7 Creative Oat Recipes for Breakfast to Level Up Your Day * | Lisa's Notebook (2024)

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.