25 Different Ways to Eat a Bowl of Oatmeal

It’s history in the making with the spread of the Coronavirus. For the first time in my life, there is no oatmeal in the stores. Shelves are empty, including the oatmeal shelves at my grocery store. No quick oats, no rolled oats, no steel cut oats. Which hopefully means a lot of you have oats stocked up in your homes. Thankfully, we always try to have an extra 25 lb bag on hand. Here is how to utilize it!

Oatmeal is a pivotal way that I maintain a whole-food plant-based lifestyle. It enables me to eat a filling, cheap, quick breakfast and not miss eggs, cereal, or yogurt in the mornings. I eat it at least 4 days a week for breakfast, often all 7. Although there have been phases when I want to try new things, I generally never get tired of it! It’s cheap, super nutritious, and I think it’s really comforting and delicious. I feel so good after a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

PB&J oatmeal

How I cook oatmeal

For three people:

Boil 2 cups water. Add 1.5 cups rolled oats (1/2 cup dry oats per person is a good rule of thumb).

Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5-10 minutes.

I add some heavy dashes of cinnamon (may help maintain low blood sugar levels), a generous pour of ground flax seeds or hemp seeds, and usually a little blip of maple syrup (although I’ve been skipping that lately and it’s not so bad once you get use to it). This is my base oatmeal, with no toppings yet.

This method creates oatmeal that is slightly chewy, and you’re able to see individual oats. I used to make oatmeal by not boiling the water first, and letting the oats and water heat up together. This creates a more creamy, mushy oatmeal (like in the picture above).

How do you cook oatmeal? In the microwave, Instant Pot, overnight oats? There are so many good ways to do it.

Lemon Poppyseed Steel Cut Oats

What I usually put on my oatmeal

To my toddler daughter’s bowl, I often add some canned coconut milk for extra fat. To my bowl, I add frozen berries that I thaw in the microwave. Sometimes I add a few walnuts or a small spoonfull of peanut butter, or some sliced banana.

That’s my norm, but I also like to mix it up. My new favorite is a dash of nutmeg!

I thought long and hard to come up with 25 different bowls for you, but honestly there are 25 more that we could all easily brainstorm. A bowl of oatmeal is such a blank canvas!

What’s your favorite/most common way of eating oatmeal?

My go-to bowl: thawed berries and banana with almond milk.

25 Ways to Eat a Bowl of Oatmeal

These ideas do not include a sweetener. Make your oatmeal base how you like it, then add the suggested inclusions.

1. PB&J–chia jam or berries swirled with peanut butter.
2.  Cinnamon Raisin Swirl–cinnamon, ground cloves, raisins, walnuts, dates
3. Blueberry Cheesecake–fresh or frozen blueberries with non-dairy yogurt
4. Lemon Poppyseed–lemon juice, lemon zest, and chia or poppy seeds
5. Cherry Garcia–fresh or frozen cherries, chocolate chips, shredded coconut
6. Peanut Butter Banana–sliced bananas and peanut butter
7. Chocolate Covered Strawberry–cocoa powder, vanilla, fresh or frozen strawberries on top, choc chips
8. Baked Apple–chopped or grated apple, cinnamon, vanilla, walnuts, raisins, coconut
9. Good Old Raisins and Peanuts—just like it sounds
10. Tropical Paradise–fresh or frozen mango, pineapple, shredded coconut, almonds
11. Almond Joy–chopped almonds, shredded coconut, chocolate chips or cocoa powder
12. Strawberries and Cream–fresh or frozen berries, yogurt or coconut milk
13. Lemon Blueberry–lemon juice, lemon zest, blueberries, non-dairy yogurt
14. Pumpkin Pecan–pumpkin spice, pecans, 1 TBSP pumpkin puree
15. Peanut Butter Cup–peanut butter and chocolate chips
16. Banana Nut–banana slices and walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg
17. Gingerbread cookie–sprinkle of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, cloves
18. Banana Coconut Cream Pie–banana slices, coconut milk, shredded coconut
19. Peanut Butter Cookie–peanut butter, vanilla, cinnamon
20. Carrot Cake–shredded carrots, pecans, raisins, coconut, vanilla
21. Peaches and Cream–fresh or canned peaches, non-dairy yogurt or coconut milk, cinnamon and cloves
22. Almond Butter Chocolate Chip–almond butter, chocolate chips
23. Mint Brownie–cocoa powder, drop of peppermint extract or essential oil, chocolate chips
24. Superfood Bowl–hemp, chia, and ground flax seeds, walnuts, berries
25. Trail Mix–peanuts, raisins, chocolate chips, dried apricots, dates

Tropical Paradise oatmeal. Who knew pineapple on oatmeal would be so amazing?

Like recipes using oatmeal?  You’ll love these Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies or this Lemon Berry Baked Oatmeal. Want to switch it up? Try this Creamy Morning Millet for breakfast!