’s
out of this world. I have a hard time imagining someone not enjoying this one, no
matter how strongly they insist on not liking oatmeal!
Start caramelizing everything, and people will think you’re superman. This trick
is actually much easier than you might think, but it adds and luxurious touch
that will make your lucky recipient feel quite loved! You can either use the caramelized
bananas as a topping, mixed into the oatmeal, or both! You could even add chocolate,
is actually much easier than you might think, but it adds and luxurious touch
that will make your lucky recipient feel quite loved! You can either use the caramelized
bananas as a topping, mixed into the oatmeal, or both! You could even add chocolate,
as I’m apt to doing. Frequently.
3. Banana Split Oatmeal
Proof that presentation is everything. The assembly is a bit time-consuming, but
how could you not find this appealing? It looks like straight-up
dessert, but it’s incredibly healthy! There’s not one ounce of ice cream,
sugar, or hot fudge in this banana split.
Obviously. I swear, this oatmeal makes EVERY list. It’s so decadent!
A personal favorite, as well as a reader favorite. I can’t see how
ANYONE could turn their nose up at this! As long as your recipient isn’t a misguided
cookie-hater, you will earn major props for this one.
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
Best of 2012
I truly am proud of this blog. Why? It’s one of the few projects that I stuck with for longer than a month. I tend to have grand ideas, only to abandon them a few weeks later. This blog, however, is the exception!
It’s been a great year of blogging, and although I sometimes posted out of duty and not enthusiasm, I never felt enslaved by the blog. I want to thank all of you that have left the sweetest comments throughout the year. It’s your kind words that motivate me to keep posting!
To celebrate the end of the year, I’ve decided to compile a round-up of my favorites from the year. Instead of listing the “ten most popular” recipes or something of the sort, I’ve decided to pick one recipe per category. (If I just listed the “best of the year,” it would essentially just mirror the most popular recipes on the blog, since my blog has only been around for a year!)
I picked the following favorites by ranking my personal favorites alongside the most popular recipes (aka the most visited or commented). In other words, there is no exact science to these rankings; they’re kind of subjective!
1. Best Stove-Top Oatmeal
Almond Joy Oatmeal: There is something so sensational about this recipe. It’s fudgy and rich, yet shockingly healthy! It’s sweetened only by bananas, but thanks to the almond extract, you can’t taste it!
2. Best Baked Oatmeal
Peanut Butter Cookie Baked Oatmeal: There were certainly a few baked oatmeals that got more hits than this one, but in my opinion, they just didn’t stack up to this one!
3. Best Overnight Oatmeal
Overnight Cookie Dough Oatmeal: This one was too new to have a fair shot at racking up the most views, but it acquired so many repins so quickly that I thought it had earned the honor.
4. Best Stupid-Easy Oatmeal
Peanut Butter and Banana Baked Oatmeal: I can’t believe how popular this recipe is! Certainly, it’s one of my favorites, but it seemed like such an obvious recipe that I didn’t think my audience would celebrate it as much as they did!
5. Best Labor-Intensive Oatmeal
Neapolitan Baked Oatmeal: Without a doubt, this was worth the hours I spent making it! Wow!
6. Best Topping
The Coconut-Pecan Butter from the German Chocolate Baked Oatmeal: If you’re at all familiar with this blog, you know I have two loves: coconut and nut butters. This frosting-like topping combined those two loves and created something so out of this world that I felt compelled to hide it in the back of the fridge so my roommates wouldn’t discover it. 😉
7. Best Crazy-Healthy Oatmeal
Green Monster Oatmeal: Yep, that’s right. I put spinach in oatmeal. And you guys liked it!
8. Best “Naughty” Oatmeal
Thin Mints Oatmeal: Want to know a secret? This oatmeal seems naughty…but it isn’t at all. Just like the Almond Joy Oatmeal above, it’s sweetened by bananas.
9. Best Non-Porridge Recipe
Banana-Oat Waffles: Top these with some peanut butter (may I suggest Dark Chocolate Dreams by PB&Company?), and you’ve got yourself a treat!
10. Best Unusual Oatmeal
Baked Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Oatmeal: Perhaps it’s not the concept that’s unusual, but the method. How on earth, you ask, did I put bananas in a lemon poppy seed muffin oatmeal, and not have it taste like a trainwreck? Even I cannot answer that. You’ll have to try it yourself to believe it.
Did I miss any good ones? What were your favorite oatmeal recipes from 2012? 🙂
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
Basic Oatmeal How-To (3 Simple Recipes)
I really love oatmeal. It’s not just something I eat in the winter time, and it’s not something I eat once a month. I have it at least four times a week, all year round.
I had oatmeal for the first time two years ago, during my sophomore year of college. I knew I needed more soluble fiber in my diet to get my digestion issues under control, but I also wanted a low-cal option to help me lose my freshmen you-don’t-even-want-to-know-how-much.
