Q: When a baked recipe calls for oats, which kind should I use?

A: Two kinds of oats are typically used in baking: rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats) and quick or quick-cooking oats. They’re often interchangeable in recipes.

Whole oats that are dried, toasted and hulled are called oat groats. Groats that have been steamed and flattened are called rolled or old-fashioned oats. They cook in about 15 minutes and are generally preferred for their fuller, nuttier flavor. They remain visible and their texture prominent in the finished baked product. Quick or quick-cooking oats are rolled oats cut into pieces and rolled even thinner; they cook in about 5 minutes. They’re not very visible in the finished product.

Two other kinds of oats are widely available, but neither works well in baking. Instant oats are precooked and soft, needing only about 1 minute to cook. Steel-cut oatmeal (also called Irish or Scottish oatmeal) is made from cut but not rolled oat groats; it makes a hearty, chewy cereal that cooks in about 30 minutes.