17 Easy Oatmeal Recipes

If you tend to think of oatmeal as bland, sticky mush in a bowl, this list of sweet and delicious oatmeal recipes is about to blow your mind.

If you’re already a pretty big fan of oatmeal, then these oatmeal recipes won’t surprise you.

But they will give you a few more options for spicing up your morning routine. 

I love oatmeal for breakfast because it’s a hearty, healthy way to start my day, and there are so many different ways you can eat it! 

If you’re a fruit person, you can add several different types of berries and fruits to your morning bowl of oats. 

If you’re more into chocolate and peanut butter, there are options on here for you, as well.

Whatever you’re into, you’ll find something that should satisfy you in these 17 oatmeal recipes.

How to Make Oatmeal + Healthy Toppings

1. Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal

This pink bowl of yumminess looks more like dessert than breakfast, but hey, why not start the day with something sweet, pink, and fruity? 

You’ll make it with only five ingredients (and salt if you need it), and it’s both dairy-free and sugar-free! 

It’s also delicious, full of strawberry flavor, and incredibly easy to make. You can have it on the table and ready to go in just 15 minutes! 

2. Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

If you’re looking for something with a warmer, richer flavor, apple cinnamon oatmeal might be the choice for you. 

It requires a few more ingredients than the strawberries and cream, but you can still have it ready in just 15 minutes.

It features chunks of juicy apples and all the best fall spices. 

It tastes like a comforting apple pie, and if you like, you can even add chopped walnuts for extra crunch and an even more down-home taste. 

3. Spiced Apple Cranberry Oatmeal

If you like the idea of apple oatmeal with cinnamon and other fall spices but don’t want something that’s overwhelmingly sweet, make this version instead. 

It has several of the same ingredients, but the addition of cranberries tones down the sweetness and makes the oatmeal a bit tart and tangy instead. 

The cranberries also add a lot of beautiful color, so if you’re looking for a tasty breakfast for Christmas or Valentine’s Day, this is a very good choice. 

4. Chocolate Oatmeal

Chocolate oatmeal may seem like it would be much too decadent to eat regularly for breakfast (and it tastes like it, too).

Still, it’s actually pretty healthy, despite all the chocolatey goodness. 

After all, it has just a bit over 200 calories, only seven grams of sugar, and five grams of fat. There are also eight grams of fiber and seven grams of protein! 

That’s not a bad breakfast dish at all. It’s also delightfully creamy, wonderfully sweet, and gluten-free,* dairy-free, and vegan-friendly.

*Note: The oatmeal is only gluten-free if your specific brand of oats is gluten-free.

5. Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Maple brown sugar oatmeal isn’t pink or dark chocolatey brown.

In fact, if it weren’t for the chocolate chips and pecans on the topping, it would just look like a regular bowl of oatmeal. 

It doesn’t taste like one, though, and it tastes spectacular.

It features the warm, fragrant flavors of maple syrup and brown sugar, which make almost everything taste better. 

You can also add a dash of cinnamon if you like. 

6. Almond Butter Banana Oatmeal

I wouldn’t normally consider oatmeal a “complete” meal – a filling meal, yes, but not a “complete” one. This oatmeal recipe is the exception. 

You’ll pack so much stuff into that one simple bowl: oats, vanilla extract, cinnamon, bananas, maple syrup, almond butter, granola, walnuts, and more. 

You’ve got practically everything you need for a well-balanced breakfast. It’s also sweet, nutty, and insanely delicious. 

7. Peanut Butter Nutella Microwave Oatmeal

If you’re one of those people who’s almost always running late in the mornings, then this 3-minute oatmeal is the breakfast dish for you. 

All you’ll need is milk, oats, peanut butter, Nutella, and (optional) peanuts. Simply mix your oats and milk and pop it in the microwave for 90 seconds. 

Then, add the Nutella, peanut butter, and peanuts, and enjoy! It doesn’t get much simpler than that. 

8. Date-Sweetened Apple Pie Oatmeal

These creamy oats are gluten-free and naturally sweetened with dates, apples, and maple syrup (or honey).

They have a sweet but natural flavor that’ll remind you of simpler times. 

They take a bit of time to make – about 30 minutes – but once you bite into that first cinnamon-baked apple, you’ll know it was time well spent. 

If you’re looking for a fall or winter breakfast treat that’ll make you think of sleepovers with your grandparents or lazy Saturdays at home with mom and dad, this is the oatmeal for you. 

9. Creamy Coconut Oatmeal

Creamy coconut oatmeal is just what it claims to be – creamy oatmeal with a strong coconut flavor.

It uses only six healthy ingredients (plus toppings) and is practically everything-free. 

I’m joking, of course, but it is sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. Plus, it’s vegan-friendly and relatively low in calories, as well. 

However, thanks to the berries, cinnamon, maple syrup, and toasted coconut, it’s certainly not flavor-free or low in yumminess. 

10. Blueberry Cinnamon Oatmeal

People always want to pair apples and cinnamon, but believe me when I tell you that blueberries and cinnamon taste just as wonderful together, especially in this bowl of oatmeal. 

Add in some butter, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, and you have a delectable, 15-minutes-or-less breakfast on your hands. 

11. Spiced Pear Oatmeal

Pears are another fruit that tastes exceptional when paired with cinnamon. This recipe uses both, along with walnuts, maple syrup, and a bit of salt. 

It tastes almost like the cinnamon apple oatmeal above, only the fruity taste in this one is, obviously, pear. 

12. Maple Pecan Baked Oatmeal

Okay, here’s the deal: Baked oatmeal, like most baked dishes, takes some time to make.

You can’t count on this one if you’re in a hurry, as it takes about 50 minutes to prepare and bake. 

However, it’s so unbelievably good that you’ll want to make it every day once you’ve tried it the first time. 

It’s rich and creamy underneath but has a fantastically crunchy topping that everyone loves. There are also a ton of different flavors in the flavor profile. 

You’ll get hints of bananas, vanilla, nuts, cinnamon, coconut, and more. It’s a comforting, filling dish that’ll have everyone coming back for seconds. 

13. Vanilla Almond Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Try these vanilla almond steel-cut oats if you’re looking for something with a sweet but mild flavor.

They’ll take 40 minutes to make but use only five ingredients. 

As long as you have steel-cut oats, soy (or almond) milk, water, vanilla extract, and salt, you’re all set.

Eat it as-is or add toppings (maple syrup, brown sugar, almonds, etc.). 

Either way, you’re sure to enjoy the meal. 

14. Healthy Vanilla Cake Batter Oatmeal

Whoever said you can’t eat cake for breakfast has obviously never had this healthy vanilla cake batter oatmeal. It’s not actually cake, but it tastes like it. 

It has all the creamy scrumptiousness of vanilla cake batter but without all of the calories and fat. 

15. Raspberries and Cream Oatmeal

If you prefer your breakfasts to be a little tart and tangy, you’ll probably enjoy raspberries and cream oatmeal.

It’s also an excellent option for when you don’t have a lot of time. 

It takes 10 minutes to make and requires only six ingredients: milk, old-fashioned oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, fresh raspberries, and whipping cream.  

It’s sweetly tart, colorful, and full of flavor. If you’re looking for a zesty wake-up call, this oatmeal is the way to go. 

16. Easy Instant Pot Oatmeal

Instant Pot oatmeal is creamy, flavorful, fragrant, and entirely simple to make.

The recipe says it takes about 10 minutes, but actually, I find it doesn’t even take that long. 

It’s also very versatile, as you can adjust the flavor however you like simply by changing out the toppings.

To make the oatmeal, you’ll need butter, oats, milk, water, salt, and cinnamon. 

Once it’s ready, though, you can add anything else you like: bananas, berries, walnuts, pistachios, maple syrup, honey, milk, spices, peanut butter, chocolate, etc. 

There’s almost no limit to the kind of oatmeal you can make.

In fact, you could pretty much turn this Instant Pot oatmeal into any of the other oatmeal recipes on this list! 

17. Pumpkin Oatmeal

Depending on how you make it, this creamy, orange oatmeal can take as little as 8 minutes to pull together.

You can make it on the stove, in the microwave, or prepare it as overnight oats. 

It’s the perfect fall treat and features pumpkin puree, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and maple syrup. It’s like a pumpkin pie but in oatmeal form. 

If you want a bit of extra crunch, sweetness, or cream, you can top it with whatever oatmeal toppings you like best (berries, dried fruit, yogurt, nuts, etc.). 

However, this one tastes just fine on its own.