20 Healthy Oatmeal Recipes That Will Brighten Your Morning

Blueberry Vanilla Protein Oatmeal

This breakfast might be simple, but it’s the kind of oatmeal you’d pay way more for in a restaurant. Yet at home, you can make it in 10 minutes, and the recipe is adaptable to use any fruit or nuts you have on hand.

Make the oatmeal in boiling water with a pinch of salt. Once it’s finished, stir in the protein powder and berries. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt, and sprinkle almonds on top.

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Banana Oatmeal Cream Pies

Once you try one of these wholesome oatmeal cream pies, you won’t go back to Little Debbie’s. Instead of tasting like sugar with a creamy sugar filling, this dessert is full of bananas and peanut butter.

Start by baking a double batch of vegan oatmeal banana cookies, so you wind up with about 4 dozen. Then make buttercream that replaces half of the butter (or non-dairy alternative) with all-natural peanut butter.

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Protein Porridge with Stewed Pears

To make a bowl of protein oatmeal, you just need three ingredients – and that includes the oats and liquid. It’s plain, which makes it a good base for everything from peanut butter and jam to bacon and cheddar.

If you have fresh pears or apples and some extra time, cook the fruit in boiled water until soft. The warm pears are especially delicious when preparing to brave the cold weather, and you’ll have leftovers to reheat for a nourishing dessert.

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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Boxed oatmeal bars don’t have anything on these. Instead of corn syrup, there’s vanilla protein powder. That means there’s more protein than carbs in these peanut butter chocolate oatmeal bars, although the exact amounts vary depending on the kind of protein powder used.

No matter what, they beat the packaged oatmeal bars in terms of flavor and nutrition – with no added sugar.

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Oatmeal Cookie Protein Shake

Most oatmeal cookies are not a nutritious breakfast. Try this protein shake instead. It tastes like your favorite cookie without any butter or sugar, and you can choose to use honey, maple syrup, agave, or stevia to sweeten this smoothie.

With non-fat cottage cheese, this oatmeal smoothie has practically zero grams of fat. And if you pick a protein powder like LEGION that doesn’t contain fillers, the combo of whey and cottage cheese can add up to 45 grams of protein per shake.

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Strawberry Coconut Breakfast Pie

Pie for breakfast? This baked oatmeal is served up like strawberry pie, so it’s guaranteed to be a delicious start to your day.

It’s also nutritious with vitamin C and minerals like copper from the strawberries, fiber from the coconut, and slow-digesting carbs from the oats. For a boost of protein, serve with Greek yogurt.

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Berry Shortcake Overnight Oats

Shortcake with berries and cream is a classic summer dessert, and with this easy oatmeal, now you can have it for breakfast too.

Stir all the ingredients together the night before, and you’ll have chilled oatmeal ready in the morning. It’s a great way to prepare a make-ahead breakfast without eggs or baking. Overnight oats are also well-balanced nutritionally with over 20 grams of protein but less than 5 grams of fat.

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Personalized Baked Oatmeal Cups

Although these look like muffins, they’re made with double the oats for a mini version of baked oatmeal. Nutritionally, these are closer to a bowl of oatmeal since they have no flour. But if you’re used to making muffins, the preparation will feel familiar.

Start by mixing together all the dry ingredients in one bowl. Then, gently stir in most of the wet ingredients – eggs, applesauce, and mashed banana, and honey – and add the milk last. Divide between muffin cups, and bake for a half hour.

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Cottage Cheese Oatmeal Pancakes

These three-ingredient pancakes are easier and healthier than starting with a prepared mix. Whisk together cottage cheese, eggs, and oats. Then add the batter to a greased pan to cook.

You can also add all kinds of mix-ins to these cottage cheese pancakes, including peanut butter, fresh fruit, or spices. Toppings like a PB2 yogurt drizzle can also add flavor and nutrition.

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10-Minute Apple Pie Oatmeal

This oatmeal is inspired by apple pie. While it has many of the same ingredients – fresh apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans – there’s no butter. And all you have to do to prepare this is cut up the apples and measure the ingredients, making it great for busy mornings when you can’t bear to skimp on breakfast.

This pie-flavored oatmeal is also delicious enough to have on holidays or serve to houseguests.

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Bacon, Egg & Mushroom Oatmeal

This savory oatmeal combines breakfast favorites in an unexpected way. A plate of bacon and cheesy eggs is perfect in the morning, and a bowl of oatmeal can also hit the spot. So why not combine them in one awesome breakfast?

With so many components, it will take more time to assemble than a regular bowl of oatmeal. That makes it great for weekends and holidays.

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Chocolate Chai Oatmeal

How can you make chocolate suitable for breakfast? Add oats, to start. This also has chai tea to kick start your morning with a blend of spices and a bit of caffeine (unless you choose decaf).

And since the flavor only comes from a couple teaspoons of cocoa powder, this bowl of chocolate oatmeal delivers less than 5 grams of fat. To make it richer, however, you can choose to stir in peanut butter or coconut oil.

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Caramel Apple Overnight Oatmeal Smoothie

Take overnight oatmeal a step further. After soaking the oats, apples, and dates in almond milk overnight, they can be blended together for a breakfast smoothie. Since there’s no frozen fruit, this breakfast smoothie is more suitable for chilly mornings.

It’s a good idea to add a scoop of protein powder before blending, although you might need more almond milk to reach the desired consistency.

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Tropical Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Since these oatmeal cookies are full of tropical fruit, they don’t require any added sugar or alternative sweeteners. There’s plenty of flavor from the banana, pineapple, and coconut.

And if you can’t find MELT spread, substitute an equal amount of coconut oil, plus a squeeze of honey or sprinkle of brown sugar.

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Amish-Style Apple & Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

This oatmeal apple crisp is lightly sweetened, making it good for breakfast or dessert. As an Amish recipe, it keeps things simple with oats, butter, and spices. And you can make this baked oatmeal even easier by omitting the apples altogether.

Or, get creative with mix-ins like nuts and dried fruit. Just stir them into the flour before adding the milk and eggs.

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Zucchini Bread Oatmeal

It might seem healthy to have a piece of zucchini bread for breakfast, but sometimes those low-sugar baked goods are loaded with fat in the form of butter or oil. This bowl of oatmeal has the flavor you love in zucchini bread, and it only requires a handful of ingredients.

Mix together the oats, milk, and spices in a pot, and bring to a boil. Then stir in grated zucchini and brown sugar to simmer until cooked.

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Lemon, Thyme & Honey Oatmeal

This oatmeal is both sweet and savory. Lemon zest and lemon juice are the dominant flavor, with fresh thyme to complement it. This might sound like it’s better suited for chicken breast, but thyme can also be used in desserts.

The earthy herb also pairs well with blueberries or apricots, so either fruit would work as a topping.

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Soaked Oatmeal

Most overnight oats wind up being chilled, which is good for warm weather. But this is a warm overnight oatmeal that doesn’t require a Crock Pot.

Instead it stands at room temperature overnight. Then in the morning, heat it over the stove until the mixture comes to a boil. This process helps break down the oats for digestion, and it’s adaptable to use up whatever suits your diet.

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The Ultimate Protein Oatmeal

This bowl of protein-packed oatmeal is made to fuel muscle growth. And believe it or not, getting 50 grams of protein for breakfast doesn’t require any protein powder.

This recipe relies on egg whites, peanut butter, cottage cheese, and 5 grams of protein from the oats themselves. It makes a massive serving that you can easily share with a friend, especially with a selection of toppings like nuts, fruit, or seeds.

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Lemon Pie Overnight Protein Oatmeal

Oatmeal doesn’t have to be bland. Instead, transform those oats into a healthy version of dessert.

This recipe uses lemon juice and sugar-free pudding to make overnight oatmeal that tastes like pie. If it’s easier to use plain Greek yogurt and vanilla pudding for convenience, simply add more lemon juice to taste.

You can also boost the flavor by mixing in a teaspoon of lemon zest.

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