I tend to add a spoon of apple butter—just apples and spices (no butter.)

Must remember to soak the groats tonight and try them tomorrow night. No need for fridge —weather suddenly turned cold and rainy, had some lovely days before. (12–16°C is a lovely temperature especially when doing some work even just walking the dog. Over 18°C is not nearly as pleasant. Sounds contradictory but there you go, is what I find.)

I did once (had no milk I guess) make the oats with water. Not too bad but a tiny trifle watery—would do it again but only if unexpectedly out of milk. I don’t drink nut “milks.”

Groats are the hulled kernels of various cereal grains, such as oat, wheat, rye, and barley. Groats are whole grains that include the cereal germ and fiber-rich bran portion of the grain, as well as the endosperm. Groats can also be produced from pseudocereal seeds such as buckwheat. Wikipedia

You may be wondering, ‘what are oat groats’? Oat groats are whole oat kernels that have been cleaned of their inedible outer hull. They are a whole grain that is minimally processed, leaving them high in fiber, protein, and minerals.

Ingredients
3 cups water**
1 cup whole oat groats, rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
optional toppings, see notes

Stovetop Directions

Add the water, oat groats, and salt to a medium-sized saucepan. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and place the lid on the pot.

Cook for 45 minutes for a slightly chewy texture or 60 to 70 minutes for a soft, creamy texture.
If there is any liquid left in the pot, drain it off.