Oatmeal recipes aren’t just for breakfast (but they are pretty fantastic then, too)! From pancakes and waffles to muffins, cakes, and breads, there’s an oatmeal recipe for every craving.
If I had to pick my favorite pantry staple, I might end up with a three-way tie.
There’s my favorite frugal protein booster: beans.
Then there’s my go-to easy side dish: rice.
And then there’s my breakfast buddy: oats.
There’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of oatmeal with all of your favorite toppings. But as you’ll see, oatmeal recipes are so much more than a classic maple and brown sugar breakfast.
WHY MAKE OATMEAL RECIPES
I make oatmeal recipes all the time. Oats are one of my favorite ingredients to use!
- They’re good for you. Along with vitamins and minerals, oats contain both soluble fiber and protein, which help you feel fuller longer and keep your blood sugar stable.
- Frugal. Even without a sale, oats are one of the cheaper pantry staples to keep on hand.
- Customizable. Not only can you top your bowl of oatmeal with all sorts of yummy things, but there are also so many oats recipes.
- Work with your macros. You can add whole grain oats to all sorts of recipes for a boost in protein and fiber.
THE BEST BASIC OATMEAL RECIPES
Sometimes you just want a good, satisfying bowl of oatmeal for a healthy breakfast. If that’s you, these basic oatmeal recipes will give you a creamy, hearty bowl of goodness, whichever type of oats you have and whichever way you want to cook them!
- High Protein Oatmeal
- Breakfast Porridge
- Single Serve Slow Cooker Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Oatmeal
- Perfect Overnight Steel Cut Oats
- Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets
Top with a little maple syrup or honey for sweetener and your favorite toppings! We love everything from chia seeds, cranberries, raisins, fresh fruit, pears, mangoes, and sunflower seeds!
OATMEAL RECIPES FOR BREAKFAST: PANCAKES AND WAFFLES
If you have plenty of oats on hand, but you’re looking for variation from the classic oatmeal, try one of these oatmeal recipes for breakfast.
- Cinnamon Oatmeal Blender Waffles
- Double Chocolate Waffles
- Oatmeal Pancakes
- Chocolate Pancakes
- Protein Pancakes
- Leftover Oatmeal Cakes
- Almond Flour Pancakes
RECIPES OATMEAL MUFFINS
I love oatmeal muffins – they’re perfectly chewy without being dense, and they keep me full longer than muffins made with just flour.
- Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins
- Applesauce Muffins
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- 5-Minute Blender Banana Bread Muffins
- Zucchini Muffins with Apples and Carrots
MORE OATMEAL BREAKFAST RECIPES
With even more oatmeal breakfast recipes, you can have something different every day of the month! Some of these baking with oatmeal recipes work well for snacks, too.
- Oatmeal Peach Crumble Recipe
- Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Molasses Breakfast Cookies
Or add oats to your morning smoothie to make it taste like a baked good (like this Pumpkin Smoothie or this Cheesecake Blueberry Smoothie).
BAKING WITH OATMEAL RECIPES
Oatmeal isn’t just for breakfast – try it in these delicious baked goods and recipes for oatmeal bread, too.
- Healthy Jam Oatmeal Bars
- Leftover Oatmeal Chocolate Cake
- Maple Oatmeal Bread
- Easy Oat Bread
- Black Bean Brownies
- Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
- White Bean Blondies
- Maple Pecan Blondies
COOKIE RECIPES USING OATMEAL
You can’t have a list of oatmeal recipes without mentioning cookies!
- Vanishing Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Unbaked Cookies
- Healthy No Bake Cookies
YUMMY GRANOLA RECIPES USING OATS
One of my favorite snacks is a bowl of Greek yogurt topped with some delicious granola. Try one of these fun flavors:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola
- Strawberry Chocolate Granola Clusters
- Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits with Simple Granola
- Cinnamon Granola with Coconut Oil
- Cranberry Orange Granola
OATMEAL SNACK RECIPES
Use oats in your snack recipes to tide everyone over until dinner time – the fiber helps keep you full for longer.
- Oatmeal Peanut Butter Energy Balls
- Sweet and Salty Energy Bites
- No Bake Brownie Bites
- Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Kitchen Sink Homemade Granola Bars
- Cookie Dough Hummus
- Pumpkin Larabar Bites (use oats instead of shredded coconut)
- Apple Crumble Ice Cream
RECIPE OATMEAL TYPES
These are the most common types of oats:
- Steel Cut Oats. After harvesting, oats are separated from the husk in a large spinning machine. In the process, many oat groats are broken into small pieces. These small pieces of oat groats are steel-cut oats.
- Old-Fashioned Oats. The steel-cut oats are sifted so that only larger oat groats remain. These are rolled in between large pins and flattened. The result is considered old-fashioned oats.
- Rolled Oats. Old-fashioned oats are steamed and lightly toasted to aid in the cooking process at home. These are called rolled oats.
- Quick Oats. These oats are cut into smaller pieces before being rolled, steamed, and toasted. This is again to aid in the cooking process at home.
- Instant Oatmeal. This is the Quaker maple and brown sugar I grew up with. The oats are pre-cooked at the factory and then dried, usually with flavoring and sweetener added before packaging.
To increase nutrition and eat as much real food as possible, aim for old-fashioned oats at a minimum when making your favorite recipe oatmeal dishes. Steel-cut oats have a higher level of nutrition because some of the bran (the outer protective shell) will still be intact.
You can also use any type of oats to make oat flour.
PROTEIN BOOSTERS FOR HEALTHY OATMEAL RECIPES
Oatmeal has plenty of carbohydrates, but on its own, it doesn’t have enough fat or protein to keep you going until lunch. Adding both will keep your blood sugar stable and give you the sustaining energy you need.
Looking to boost the protein in oatmeal recipes? Try one (or more) of these easy ways:
- Try adding a tablespoon of extra creamy peanut butter (or almond butter or nut butter)! You’ll add 4g of protein plus yummy nutty flavor. Or add peanut butter powder for the same flavor with less fat.
- Use unsweetened almond milk (learn how to make it homemade here), coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk instead of water. A half cup of almond milk adds 1g of protein.
- Stir in a little Greek yogurt or cottage cheese – ¼ cup adds 3g of protein.
- Add a scoop of protein powder – you’ll get 15-30g depending on the brand.
- Top your breakfast recipes oats with chopped nuts. 1 Tablespoon of almonds gives you 2g, and pecans and walnuts give you 1g plus all the healthy fats!
OATMEAL RECIPE FAQS
Are there oatmeal recipes for dinner?
Yes, but maybe not the oatmeal you’re thinking of. You can use oats as an alternative grain in soup (they turn out similarly to cooked barley in soup), use oats to Stretch Ground Beef, or use oats as a Bread Crumbs Substitute.
Should you cook oatmeal in milk or water?
I always use water to cook oatmeal, no matter which method I’m using. If I want it creamier, I might stir in a bit of almond milk when I’m ready to eat it. But for cooking, water is cheaper and doesn’t burn as easily.
What is the best way to make oatmeal?
You have options! The best way is the way that turns out how you like to eat it, and is a method you can easily do. Use your favorite appliance, make oatmeal recipes overnight, mix up recipes for baked oatmeal ahead of time and bake when you’re ready. There are oatmeal recipes for pretty much every situation!
MORE YUMMY BREAKFAST RECIPES
- Sweet Potato Apple Breakfast Bake
- The Best Breakfast Sandwich
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Instant Pot Breakfast Casserole
- Tex-Mex Migas
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