40+ Healthy Oatmeal Recipes (2024)

Credit: Greg DuPree

Who says breakfast has to be boring? Ditch the granola barsand take a little extra time to get your day off to the right start. With these hearty and satisfying oatmeal recipes that include so many fresh and flavorful toppings, you'll never have a boring breakfast again.

Overnight Oats with Kefir Berries and Toasted Coconut

Overnight Oats with Kefir, Berries, and Toasted Coconut Recipe

This oatmeal bowl is a great on-the-go breakfast and is also made probiotic-rich with the addition of kefir. This bowl is best enjoyed cold becuase the active cultures in kefir are sensitive to heat. Resist the urge to microwave the oats, keeping it chilled for maximum benefits.

Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats Recipe

These little jars filled with fiber, whole grains, and protein are a necessary solution to your busy weekday mornings. The best part is, they're extremely customizable. Feel free to experiment with any of these additions: A spoonful of plain Greek yogurt or natural peanut butter, a handful of nuts (we prefer walnuts), some raisins or other dried fruit, or a tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flax meal. Not a fan of cold oats? Simply place the glass jar in the microwave (without the metal lid!) and nuke for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Overnight Maple-Raisin Oatmeal

Overnight Maple-Raisin Oatmeal Recipe

Steel-cut oats offer a nutty alternative to hot cereal made with rolled oats. If you prefer, substitute firm pears for apples or dried cranberries for the raisins.

Pancetta, Fried Egg, and Red-Eye Gravy Oatmeal

Pancetta, Fried Egg, and Red-Eye Gravy Oatmeal Recipe

Top your oatmeal with a fried egg and crisp pancetta for a savory start to your day.

Flaxseed Oatmeal with Blueberries

Flaxseed Oatmeal with Blueberries Recipe

It's easy to get on board with whipping up this whole-grain breakfast as a morning staple.

Lemon-Blueberry with Mascarpone Oatmeal

Lemon-Blueberry with Mascarpone Oatmeal Recipe

Is this dessert or is it breakfast? Your taste buds might say "dessert" but your appetite will agree that this is definitely a breakfast for champions. With antioxidant-rich blueberries and hearty oatmeal, you can avoid those early afternoon hunger pangs.

Sunflower Seed Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Oatmeal

Sunflower Seed Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Oatmeal Recipe

For those with peanut allergies, sunflower seed butter is a great alternative. By mixing it into some oatmeal along with chocolate and topped with freshly sliced bananas, you'll be ready to start your day deliciously.

Apple Cider Oatmeal with Pecans

Apple Cider Oatmeal with Pecans Recipe

What makes it great: Using apple cider instead of water adds natural sweetness, plus a shot of potassium and iron.

mr-Amaranth Oatmeal

Amaranth Oatmeal Recipe

Step aside oatmeal, there’s a new grain on the breakfast aisle. Amaranth is a naturally gluten-free, rice-like grain that makes for a satisfying and highly-nutritious breakfast.

Chai Spice and Pear Oatmeal

Chai Spice and Pear Oatmeal Recipe

Lovers of chai tea can enjoy the same spices and flavors in their morning oatmeal as well. Topped with sliced pears, this makes for a sweet and nutritious breakfast.

Peaches-and-Cream Refrigerator Oatmeal

Peaches-and-Cream Refrigerator Oatmeal Recipe

Carolyn says: "Make these jars of oatmeal a day ahead. The fruit is ripe for riffs--use anything you've got in your fridge."

Slow-Cooker Oats with Brown Sugar and Pear

Slow-Cooker Oats with Brown Sugar and Pear Recipe

No need to watch this pot! Set your slow cooker to begin when you head to bed and have a hot breakfast waiting when it's time to rise and shine.

Oatmeal with the Works

Oatmeal with the Works Recipe

Add-ons, including zingy pomegranate molasses, elevate the common camp breakfast to a delectable event.

Maple-Hazelnut Oatmeal

Maple-Hazelnut Oatmeal Recipe

The soothing aroma of fresh oatmeal makes this dish the ultimate comfort food. Savor happiness in a bowl with the flavors of brown sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup topped with chopped hazelnuts and apples.

Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Toasted Pecans and Caramelized Bananas

Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Toasted Pecans and Caramelized Bananas Recipe

The flax seed meal adds nuttiness, crunch, and even more nutrition to this delicious oatmeal recipe.

Blueberry-Almond Oatmeal

Blueberry-Almond Oatmeal Recipe

Top your oatmeal with antioxidant and flavor-rich blueberries for a delicious kick to start off your day.

banana-nut-oatmeal

Banana-Nut Oatmeal Recipe

By combining powerhouses of banana and oatmeal, —this morning meal alone gets you halfway to your Resistant Starch goal of 10 daily grams. The walnuts add some omega-3s, too, for extra fat-burning.

Pistachio, Fig, and Saffron Yogurt Oatmeal

Pistachio, Fig, and Saffron Yogurt Oatmeal Recipe

Up for a more sophisticated take on your morning oatmeal? Top yours with pistachios, fresh figs, and saffron for an updated breakfast experience.

Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Salted Caramel Topping

Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Salted Caramel Topping Recipe

We love the whipped topping that crowns this delicious oatmeal recipe.

Goat Cheese and Cremini Oatmeal

Goat Cheese and Cremini Oatmeal Recipe

For more of a savory item, try topping your oatmeal with cremini mushrooms and oatmeal.

Oatmeal with Dried Plum & Banana Compote

This quick and easy oatmeal recipe is cooked in the microwave and makes a hearty breakfast dish with the addition of a prune and banana Mixture.

Aloha Oatmeal

Aloha Oatmeal Recipe

Yes, you can always use instant. But food editor Margo True swears by steel-cut: "I love it because it has a chewier texture than instant or ordinary rolled oats and a deep, nutty flavor." It also freezes well (add the fruit after defrosting), so make a big batch on the weekend.

Creamy Oatmeal

Creamy Oatmeal Recipe

Steel-cut Irish oats give this hearty breakfast dish a chewy texture and full flavor.

Chai Oatmeal

Chai Oatmeal Recipe

"Rolled oats simmered in sweet, spice-infused milk make an exquisite breakfast cereal,"Katzen notes. Oat bran not only boosts the fiber, it also makes the oatmeal creamy and thick.

Spiced Apple-Pecan Oatmeal

Spiced Apple-Pecan Oatmeal Recipe

For a hearty and wholesome breakfast with big flavor, cook oats with milk, apple juice, and dried apples and top with cinnamon sugar and pecans.

Overnight Oats with Stone Fruit

Overnight Oats with Stone Fruit Recipe

A buttermilk, syrup, vanilla and cinnamon mixture makes a super rich and creamy oatmeal. Refrigerate overnight and top with fruit and nuts just before serving.

Steel-Cut Oats with Cinnamon-Blueberry Compote

Steel-Cut Oats with Cinnamon-Blueberry Compote Recipe

The night before: Prepare blueberry mixture through step 1. Prepare oats through step 2.In the morning: Cook blueberry compote and add it to the dish. So simple!

EC: Make Oatmeal Inspired By the Best Girl Scout Cookie

Samoa-Inspired Oatmeal Recipe

The Girl Scouts know a thing or two about cult favorites. After all, they only make the most addicting brand of cookies ever. You’d be out of your mind to deny it. And now that it’s the most wonderful time of the year—a.k.a.Girl Scout cookie season—it’s time to stock up on all your favorites and make Girl Scout cookie recipes. But in the interest of being careful, let’s talk about what to do when you run out. Making a Samoa-inspired oatmeal recipe is a solid form of damage control. You might call it crazy, but I like to call it “planning for the future.”

Samoas—or Caramel deLites, depending on where you live—is one of the most popular Girl Scout cookies, and arguably the best. Its iconic combo of coconut, caramel, and chocolate is a dream come true. It also doubles as the perfect fixings for oatmeal, one of the simplest breakfasts to make. You might even stop hating oatmeal so much.

Make it healthy(ish) by using coconut, soy, or almond milk. Don’t have chocolate chips? Use chocolate syrup or chunks of a chocolate bar instead.

Samoa-Inspired Oatmeal

EC: DIY Dinosaur Eggs Oatmeal

DIY Dinosaur Eggs Oatmeal Recipe

If you ate breakfast in the '90s, odds are you remember this stuff. Dinosaur eggs oatmeal was probably one of the few ways to get kids to eat lumpy grey porridge (whether it was healthy is a whole other thing). If you made the meal yourself, assembling a bowl of dinosaur eggs oatmeal may have been your first experience with mindful cooking. You’d rip open the instant oatmeal packet and sprinkle the oats and pale white candy eggs into a cereal bowl. You’d stare at the kettle as you waited for the water to boil. You'd add a glug of water into the oats and then patience. Suddenly, a brightly colored dinosaur would emerge from one of the eggs. Then another. Soon, you were shoveling those dinosaurs into your mouth, happy as a clam.

Dinosaur eggs oatmeal is harder to find these days, so why not make your own? Melt white chocolate until smooth, then dollop it into a piping bag (a plastic baggie with a snipped corner works in a pinch.) Pipe small white chocolate eggs, then dot each with a dinosaur sprinkle. Cover the dinosaurs with more chocolate, then freeze until firm. Shake hardened eggs in a bag with powdered sugar, then pour them into a creamy brown sugar and cinnamon-kissed oatmeal. As you stir the warm oats, keep an eye out for hatching dinosaurs.

DIY Dinosaur Eggs Oatmeal

Kitchen gear kindly provided by our partners atJet.com.

Best Baked Oatmeal image

Best Baked Oatmeal Recipe

A hearty dish of baked oatmeal is a wonderful (and low-key, easy) brunch dish to make ahead for company, but it can also serve as a brilliant meal prep move that will set you up with practically instant breakfasts for the week. We call this our our “best” baked oatmeal recipe because it offers warming spiced flavor without overwhelming the palate, and achieves a delightful level of creaminess, while maintaining just the right amount of toothy integrity from the oats. Crowned with toasty almonds and bright, juicy berries, it’s this whole-grain breakfast bake is eye-catching as it is delicious. Serve with cream and maple syrup to sweet to taste.

EC: Sweet Corn Oatmeal with Peaches

Sweet Corn Oatmeal with Peaches Recipe

We simmer fresh, sweet corn kernels with toasted rolled oats until thick and creamy for a happy cross between oatmeal and creamed corn, made even sweeter with maple syrup. To get the most from each corn ear, run the flat edge of your knife blade down the stripped cobs and add any corn liquid to the pan. Top each serving with vanilla-spiked Greek yogurt and sliced fresh peaches. You could also omit the maple syrup, yogurt, and fruit and go savory, topping with shredded Cheddar cheese, green onions, and crumbled bacon.

Sweet Corn Oatmeal with Peaches

This recipe originally appeared onCookinglight.com.

Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Apples

Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Apples Recipe

Mornings can be so hectic. We know that. Let your slow cooker relieve the pressure of cooking breakfast with this overnightInstant Pot recipe.While you sleep, your slow cooker is making your breakfast—what could be better?

Avo-Pico oatmeal image

Avo-Pico Oatmeal Recipe

The Savings: 12g added sugar

The Usual: Instant flavored oatmeal

EC: Yes, You Should Cook an Egg into Your Oatmeal

Eggy Oatmeal Recipe

It's fair to say that oatmeal is boring. After all, oatmeal doesn’t exactly have a cult following, unlike avocados, bacon, or cold brew. Heck, even sweet potatoes have a fan club. As for oatmeal? People aren’t lining up for it like it's an avocado bar. But don’t get me wrong—oatmeal’s plain jane style is actually a blessing. There is so much room for all your favorite toppings and fixings. Yet, if you want to make it much better, you should cook an egg into your oatmeal. Hear me out.

You probably already know that eggs are used to add flavor, richness, and texture to dishes. Classic breakfast foods, like pancakes and French toast, would be nothing without them. It’s the same deal with oatmeal. When you mix in a whisked egg, your depressing bowl of goop will transform into fluffy goodness.

This trick will also give you an extra protein boost. You’ll stay nice and full until lunch, ensuring that you’ll last through all those meetings without your stomach grumbling.

Eggy Oatmeal

EC: This Savory Oatmeal Recipe Is Your Escape to Canada

OatMeals’ “The Canadian” Recipe

Chef Samantha Stephens of NYC'sOatMeals shares “The Canadian”—one of the store’s most popular signature bowls—around Election Day for Americans in need of a quick escape to Canada. This oatmeal recipe offers an easy transition into the world of savory oatmeal for timid or less experimental breakfast lovers. “My love of drenching crispy bacon in syrup as a kid brought on the oatmeal inspiration for this recipe,” Stephens says. “I’ve always been a fan of the apple and cheddar combination and the bacon and maple syrup combination, and this recipe really brings all of my favorites into one bowl of oatmeal.”

This savory oatmeal recipe calls for steel-cut oats, but it can be made quicker with instant, old-fashioned, or rolled oats. The cinnamon-roasted apples are especially perfect for fall, but you can slice them and add them to your oats still raw if you’re in a rush to get somewhere.

OatMeals’ “The Canadian”

Baked Oatmeal with Apple, Cranberries, and Pecans

Baked Oatmeal with Apple, Cranberries, and Pecans Recipe

This make-ahead oatmeal loaded with spices, fruits, and nuts will make any morning sweeter. Assemble it the night before and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, pop it in the oven and breakfast is served. Choose a firm, sweet apple (such as a Fuji or Honeycrisp) that will retain its shape and a little texture after being baked.

Masala Oats image

Masala Oats Recipe

Flavored with garam masala, a toasty spice blend that’s essential to Indian cuisine, masala oats are the warming, savory start to a day you’ll find yourself craving after one serving. We topped our masala oats with a nut and dried fruit blend for a little flavor and texture contrast, along with a dollop of creamy yogurt and fresh cilantro for brightness. We found a bowl of these robustly flavorful oats to be wholly comforting and satisfying as-is; however, if you want an extra punch of protein, an over-easy egg would make a welcome addition.

Berry-Banana Overnight Oats

Berry-Banana Overnight Oats Recipe

Speed up your morning routine with a low-maintenance breakfast made the night before. Studies show frozen blueberries have considerably greater polyphenol concentrations than fresh, while most other nutrient levels are comparable between the two. Walnuts deliver a one-two punch of crunch and nutrition: They are a top nut for brain health thanks to the powerful combination of omega-3 fats, vitamin E, and antioxidants.