HOW TO UPGRADE YOUR OATMEAL: The 7 Best Flavors
HEALTHY OATMEAL MADE EASY
THE 7 BEST CLASSIC FLAVORS
You’re definitely not gonna see a fried egg with pickled onions on top of oatmeal in this video! This is all about the classics, and the classics are the classics for a reason..
Chocolate, strawberry, banana.. These might sound basic, even BORING, but don’t let that put you off! This is NOT just about adding sugar and toppings! Not only am I gonna show you how to make them healthier, but I’m gonna show you my favorite ways to make these a little more interesting – like how to make a healthier caramel, an oatmeal that changes color, and some new delicious twists on some timeless classics.
So we’re gonna be counting down the 7 best classic oatmeal flavors!
See how easy it is to make all of these flavors in the video below! And, in case you’re new to oatmeal, I’ll show you how I like to make the perfect pot!
THE 7 BEST FLAVORS (OFFICIAL RANKING)
#7 – MAPLE & BROWN SUGAR
#6 – MAGIC BLUEBERRY
#5 – CARAMEL DATE
#4 – APPLE & CINNAMON
#3 – DOUBLE CHOCOLATE
#2 – CREAMY BANANA
#1 – STRAWBERRIES & CREAM
#7 – MAPLE & BROWN SUGAR
This one almost didn’t make the list cause it’s not the most healthy, but it might be the most classic of all time! I like to add some healthy fats and protein to this breakfast, so it’s a bit more balanced (not just carbs and sugar!).
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup rolled oats
-1 + 1/2 cups water
-1 tbsp almond butter
-1/2 tsp coconut oil
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Toppings:
-1 tsp maple syrup
-1 tsp brown sugar
How to:
-To speed up the cooking time, heat some water in an electric kettle to pre-soak the oats. Once the water has boiled, mix 1 + 1/2 cups hot water with 1/2 cup rolled oats in a small pot. Cover the pot with a lid, and leave to soak for about 5 minutes.
-Once soaked, get the oats simmering on the stove with a lid on.
-Cook for about 3-5 minutes (or as needed) until creamy.
-Once cooked, stir the other ingredients in.
-Serve into a bowl, add the toppings and enjoy!
Calories:
Roughly 300 calories with toppings: 1 tsp maple syrup and 1 tsp brown sugar
#6 – MAGIC BLUEBERRY
Blueberry oatmeal has become a modern classic, but something magic happens when you add lemon (the blueberry oatmeal turns bright pink)! The yogurt on top adds creaminess to give this one a blueberries & cream kind of vibe, and the lemon juice (and zest) gives it an incredible burst of flavor.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup rolled oats
-1 + 1/2 cups water
-1/2 cup blueberries (I use frozen wild blueberries)
-1 tsp maple syrup (or any sweetener)
-1/2 tsp coconut oil
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Toppings (suggested):
-A squeeze of lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
-About 1/4 cup plain yogurt (I use unsweetened vanilla coconut yogurt)
-A few fresh blueberries
-Fresh lemon slices
-Lemon zest (grated on top)
How to:
-To speed up the cooking time, heat some water in an electric kettle to pre-soak the oats. Once the water has boiled, mix 1 + 1/2 cups hot water with 1/2 cup rolled oats in a small pot. Cover the pot with a lid, and leave to soak for about 5 minutes.
-Once soaked, get the oats simmering on the stove.
-Add the blueberries in and cook with a lid on for about 5 minutes (or as needed) until creamy.
-Once cooked, stir the other ingredients in.
-Serve into a bowl, add the toppings and enjoy!
Calories:
Roughly 210 calories without toppings
Roughly 250 calories with toppings: 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut yogurt, 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, lemon juice and lemon zest
#5 – CARAMEL DATE
Caramel was my favorite flavor as a kid, but we’re making a healthier version using dates! They have a great caramel-like flavor, but are much healthier for breakfast!
Ingredients (oats):
-1/2 cup rolled oats
-1 + 1/2 cups water
-1/2 tsp coconut oil
Ingredients (caramel):
-2 or 3 medium medjool dates (soaked in 1/4 cup warm water for 5 min)
-1/4 cup warm water
-1 tbsp almond butter
-1 tsp maple syrup
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-A pinch of salt
How to (oats):
-To speed up the cooking time, heat some water in an electric kettle to pre-soak the oats. Once the water has boiled, mix 1 + 1/2 cups hot water with 1/2 cup rolled oats in a small pot. Cover the pot with a lid, and leave to soak for about 5 minutes.
-Once soaked, get the oats simmering on the stove with a lid on.
-Cook for about 3-5 minutes (or as needed) until creamy.
-Once cooked, stir the coconut oil in.
-Serve into a bowl, add the date caramel on top and enjoy!
How to (caramel):
-Soak 2 or 3 medjool dates in 1/4 cup hot water for about 5 minutes.
-Once the dates have become soft and squishy, roughly slice them up before smashing them with a fork. You can make this as smooth as you want, but I like to keep some little date pieces in it.
-Add the date mix to a bowl with 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 tsp maple syrup, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
-Then I take the water I soaked the dates in, and add about 2 tbsp to the bowl.
-Mix it up to get it a bit saucy, and that’s a healthier caramel!
Calories:
Roughly 480 calories with 3 medjool dates
Roughly 410 calories with 2 medjool dates
#4 – APPLE & CINNAMON
If you’re looking for the everyday classic, I don’t know if you get any better than apple & cinnamon. It’s sweet without being too sweet, it’s simple without being too plain, it’s worthy of being a dessert but you can eat it everyday without getting tired of it!
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup rolled oats
-1 + 1/2 cups water
-1 small to medium apple (optionally peeled)
-1/2 tsp coconut oil
-2 tsp maple syrup
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Toppings ideas:
-An extra sprinkle of cinnamon
-Peanut butter or almond butter
-A few extra fresh apple pieces for a crunch
How to:
-To speed up the cooking time, heat some water in an electric kettle to pre-soak the oats. Once the water has boiled, mix 1 + 1/2 cups hot water with 1/2 cup rolled oats in a small pot. Cover the pot with a lid, and leave to soak for about 5 minutes.
-Peel the apple (optional), and chop into small-ish pieces.
-Once soaked, get the oats simmering on the stove.
-Add the apple pieces in and cook with a lid on for about 10 minutes (or as needed), until the apple is soft and cooked all the way through.
-Once cooked, stir the other ingredients in.
-Serve into a bowl, optionally add some toppings, and enjoy!
Calories:
Roughly 310 calories without toppings
Roughly 410 calories with toppings: 1 tbsp of peanut butter or almond butter
#3 – DOUBLE CHOCOLATE
It was really hard placing these final 3 flavors, cause they’re all soooo good! This one really needs no introduction, because we all love it. So here’s how I like to make chocolate healthier for breakfast! (The super cheeky part of this one was adding the extra chocolate on top.)
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup rolled oats
-1 + 1/2 cups water
-1/2 tsp coconut oil
-2-3 tsp maple syrup (I use 2)
-2-3 tsp cocoa powder (I use 2)
-A pinch of salt
Topping ideas:
-1/4 cup vanilla yogurt (I use vanilla coconut yogurt)
-Dark chocolate pieces
-Dark chocolate grated on top
-Fresh raspberries or strawberry slices
-Almond butter
How to:
-To speed up the cooking time, heat some water in an electric kettle to pre-soak the oats. Once the water has boiled, mix 1 + 1/2 cups hot water with 1/2 cup rolled oats in a small pot. Cover the pot with a lid, and leave to soak for about 5 minutes.
-Once soaked, get the oats simmering on the stove with a lid on.
-Cook for about 3-5 minutes (or as needed) until creamy.
-Once cooked, stir the other ingredients in.
-Serve into a bowl, add any toppings you like (see my recommendations) and enjoy!
Calories:
Roughly 220 calories without toppings (includes 2 tsp maple syrup and 2 tsp cocoa powder)
Roughly 250 calories without toppings (includes 3 tsp maple syrup and 3 tsp cocoa powder)
Roughly 330 calories with toppings: 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut yogurt and 15g dark chocolate pieces
#2 – CREAMY BANANA
This is not just gonna be sliced banana on top of oatmeal! This one tastes like fried banana, it’s super creamy and every time I make it, it’s more delicious than I remember.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup rolled oats
-1 + 1/2 cups water
-1 medium banana (roughly smashed)
-1/2 tsp coconut oil
-1/2 tsp maple syrup
Topping ideas:
-A splash of almond milk on top (or any milk)
-Walnut pieces
-A few fresh banana slices (I usually save 3 or 4 slices before I smash the rest of the banana up)
How to:
-To speed up the cooking time, heat some water in an electric kettle to pre-soak the oats. Once the water has boiled, mix 1 + 1/2 cups hot water with 1/2 cup rolled oats in a small pot. Cover the pot with a lid, and leave to soak for about 5 minutes.
-Roughly smash a banana with a fork, I like to keep some big pieces in it!
-Once soaked, get the oats simmering on the stove.
-Add the smashed banana in and cook with a lid on for about 5 minutes (or as needed).
-Once cooked, stir the other ingredients in.
-Serve into a bowl, optionally add some toppings (even just a little splash of milk on top is nice), and enjoy!
Calories:
280 calories without toppings
390 calories with toppings: 1/8 cup almond milk and 1/8 cup chopped walnuts
#1 – STRAWBERRIES & CREAM
In first place (of this very official ranking), we have strawberries and cream! Strawberry is the most classic berry, and if you add some cream and you have one of the most iconic pairings. You’ve probably had this flavor a million times – but here’s how I like to make it, so it’s healthy enough to eat for breakfast everyday!
Ingredients (oats):
-1/2 cup rolled oats
-1 + 1/2 cups water
-1 tsp maple syrup
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Ingredients (strawberries):
-1 cup sliced fresh strawberries (or 1 heaped cup frozen strawberries)
-2 tsp maple syrup
-1 tbsp water (to cook)
Options for the cream (choose one of these):
-1/4 cup light coconut milk (from a can)
-1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (I use unsweetened vanilla coconut yogurt)
How to (oats):
-To speed up the cooking time, heat some water in an electric kettle to pre-soak the oats. Once the water has boiled, mix 1 + 1/2 cups hot water with 1/2 cup rolled oats in a small pot. Cover the pot with a lid, and leave to soak for about 5 minutes.
-Once soaked, get the oats simmering on the stove with a lid on.
-Cook for about 3-5 minutes (or as needed) until creamy.
-Once cooked, stir the other ingredients in.
-Serve into a bowl, add the cooked strawberries on top, add the cream (I use light coconut milk from a can, and I like to drizzle it around the edge of the bowl so I can swirl the strawberries into it – see the video for reference).
-Eat and enjoy!
How to (strawberries):
-Slice up a enough fresh strawberries to fill about 1 cup (or use 1 heaped cup of frozen strawberries).
-Add the strawberries to a small sauce pan with 2 tsp maple syrup and about a tablespoon of water, and cook that for about 5 minutes.
-You can use a fork to break it up a bit (to get it more saucy), but I like to still have some strawberry pieces in it!
-Serve on top of the cooked oats!
Calories:
Roughly 300 calories with toppings: 1/4 cup light coconut milk and cooked strawberries
Roughly 290 calories with toppings: 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut yogurt and cooked strawberries
Video, photos and recipes by Liezl Jayne for liezljayne.com
