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Start the day with these delicious oatmeal recipes that go beyond the basic bowl. From savory to sweet, these creative ideas will make you excited to start your day with oats!

Want to start the day right? Here’s one way you can’t go wrong: oatmeal! Oatmeal is one of the healthiest breakfast ideas out there. This whole grain is full of plant-based protein, fiber, and can keep you full all morning.
Contrary to what you might think, oatmeal’s not just a big bowl of gloppy goo. We get lots of people who say, “But I just don’t like oatmeal!” Allow us to change your mind.
Ways to make oatmeal
There’s a myriad of ways to serve oatmeal! Here’s what to know:
- Oatmeal types: First off: there are two basic types of oats: rolled oats and steel cut oats. Rolled oats are flattened in rollers: they’re what you think of when you first think of oatmeal. Rolled oats include Old Fashioned, quick cooking and instant oats (we generally use Old Fashioned). Steel cut oats are the whole grain cut into nubs; they’re more like rice and take longer to cook. See Steel Cut vs Rolled Oats.
- Cooking methods: You can cook oats on the stovetop to make a creamy bowl, or in a pressure cooker. You can also make them baked, overnight, or even the microwave! There are so many options.
Want fun variations on oatmeal? Try our 4 Ingredient Oatmeal Bars, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars or Oatmeal Energy Balls.
Our top oatmeal recipes to try
This hearty whole grain makes the ideal easy and healthy breakfast: oatmeal! What’s the best, easiest way to make it? Here’s our master recipe: exactly how to make oatmeal on the stovetop and in the microwave! It's creamy, hearty, and so satisfying.
Try this delicious Peanut Butter Oatmeal recipe! Oats can be gloppy, gooey, or under-seasoned. But cook up a pot the right way, and it tastes like a dream. The best way to top oatmeal is with a little nut butter, in our opinion. We make this every day (no joke) and it’s incredibly filling…and satisfying!
Try this creamy Banana Oatmeal! Adding banana to your morning oats adds a little natural sweetness and creamy texture. Here it’s offset with warm spices and vanilla to make a cozy and easy breakfast. We’re always looking for ways to mix up our daily oatmeal intake. This one is a fun variation that’s perfect to fit into the rotation!
Are you a steel cut oats fan? These chewy oats have a porridge-like texture and feel like a cozy hug in the morning. They’re a fun way to mix up the standard Old Fashioned oats, and may have some slight benefits over them: though both are an incredibly healthy way to start the day! You can make a big pot of steel cut oats in 25 minutes and eat off of the leftovers all week.
Here’s a secret that’s been powering our mornings every day: you have to try this microwave oatmeal! It’s the quickest way to cook oatmeal around, and it comes out just as good as the stovetop version. . Here’s the thing: you don’t need those purchased microwave packets! All you need is Old Fashioned rolled oats, a microwave, and 2 minutes.
Try this Blueberry Oatmeal! This pot of oats has an irresistible sweet berry flavor that’s nuanced with cinnamon, allspice and a hint of vanilla. Even better is the color: the brilliant-purple hue makes it that much more fun to eat your breakfast.
There’s something so cozy about the words maple brown sugar oatmeal, and this bowl is like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket on a chilly morning. This recipe is a homemade copycat for the packaged instant oatmeal of the same name. Each spoonful bursts with creamy goodness, with a nuance in sweetness from both maple syrup and brown sugar.
Here’s a fun spin on the classic breakfast that will make you look forward to mornings: strawberry oatmeal! Who can say no to pink oatmeal? The sweet berry flavor is irresistible, and topped with fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup and a hint of cream, it’s absolutely sublime.
Do the words apple cinnamon oatmeal make you first think of a packet of instant oatmeal? Turns out, it’s infinitely more delicious homemade! This oatmeal recipe is cozy and comforting, made with real fresh fruit and seasoned with brown sugar, cinnamon and a hint of allspice. When it comes to cozy healthy breakfasts, it’s king!
This easy peaches and cream oatmeal is a cozy, comforting breakfast that tastes like pie! It’s one of our favorite easy breakfast ideas, made with fresh or frozen peaches, maple, vanilla, and cinnamon. Peach oatmeal for the win!
Here’s an oatmeal recipe that’s so full of cozy-spiced flavor, you’ll wonder where it’s been all your life. Meet this incredible easy and healthy baked oatmeal! Here’s that perfect breakfast or brunch recipe you search for when you have house guests to impress. But guess what? It also works for quick mornings! Bake up a pan in advance and then grab a square to go. It’s beyond easy, and the combination of the cinnamon, allspice and maple makes magic. Use any fruit mix-in you like!
Have you tried savory oatmeal? If not, it’s high time to start. The American breakfast is built on sugar. But want more savory breakfast ideas? This recipe is the place to start! This makes a pot of chewy toasted oats that are irresistibly tasty. Top the bowl with a fried egg and garlicky sauteed kale, and the yolk makes a creamy sauce that covers everything in goodness. Eating a veggie-filled healthy breakfast just got easier.
This oatmeal recipe tastes incredible: it's full of toasty flavor! It’s vegan so it’s a plant based way to start the day. AND it is full of plant based protein so it is seriously filling: you’re literally full for hours after you eat it. Top it with peanut butter and healthy strawberry jam, and it's a revelation.
Here’s an easy, healthy breakfast recipe for weekdays or entertaining guests: Instant Pot oatmeal! If you’ve got a pressure cooker, oatmeal is even easier to make. The oats are toasted in butter until fragrant, then mixed with milk and cooked for just 3 minutes. What comes out is the creamiest, tastiest, easiest pressure cooker oatmeal you’ll find.
This homemade instant oatmeal recipe is so simple we wish we would have thought of it ages ago! Instead of standing over the stove in the morning, this instant oatmeal can be made in just 2 minutes in the microwave. Simple as that! And in terms of flavor, this truly is the best instant oatmeal.
Another great oatmeal recipe, this one involves no cooking at all. In fact, you can mix up a jar in just 2 minutes! Leave rolled oats in the fridge overnight with milk, and it magically makes them into a sort of porridge. Eat them cold topped with berries or nut butter and they’re absolutely fantastic! This easy breakfast has been trendy for years now, and you need to jump on this bandwagon.
Here’s the ideal healthy oatmeal recipe, easy and full of irresistible flavor: banana baked oatmeal! This incredible recipe is wholesome and filling, and it’s made with good-for-you ingredients: mostly oats and bananas. It happens to be a vegan baked oatmeal, but it pleases absolutely everyone. Serve it for guests or even better, make up a big pan and eat off of it all week! Topped with a little nut butter and banana slices, it’s a decadently wholesome treat.
Here’s our very favorite way to eat apples for breakfast: this Baked Apple Oatmeal! It’s easy to make with ingredients you might already have on hand. And the flavor of tender, sweet apples paired with maple syrup, cinnamon and allspice…well, you’ll want to make it every day! It works as a brunch recipe for entertaining, or you can make a big pan and eat off of it for breakfasts all week.
This oatmeal recipe combines the chewiness of steel cut oats with the velvety, spiced-up goodness of pumpkin pie. After cooling, the oatmeal sets up and can be cut into squares for devouring. It tastes just like a light version of pumpkin pie! And who doesn’t want to eat pie for breakfast?
This carrot cake baked steel cut oatmeal recipe is cozy and comforting, flecked with orange carrots and flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. It takes over an hour to put together, so make sure to make it when you have plenty of time for prep. But the leftovers save well and make for a healthy breakfast recipe that lasts throughout the week!
Here’s a recipe for cool mornings: pumpkin oatmeal! On that first chilly morning, it’s like a switch flips. Pumpkin is instantly the most crave-worthy, novel flavor for everything from cookies to to soup to smoothies. So why not incorporate it into the first meal of the day? This oatmeal is perfect for using up that extra little bit in the can after you make pumpkin bread. It’s perfectly cinnamon-spiced and just sweet enough: the ideal fall breakfast!
Also try: Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
Oatmeal nutrition info
The best reason to start the day with oatmeal? There’s no real argument here: oats are part of a healthy diet. They’re filling and full of nutrients. Here are a few of the main nutritional benefits of oats (source):
- Oats are high in plant based protein. 1 cup of raw oats have 11 grams protein. That’s about 20% of your daily need!
- Oats are high in fiber. 1 cup of raw oats have 8 grams of fiber, which is about 30% of the daily value.
- Oats are very filling: they may reduce appetite and help you eat less calories.
For more benefits, go to Oats 101: Nutrition Facts.

More breakfast ideas
Looking for more healthy ways to start the day? Here are a few breakfast recipes to try:
- These these our top 50 breakfast recipes!
- Make easy breakfast ideas to start the morning with little effort.
- Try these healthy breakfast recipes, our top go-for-you ideas for healthy mornings.
- Opt for gluten free breakfast ideas or vegan breakfast ideas.
- Mix up a breakfast vegetable scramble!
20 Oatmeal Recipes to Start the Day
Here’s the best oatmeal recipe! This master recipe makes rolled oats with the best chewy texture, or perfectly creamy steel cut oatmeal.
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For Old Fashioned Oats (3 servings)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter (coconut oil for vegan)
- 2 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats (do not use instant oats or steel cut oats)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk, plus more for serving (non-dairy milk for vegan)
For steel cut oats (4 servings)
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups milk
- 1 ½ cups steel cut oats
- Scant ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- For the Old Fashioned oats: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the oats and toast for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Add the salt and cinnamon. Turn the heat to low and carefully pour in the water or milk, stirring. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until tender, then remove from the heat. Serve immediately for a chunky texture, or stir in another ½ cup milk for a creamier body. The texture is intentionally chewy (not gloppy or soggy!). Top with desired toppings and serve. Store refrigerated for up to 2 week.
- For the steel cut oats: Bring water and milk to a boil. Watch to make sure that it does not boil over. Once just boiling, add the steel cut oats, salt and cinnamon and stir. Bring to a simmer. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes until the oats are creamy and tender. Serve immediately with desired toppings. Stores refrigerated up to 1 week: it will become very thick, so stir in some milk or water when reheating.
Awesome oatmeal recipe! I added a bit more milk, and some agave sweetener. Along with some blackberries, raspberries and blueberries!