AD | You’ve probably heard the saying, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” but why is this so? Well, you most likely ate around six – eight hours ago, before you went to sleep, so your first meal on awakening is literally breaking your fast. And it’s really important to have a healthy breakfast as the first meal to refuel your body for the day ahead, which is where energy-boosting oats come in. So today I’m sharing my seven favourite creative oat recipes for breakfast to help you level up your day. But first…
Why are oats good for you?
Oats are impressive little grains, some might even say a superfood. They might seem like a fairly humble ingredient, but they have so much to offer, with heaps of possibilities for milling, from cutting to rolling, and everything in between. Oats are good for us because they’re a gluten-free wholegrain, as well as a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fibre, heart-healthy fats, and antioxidants.
According to Heart UK, the UK’s only cholesterol charity, eating wholegrains regularly, as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, has been linked with a lower risk of developing certain diseases including heart disease. They’re a rich source of magnesium too, which may help regulate blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
How many different types of oats are there?
There are several different versions of oats, and they’re all good for you. Really, it all comes down to your preferred consistency and texture, and how long you’re prepared to cook them for in your chosen oat recipes for breakfast.
- Whole Oat Groats – harvested, cleaned oats minus their hulls. Often found in health food stores, they’re very nutritious and chewy, and a great swap for rice. Ideal for savoury dishes such as soups and stews as they take the longest to cook – up to 60 minutes.
- Steel Cut Oats – also known as pinhead oatmeal and Irish oatmeal, the groats are cut into a few pieces with a sharp metal blade. With a chewy texture and nutty flavour, they cook in around half the time as oat groats, because water can more easily penetrate the smaller pieces.
- Scottish Oatmeal – so called because the Scots traditionally stone-grind their oats, creating broken bits of varying sizes, which is ideal for a creamy porridge in around 10 minutes on the stove. Or you can use them when cooking savoury oatmeal recipes for dinner, such as meatloaf.
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats – created when oat groats are steamed and then rolled into flakes, which stay fresh longer and cook faster. Also known as Jumbo Oats, they’re great for granola, overnight oats, flapjacks, and smoothies. And they take between five and 20 minutes on a hob, depending on how chewy you like them.
- Quick or Instant Oats – even thinner flakes that are steamed for even longer. The nutrition stays the same but the texture changes, making them very quick to cook – think porridge sachets for a fast breakfast. Also ideal for smoothies,muffins, and healthy oatmeal toppings on crumbles.
- Oat Bran – milled flakes from the outer layer of the hulled oat kernel and high in insoluble fibre. Bran can be eaten as a rich, creamy cereal or used in breads, casseroles, muffins, cookies, smoothies, and pancakes for a boost of added fibre.
- Oat Flour – a finely milled, wholegrain flour for use in baking, or as a thickening agent in soups and stews.
Which are the best oat recipes for breakfast?
I’m certainly not going to lay down the law here, but these are my favourite oat recipes and breakfast ideas. Some sweet, some savoury, some quick, and some that you need to meal prep beforehand to save time. Tip: if the recipe calls for milk and you’d rather go dairy free, why not use oat milk instead? Double the benefits, and you’ll be in good company as shoppers spent £146m on oat milk in 2020, up £74m in 2019 according to the i newspaper recently!
A Perfect Bowl of Porridge
Probably one of the first oatmeal breakfast ideas that springs to mind, and something that Flora has every single morning during term-time, yes, even in summer. The key is to treat your oats like lentils and soak them overnight in some water. This softens them so they’re quicker to cook and easier to digest as well. Then simply add some more water, or milk if you prefer, stir and simmer until tender. Creamy and comforting, why not add extra flavours such as maple syrup (Flora’s choice), fresh fruit, or even some apple cinnamon compote?
Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries
The beauty of this recipe is you can ring the changes with whatever fruit you have to hand. So I would use blueberries and raspberries from our garden, and frozen cherries from our freezer, for example. And if you don’t like certain flavours (I’m not a vanilla extract fan), leave them out. Then serve with a generous dollop of Greek yoghurt.
Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
Flora and I both love peanut butter, so this is a firm favourite. Just remember to soak your oats overnight and then this healthy breakfast couldn’t be easier – only five ingredients and five minutes prep time. Perfect for those mornings when you hit the snooze button too many times…
Oat Pancakes with Courgettes
Who says oat recipes for breakfast have to be sweet? Sometimes you want something savoury instead, and this quick and easy pancake recipe would also make the perfect brunch. Mums will recognise the trick of hiding the courgettes in among the other ingredients too 🙂
Oat Muffins with Apple Sauce
Something that the kids will love to help with, these muffins use wholegrain rolled oats for added fibre and protein and the natural sweetness of apples with immunity boosting cinnamon. Ideal for freezing as well, so you’ll always have a healthy breakfast or snack to hand.
Mango Oats Smoothie
If you’re a milkshake fan then you’ll love the texture of this sweet and creamy mango smoothie. Once again, the secret is to use oats you’ve soaked overnight, but then it’s a super quick recipe to pull together. And if you don’t like mango, simply swap for peaches instead.
Chocolate and Banana Oatmeal Bread
Because chocolate can be good for you, in small doses, and offset by other healthy ingredients. And this recipe uses old fashioned rolled oats so you don’t need to feel guilty – moist, fluffy, and delicious, I’m sure one slice in the morning will never be enough…
What to do with oats besides oatmeal?
Not strictly a breakfast recipe, but one of the best alternative oatmeal recipes nonetheless! Oats are also a popular option for natural soaps, scrubs, face masks, and lotions, whether shop bought (such as the Aveeno range), or DIY at home. Why not try mixing some oats with a little salt and water for a simple home remedy for relieving itchy skin?
Where can I buy the best oats for breakfast?
There are plenty of suppliers on the market, but my favourite is Mornflake Mighty Oats, who’ve been milling oats in South Cheshire since 1675, making them Britain’s fourth-oldest, independent, family-owned company. They offer a range of delicious products, such as creamy porridge, crispy muesli, heart-healthy oat bran (my go-to), crunchy granola, chocolate squares, and a certified gluten-free range too. With the added bonus that their entire oats range is endorsed by Heart UK for its cholesterol-lowering, beta-glucan properties.
And as a horse lover, I adore the brand’s symbol of the three shire horses called Flossy, Metal and Bonnie, who pulled the binder that cut the oats back in 1915. Easy to cook, good for your health, and delicious to eat, how can you not love oats? 🙂
So, there we are, my seven favourite creative oat recipes for breakfast. Do you like eating oats for breakfast? If so, what’s your favourite oats recipe? How do you like to level up your first meal of the day?
* This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own unless stated otherwise – please see my Disclaimer.
I have always hated oatmeal since my mum made me eat it as a child. I love oats, though. Oatmeal raisin is my favourite cookie and I put a scoop of oats in my smoothie every morning.
Oh no, that’s so sad! But glad to hear you can still eat oats now – I agree, oatmeal and raisin cookies are delicious 🙂
These look so yummy! I have a pancake every morning made from rolled oats which replaces the flour. It’s sooo good! I’m loving the sound of the overnight oats and the baked blueberries. I’ve not had baked oats in ages. I think I might have to some soon 🙂 thanks for sharing Lisa!
Thank you! And yes, baked oats are wonderful at this time of year when it’s cold and wet outside – they remind me of the Ready Brek “central heating for kids” adverts of my childhood 🙂
The oat pancakes look really tempting hey. I normally just have oats as a quick morning porridge and all the recipes look so great. So I’m stuck for choice. Lovely recipes. 💗
Thank you, Alicia, that’s great to hear – happy breakfasting over the next few weeks then!
Great post, I love that you’ve come up with some creative ways to use such a healthy ingredient 🙂 I want to try some oat muffins x
Thank you very much – and yes, muffins are always a winner, aren’t they? x
I love porridge, especially as an autumn/winter breakfast. Overnight oats are perfect for the warmer months, they’re really refreshing. The chocolate and banana oatmeal bread looks delicious as do the oat pancakes!!
Oh I do love porridge right now too, it’s so versatile, you can put so many different toppings on it – as you say, overnight oats are great for summer breakfasts 🙂
Oh wow!!!!!!! I love eating oats. Besides healthy, they also tasted delicious. I’m definitely going to try some of these recipes. The oat muffins with apple sauce and mango smoothie looks tempting. Thank you for sharing.
Yay, that’s really good to hear, Fadima, please let me know how you get on with the muffins and mango smoothie!
I never have porridge or oats for breakfast anymore because I always found it a bit boring but I wasn’t doing anything creative with it for sure! I love the sound of the peanut butter overnight oats and the apple oat cupcakes x
I can hand on heart recommend the peanut butter overnight oats, about as far away from porridge as you can get! x
These are great ideas for oats! I have been trying to eat healthier and this will help with some ideas.
Thank you, I’m so pleased you found the post helpful!
Hi Lisa,
Well, like Flora, my breakfast usually consists of a bowl of porridge with some fruit on top (OK, and some honey but that probably spoils the healthy vibe doesn’t it?!).
Those other oat recipes look very tempting though. We used to have overnight oats a lot but then stopped for some reason (probably because we’d forget the overnight part!). I’d never have thought of putting oats in a smoothie with mango but … I’m tempted 🙂
Hi Richie,
Glad to hear you’re an oats fan, and honey is a superfood as well as a natural antiseptic so adding it to porridge is perfect! I hope you love the mango smoothie if you try it, it’s delicious 🙂
Great recipe ideas. It’s always good to change and keep things interesting. I would love to try some of these as I do only a couple of them.
Thank you – and yes, I hope you try some others and find new ones to love 🙂
Fab suggestions! I really love the look of the baked oatmeals – I love my blueberries! Thanks for sharing x
I do too, it’s a perfect match! x
Yay! I eat oatmeal everyday for breakfast but this post helps me spice up my plain ol’ oatmeal routine. Thank you! I’m glad it is a superfood, because I eat oatmeal everyday.
That is really good to hear, Michelle, I’m glad you’re such an oats fan 🙂
I used to really love oatmeal but lately I have developed a hatred for it lol. I know that oats are healthy but I didn’t know there are different types of oatmeals. I would love to try out all of these recipes as I haven’t tried any of them.
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear you’ve fallen out of love with oatmeal! But there are lots of ways to eat oats, so hopefully one or more of these recipes might rekindle your love 🙂
Porridge is the perfect breakfast for Autumn/Winter, I love these oat recipes Lisa! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
It really is, isn’t it? Thank you, Lucy x
Oats are incredibly nutritious, versatile, and healthy. They are good for the skin too, so eating oats on a regular basis is a good habit to develop.
The oat banana bread looks so good, and I love the idea of the muffins with apple sauce as I just made a big batch. I have taken to putting a handful of oats into my mixed berry smoothies too. 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
They are real little powerhouses, aren’t they? Glad you’re a fan too, Jaya, thank you for sharing your ways to eat them 🙂
I loved your baked oatmeal with blueberries… and your idea to top it with some yogurt! This would be such a great recipe for meal planning. I could make it on Sunday, then warm it up for breakfast each day. YUM!
That is genius planning, and baked oatmeal for breakfast is a winner in our house too!
Interesting and yum recipes. I’m wanting to try all of these.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thank you, and happy breakfasting!
Oooh! I’m now feeling like it’s porridge for breakfast this morning! Plus I’ve been looking for a new flavour of muffin to try out – I’m definitely going to have to give these a go, they sound delicious (anything that combines apple and cinnamon has got me!). Love this post.
That’s great to hear, Lindsey, and yes, apple and cinnamon are a match made in heaven, whether in muffins or porridge – happy breakfasting!
I became obsessed with overnight oats a few years ago and I haven’t looked back. So divine & I make it the same way you’ve listed here !
Will try the oats pancakes though & the oats treats, all seem amazing to me !
Thank you for sharing !
Oh that’s wonderful to hear, I’m so glad you’re a fellow oats fan – yes, provided I remember to prep them (!) overnight oats are my go-to in the mornings 🙂
I love having oats for breakfast! I used to prepare overnight oats and need to get back into the habit. I’ve heard about oats in smoothies for a while but keep forgetting to try it! The mango oats smoothie looks delicious. Thanks for sharing!
I know what you mean, sometimes I forget to prep the night before as well! That’s when smoothies come in handy 🙂
I love oats. Those muffins look beautiful!
I was staying at a hotel over the weekend that did traditional Scottish porridge and I hasn’t realised how much I missed it.
Usually I make overnight oats with a dash of honey and some apple grated up and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
Oh your oats sound delicious, Cora, although I wouldn’t say no to proper creamy done-for-me porridge in a hotel either!
Oh wow! I didn’t know there were so many options with this. I always just used to frown at oats in porridge but there are so many options you’ve laid out here. Will definitely be trying a few of those 🙂 thanks for sharing x
You’re welcome, I’m glad you’ve found a few alternatives to porridge to tempt you! x
Autumn and oats go hand in hand don’t they. My lunch of choice when working in Autumn is a massive bowl of porridge with loads of fruit. It’s so heart warming
Rosie
Oh yes, they do – and that’s a great idea, porridge for lunch, I’m going to try that this week 🙂
I had no idea there are so many different types of oats. I usually get Scottish oats, but I should try the different versions to see which one I like best. This is an interesting and very informative post. xx
To be honest, neither did I until I started researching this post! Thank you, Anca, I’m glad you found it interesting xx
Wow..these are some amazing and healthy recipes… thanks for sharing dear 🙂
Beauty and Fashion
Glad you enjoyed the post, thank you 🙂
I’ve never really liked oatmeal because of the crunchiness of it, but I do like the sound of a mango oatmeal smoothie.
I think that’s the same with a lot of people but smoothies are great for hiding things!
Thanks for sharing all this information Lisa! I love oats, but for me they must be warm. I’ve been noticing that a major yogurt maker in North America has introduced oats into their drinkable yogurt.
Oh, that’s interesting – sort of like a smoothie but not, haha! Thank you, Jodie 🙂
Love oats for breakfast always. Usually as poridge, I would
try the other ideas. Thanks for sharing, amazing post..
Thank you, Gabi, glad to find a fellow oats fan.
these sound like delicious breakfast options! im pretty lazy in the mornings so i always do oats, berries and yogurt – but i might try switching it up because these ideas are fab! x
mia // https://beautiful-inspiring-creative-life.com/
Some of them are really quick too, you might be surprised! Happy breakfasting, Mia x
I don’t eat oats, but my dad does. I’m excited to try making your oat recipes to see which one he likes. Especially that nowadays it’s raining… Thanks for this, Lisa!
Thank you, Monique, and I hope you’ll like at least one of them too!
I never used to be a fan of oats, I would find them quite boring but now I know there’s so many ways to make them tasty. I need to try the chocolate and banana oatmeal bread! X
I think that’s a perfect intro to how flexible oats can be, as well as yummy 🙂 x
Baked oatmeal with blueberries sounds delicious amongst a few others i must try
I can testify that it is 🙂
I read this post as I was having my morning porridge (I’m addicted to it!) so that was a very apt reading time ha! I want to try all the recipes you shared, particularly the smoothie and the baked oats, I’ve seen these on TikTok but I have never dared. Thank you for sharing this Lisa x
Oh yes, that was great timing, Simona! And thank you, I hope I’ll see your versions of some of these recipes over on your blog very soon, I know they’ll have your own delicious twists to make them even better! x
This has come at a great time for me as I have been trying to make a conscious effort to have breakfast and I have just brought some granola and I think we have oats here so these ideas are really helpful. The one I would love to try is the oat muffins with apple sauce! I love apple sauce! Thank you for sharing these suggestions.
Lauren
Ah, I’m so happy to hear that, Lauren, and I hope you get on with these recipes. Oats are fairly easy to digest and depending on what you put them with, I think you should be able to reap the benefits quite easily – do let me know how you get on! x
I didn’t know there were so many different types of oats! I don’t really like oatmeal because of the texture, but I should definitely look into some of the other recipes like the muffins & banana bread.
Oh yes, if you don’t like oatmeal in porridge then there’s lots of other ways to incorporate oats into food!
All the recipes so nutritious and delicious. I will definitely try your recipes especially peanut butter and muffins.
Thank you, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do 🙂
Ooooo you have some great ideas! I’m a big fan of oats – they’re just so easy to use for SO many things. Will have to try the banana bread.
Yay, a fellow oats fan – and I know you’re a fab baker so can’t wait to see some pics in due course 🙂
I love oats – they might even be my favourite food/ingredient! I’ve been having a homemade oaty, cereal bar type thing for breakfast every day as it really helps my IBS. I love the look of the muffins too 🙂 x
That’s so good to hear they’re helpful for IBS – thank you, Caroline, glad you love them too x
I love all these ideas — they are perfect recipes for this time of year, and so filling! I think I’ll have to give the pancakes a go!
Thank you, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
I always liked oats for breakfast when I was in the office as it was a quick and easy thing to eat at my desk! This post makes me see when I make it for the kids in winter I really need to try mix it up a little more, haha! There are so many things you can do with oats!
Hope your week is going well and you have a nice weekend ahead of you 🙂
Oats are so versatile, definitely not just for winter and kids! Thank you, Mica, I hope you have a lovely weekend too 🙂
These are delicious looking oat recipes, thank you for sharing.
http://www.melodyjacob.com/
They are indeed, glad you like them 🙂
I didn’t know anything about oat until your post. Thank you for sharing all of these useful information and recipes. They look and sounds very delicious.
You’re welcome, I’m glad yo enjoyed the post and I hope you’ll try some of the recipes 🙂
Oh wow so many recipes
Thanks for share with us
xx
Glad you enjoyed them!
Thank you for sharing, I was wondering how to spice up my oat meal now I have some ideas what to add in 🙂
You’re welcome, I hope you enjoy your future breakfasts!
These sound super yummy! I end up making apple crisp, but I use oats instead and it tastes really good! Thank you for sharing xx
Alexis
Oh that sounds delicious, great tip, thank you! x
I love oats because they are so versatile, but I didn’t know they could also be used in soaps and such.
♡ ☯ ☮ P&P style ☮ ☯ ♡
Yes, they really are amazing, so versatile!
Oatmeal breakfast is so Finnish and I ate it all my childhood every single morning. Then I went off it for years before realizing that mommy was right: It’s a really good way to start the day and also a handy way to feed many at once. Now if I would only get my half-British boys to eat it too 😀
Oatmeal cookies are the way to go – with some dark chocolate chips to tempt them – works for Flora. although she loves porridge and maple syrup too! 🙂
The taste of oatmeal is delicious. I made it at home. it’s very good for children health very light food
Yes, it’s a great breakfast for them, easy to digest and full of slow release energy 🙂
Lovely post with lots of information. I never thought that there were different types of oats!!! These meals are mouth watering. Thanks for sharing
TBH, neither did I before researching this post! Thank you, glad you enjoyed the article 🙂