5 Easy Oats recipes that add variety to your breakfasts (2024)

There’s a reason why nutritionists and dieticians love recommending oats recipes for breakfast. They contain all the nutrients essential for optimal health and healing. If you dislike oatmeal, don’t worry, there are so many quick and tasty oats recipes that are easy to prepare.

In this article, I’ll give you 5 oat-based recipes to use every day to add variety to your breakfast routine.

A warm bowl of oats is synonymous with being heavy and filling. But there are ways to turn this grain into something much more once you understand what’s in it and why it can be good for you.

So, read my article on theHealth Benefits of Oatsbefore experimenting with the recipes.

Otherwise, if you prefer, you can jump straight into it here.

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Oats Recipes

1. Overnight Oats

There are loads of beautiful, tasty, and super healthy overnight oats recipes on Pinterest. The visual presentations alone are mouth-watering. So, let that inspire you to experiment with different variations and stick to a few that have ingredients that work for you and your health needs.

In other words, choose toppings and flavors with the most nutritional benefits for your dietary needs.

Remember to add superfoods and adaptogens to each one, alongside flavors. Here are 5 recipe ideas to get you started:

Here’s how to make overnight oats:

1. Choose your grain = 1/2 cup Gluten-free rolled oats/quinoa / or both
2. Choose a flavor = Nut butter (Peanut or Cashew) / Vanilla Extract
3. 1 Cup Milk = Nut milk / Seed milk / Coconut milk / Rice milk / Soy milk
4. Choose Protein = Chia Seeds / Hemp Seeds / Quinoa
5. Choose Fat = Ghee / Almonds
6. Choose Fiber = Flaxseeds / Sesame seeds / Sunflower seeds / Sesame seeds
7. Choose a Superfood = Blueberry / Raspberry / Strawberry / Blackberry / Cranberry
8. Choose Sweetener = Maple Syrup / Stevia
9. Choose Adaptogen (optional, but great for managing stress & fatigue*) = Maca / Ginseng / Goji Berry / Turmeric /

2. Granola

This is a great make-ahead oats recipe, perfect for breakfast or mid-morning snacks. It is great as a standalone breakfast with your favorite nut or seed milk.

You can even use it as a topping over dairy yogurt or plant-based yogurt like cashew to coconut. And it works beautifully as a Patisserie ingredient incoldandbaked desserts.

Here’s my go-to Granola recipe formula:

Choose a portion from each group:

1. Start with yourbaseingredient:
   Rolled Oats / Quinoa / Buckwheat / Puffed rice / Mix of these three
2. Add aprotein:
   Almonds / Cashews / Walnuts / Pecans / Hazelnuts / Pumpkin Seeds / Chia seeds / Sunflowers Seeds / Flaxseeds (Linseeds) / Mixture of any of these
3. Add a goodfat:
   Coconut oil / Ghee / Olive oil
4. Add afruit:
   Currants / Dried Cranberries / Orange zest / Raisins / Dried apricots / Pitted dates / Banana / Dried cherries
5. Add aflavor:
   Vanilla Extract / Raw cacao / Ginger powder / Nutmeg powder / Cinnamon
6. Add anAdaptogen:
   Maca(also known as Peruvian Ginseng) /Goji berries / Turmeric / Spirulina / Acai

Note: Some of the proteins are also a source of fat

Have fun mixing-and-matching ingredients and best of all enjoy the time-saving meal prep.

Let me know how this recipe worked for you in the comments section below.

3. Oat, Nut & Banana Pancakes

I have a serious craving for pancakes any time of the day and I love this guilt-free version. It’s got all the dietary requirements of a nutritious breakfast. Plus it’s easy to put together. Best of all, it’s freezer-friendly.

This oat & banana version has so many healthy fats in it, it’s great for skin health too

Crave Nutritional Cooking

You can also adapt it by swapping out the almonds for another plant-based flour. Add a superfood as a topping. Or add an adaptogen into the batter. Try Turmeric which has anti-inflammatory effects and gives a beautiful, golden color to any recipe.

Here’s the basic pancake recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 oat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk
• 60g egg (1 medium egg)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (liquid) / 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 cup flaxseed
• 1 tbsp ghee / good fat
• Add to batter: 1 banana mashed finely

Method:

1. Add oats to blender and grind until powder forms. This will be your oatflour.
2. Add almond meal, salt, and baking powder and pulse to blend lightly.
3. Add egg, milk, vanilla, and melted ghee. Pulse to blend lightly.
4. Mash the banana finely and add to the blender.
5. Blend at normal speed until a smooth batter forms.

Cooks notes:

If you don’t have readymade almond meal follow this process:

1. Add 1/4 cup activated almonds and 1/4 oats to the blender. Pulse to get the ingredients moving evenly and then blend at normal speed until a meal forms. Blend more if you want a finer meal or an almost powdery/floury texture.
2. To activate almonds you must soak them overnight or for 8 hours and no longer. Once soaked, rinse them properly and then oat dry with a paper towel. No need to dry them as you are adding them to the pancake recipe mix.

4. Oats Smoothie Bbowl

Isn’t it wonderful that you can convert a too-thick-to-sip smoothie into a bowl of goodness? This does feel more like a dessert for breakfast!

Again the same prepping principles apply. You start with a base and make sure you’ve incorporated complex carbs, fiber, fat, and protein. Add your superfoods and adaptogens, and you’re all set.

Here’s a good foundation to build a smoothie or bowl:

1. Add your base of complex carbs = 1/2 cup rolled Oats
2. Add a protein = Almonds / Spirulina / Quinoa / Chia Seeds / Hemp Seeds
3. Add fiber = Chia Seeds / Pumpkin Seeds / Walnuts / Almonds / Pecans
4. Add healthy fat = Ghee / Flaxseed / Avocado / Coconut / Dark Chocolate
5. Add flavor = Vanilla extract / Cinnamon / Banana
6. Add sweetener = Maple / Stevia / Raw Honey
7. Add a superfood = Blueberry / Strawberry / Blackberry / Cranberry
8. Add an adaptogen = Acai / Maca / Spirulina / Turmeric / Goji
9. Add creaminess = Dairy yogurt / Vegan yogurt / Avocado
10. Add a liquid = This can be 1/2 cup of water/milk of choice/ice. Remember that plant-based milk will give you a good amount of protein, fiber (nut), and healthy fat. So you can double-up or score here.

*Add more liquid to make a drinking smoothie. Adjust the consistency to your preference.

5. Baked Oat Bars

This is another make-ahead treat that’s a time-saver and it double-up as a mini dessert. You can adapt this recipe by adding or swapping flavors and ingredients. As long as your base is still oats, you’re still getting in the fiber andLow GI quality, and it’s still a fast breakfast.

Here’s a versatile oat bar recipe:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 dairy egg or substitute with 60g flax egg
• 1/4 cup nut milk
• 1/8 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 tbsp raisins/sultanas/cranberries

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a sheet pan with baking paper. Ensure it goes all the way up the sides.
2. Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately in two bowls. Hold the nuts and fruits.
3. Let them rest for 15-25 minutes for the flavors and ingredients to meld.
4. Now gently fold in the nuts and fruits.
5. Tip into the sheet pan and pat down with a spatula so the surface is even.
6. Bake until golden brown approx 30-35 min. Once done, let it cool completely before cutting it into 5x5cm squares.

Cook’s notes:

You can add seeds, but remember seeds on the surface will burn quite quickly unless they are mixed well into the batter.

Tips for storing Oats

It’s best to store dry oats in an airtight container. Dry oats will last up to two years. But, trust your gut, if they start to give off an odour or you spot insects, discard them and restock.

Allergens found in Oats

Oats can sometimes be cross-contaminated with gluten during processing. So, if you’re allergic, choose a brand that displays a ‘gluten-free’ label.

It’s also best to do a clinical test to check if you are allergic to gluten. Don’t avoid it because of popular cultural beliefs that it is bad for you or that it will make you gain weight.

In nutritional cooking, base your understanding on accepted scientific and nutritional information. This should be the basis of your food choices and cooking. Approach yourgrocery shoppingandmeal planningwith this in mind.

Conclusion

Oats recipes have an incredible amount of nutritional value, so if you’re not a fan of oatmeal, you have plenty of options. Use these recipes to change up your breakfast menu and experiment with ingredient swaps. This is what healthy cooking is all about.

Remember Oats can be a total healthycraving swapwhen you experiment and start having fun with the recipes.

Use this grain thoughtfully based on your health needs, taste appeal, and cooking style. This is what culinary nutrition is all about – versatility, an understanding of your ingredients, and mindful eating.

If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love this blog post dedicated to Granola.

Feel free to leave a comment below, I value all feedback.

*Consult your healthcare practitioner before ingesting adaptogens if using them for the first time.

*cravenutritionalcooking.com and its authors do not give medical advice. Where there is a reference to it, the phrasing is used to illustrate a point or give context to nutritional foods and cooking. It is not related to a specific condition or any specific individual. Always consult your healthcare professional for medical and dietetic advice before embarking on any type of eating plan or ingesting nutritional supplements. The recipes provided on this website are for your recreational use only andcravenutritionalcooking.comand its authors waive all legal liability concerning this