22 Delicious and Healthy Oatmeal Recipes That Are Not Bland at All (2024)

I grew up a proud member of the heartland. My stepfather’s family were from the south and ate grits- something I just couldn’t do as a kid.

My idea of a hot breakfast cereal was a good bowl of oatmeal.

Oatmeal has become popular here lately as well, ever since the idea of eating it cold came into play- you know, the overnight oats?

Here are some recipes featuring this versatile ingredient:

Delicious Oatmeal Recipes for a Solid Start to the Day

1. Chunky Monkey Morning Oats

This is a sweet tooth lover’s paradise for breakfast- oatmeal, bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate chips all warmed up for your cold mornings when getting out of bed sounds like no fun.

Rebecca over at She Well created this recipe and I’m already in love!

2. Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal Cookies

I like the fact that Blair at The Seasoned Mom found the recipe in her mother’s recipe box then adapted it to fit modern life. The recipe, made from a box mix and adding in fresh blueberries and some other stuff to turn a blueberry muffin mix into a cookie.

For full detailed directions on this recipe, head on over to her site.

3. Toffee Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The last one was breakfast and this one is for dessert. I love toffee and the fact that she makes it cute and holiday-ish by adding the tie. Amy over at House of Nash Eats does a great job explaining exactly how to make it just right.

4. Apple Cinnamon Stovetop Oatmeal

Heather over at Sugar Dish Me made a good point. Everyone believes that stove top oatmeal takes time when in actuality it takes the same amount of time as a cup of coffee. I have made stove top oatmeal quite a bit in my life and it has a better texture in my opinion.

Go on, give it a shot.

5. Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

Baked was a more recent way that I have learned to love oatmeal. I like it because you have the opportunity to eat it as soon it comes out of the oven and then the next day when I have barely enough time to open the door and get out to the car after waking up. It tastes good both ways.

Liz over at Love Grows Wild has several different baked recipes but the banana baked oatmeal sounded the best to me.

Yes, I love oatmeal and bananas. Don’t you?

6. Chocolate No Bake Cookies

On the other end of the spectrum there are the chocolate no bake cookies. In all actuality, these were probably the first cookies I ever made.

No, not chocolate chip cookies- no bake cookies. I made them as a freshman in high school and took them to my God mother who said these were her favorites.

They really are amazing and worth a try. To see the full recipe, head over to Add a Pinch.

7. Strawberry Vanilla Overnight Oats

Even though I am stuck on baked oatmeal, the overnight oats are all the rage. This is really nice for people like me who live in areas where, for at least three months out of the year it can be the coolest time of the day and we are all still sweating.

I chose to do a strawberry overnight oats because I am a believer in the seasons. Strawberries are perfect when it’s just starting to get warmer outside and this is a fresh, healthy way to start the morning. To check out the full recipe head over to Eating Bird Food.

8. Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Six months after I start craving strawberries (which, ironically, is six months after strawberries appear at our farmer’s market) I start craving things with pumpkins in them. Many times I am not able to whip up something with pumpkin in it as much as I would like, but this is a way to get my flavor preference in and not feel like I’ve been in the kitchen all day.

Chungah over at Damn Delicious does a great job with this recipe and I like that instead of sugar, she uses maple syrup. This adds to the fall-like flavor and helps not spike our blood sugar. A double win! She says she plans to eat it all year long and I understand why.

9. Oatmeal Cream Pies

Oatmeal cream pies have a special place in my heart. As a young married college student I would stop at the gas station in between our house and my first class of the day and grab one. I would hunt for the one with the most cream filling and eat the outside first in order to savor the good stuff in the middle.

After getting pregnant this came to an abrupt halt and I no longer craved them. But when that baby was four years old I won a contest where I got all the ingredients to make it for myself. Score! Back to loving them- but only from scratch.

While the author of the original post I used no longer has her post up, this recipe from Sommer over at A Spicy Perspective comes in pretty close.

10. Slow Cooker Gingerbread Oatmeal

We headed back over to The Seasoned Mom. I told you she had a lot of great oatmeal recipes. Right after pumpkin season, we head into gingerbread season. This recipe fills that bill for winter the same way number nine did for fall. Even better, this one is a matter of putting the ingredients in the crockpot and letting it sit on low for eight hours. Simple enough!

11. Breakfast Oatmeal Cupcakes to go

I have made these before as well. They are a modified version of my baked oatmeal. Instead of making them in one big batch, you put them in a cupcake container. This is especially beneficial when you have people who like different things in their oatmeal or you want to have a variety to store for later.

Make a big batch of Chocolate Covered Katie’s recipe, omitting the chocolate chips and add in ingredients. Towards the end you add in each individual cup what the person (or you) want that is unique.

This is a great way to save time and energy. Make a batch for the week or the month, they freeze very well!

12. Glazed Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

This bread, complete with glaze, looks delicious. I chose to add homemade chunky applesauce because I love the little chunks of apples that are added to the recipe as well. It adds a nice crunch to what could be an overly sweet bread.

To see the recipe and make it for yourself head over to Julie’sLovely Little Kitchen.

13. Oatmeal Blueberry Yogurt Pancakes

I made a version similar to this when I first started losing weight a few years back and they are still my quick go-to if I am craving something sweet but healthy for breakfast. They go perfectly with a tablespoon of maple syrup.

Naturally, I would opt out of her yogurt choice and substitute for my homemade yogurt. Otherwise, this recipe is spot on for a tasty, high protein breakfast.

To see the full recipe, head over to Monique’sAmbitious Kitchen.

14. Brownie Batter Breakfast Oatmeal

This recipe fulfills that need many of us have quite often- the need for chocolate. Amanda over at Running with Spoonseven doubles up on the chocolate- adding some powder and some vegan chocolate chips. Yes, you read that right, this recipe is vegan so anyone and everyone can eat it.

I know with the chocolatey goodness, I sure do!

15. Lazy Day Oatmeal Cake

I was looking for a recipe that included oatmeal but wasn’t breakfast and stumbled across this recipe. It looks delicious except I would substitute coconuts for pecans since I am not a fan of coconuts. I love finding good substitutions for recipes and opting for nuts is a good way to go in this recipe.

Life is about variety. To see the full recipe head over to Genius Kitchen to see Kathy-Lynn’s creation.

16. Peach Cobbler Oatmeal

Peaches are another one of my favorite fruits and I was suprised to learn last year that, thankfully, they are not a fruit that can be bought fresh year round. If you are craving this recipe and want it during the year when the fruit is not available, get some canned or frozen ones that are thawed out.

The author over at House of Yumm does a great job with this recipe and chooses to use honey instead of sugar. Delicious!

17. Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries and White Chocolate

This recipe is a perfect winter treat. Add a cup of white chocolate coffee (to which you simply add a small handful of the white chocolate chips to the coffee before adding your creamer) and you’re good for an afternoon treat. The kids would love this with hot chocolate after coming home from school. There are so many great scenarios on when to use these cookie recipes.

Head over to Genius Kitchen to read Julesong’s recipe.

18. No Sugar No Bake Cookies

This recipe, brought to you by Tiffany over at Coffee, Love, Travel is perfect if you are looking for a recipe with no sugar. The honey, so long as it’s local, is a good idea as a substitution because it will help you with many different allergy problems.

Plus, this recipe is just as delicious as the original- sugar or not!

19. Maple, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon Overnight Oatmeal

Maple, Brown Sugar oatmeal recipes have always been a thing. It is so satisfying to make this particular recipe no matter if it’s pre-packaged or you make it yourself.

This particular recipe comes from Evolving Table and is another overnight oatmeal recipe. Adding in delicious almond milk and the main ingredients you are sure to feel like you are getting a sweet treat with this breakfast.

20. Grandma’s Iced Oatmeal Cookies

This cookies are very appropriately named. When I was growing up I would go over to my step-grandparent’s house and they would always have the store bought version of this recipe in their cookie jar. They were a bit harder than I preferred so I would typically get one for them and find something else for myself.

This recipe, if made softer though, would be absolutely delicious. Especially since Lorraine over at Grateful Prayer, Thankful Heart adds in pecans.

21. Game Changing Savory Oatmeal

This one came as a bit of a surprise to me when I found it because I typically think about oatmeal as something a bit on the sweeter side. Yet, I wouldn’t be afraid to try this one because there are so many different ingredients I enjoy. From the mushrooms to the over medium egg (you could also poach the egg and I bet it would be delicious), if I was looking for a hearty breakfast meal that included oats, this recipe by Teffy over at Sprinkle of Green would be first on my list!

22. Oatmeal Cookie S’mores Bar

I seem to be all about going from one extreme to the other with my oatmeal recipes today. Afterall, we had savory and now we have quite a bit sweeter. S’mores are one of those few recipes that can be eaten year round and mix in some oatmeal cookies to the mix, this sounds very delicious.

The only thing I would add is: before adding the chocolate chips in step four, take a kitchen torch and brown your marshmallow cream, giving it a true toasted marshmallow feel to it.

To see the full recipe check out Dorothy’s post over at Crazy for Crust.

Conclusion to Oatmeal Recipes

Oatmeal is such a great ingredient to use for several different reasons, from breakfast of both sweet and savory variety and in different styles of desserts- from bars to cookies. Try out one of the oatmeal recipes and let us know what you think and be sure to stop by for some more great recipes and tips for all kinds of household activities!