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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!

Oatmeal recipes
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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

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.

Steel cut oats vs rolled oats

More breakfast ideas

Looking for more healthy ways to start the day? Here are a few breakfast recipes to try:

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20 Oatmeal Recipes to Start the Day

Peanut butter oatmeal
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Here’s the best oatmeal recipe! This master recipe makes rolled oats with the best chewy texture, or perfectly creamy steel cut oatmeal. 

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 0 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 7 minutes
  • Yield: 3 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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. 

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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1 Comment

  1. Eva Campbell says:

    Awesome oatmeal recipe! I added a bit more milk, and some agave sweetener. Along with some blackberries, raspberries and blueberries!