12 Creative Ways to Add More Oats to Your Diet

Oats offer countless benefits, starting with their status as a gluten-free whole grain rich in beta-glucan soluble fiber. This fiber promotes healthy gut bacteria growth and helps keep your digestive system moving smoothly by preventing constipation and maintaining regularity.

In addition to gut health, oats are fantastic for heart health. They help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, thanks to avenathramide, a unique polyphenol found only in oats.

Feeding oats to young children under five years old has been linked to a decreased risk of developing childhood asthma.

Beyond these benefits, just half a cup of raw oats provides nearly double the daily recommended amount of manganese, 13 grams of protein, iron, B vitamins, and more omega-3 fatty acids than most other grains. Now that we've explored why oats are so beneficial, let’s look at how you can easily include them in your meals.

Here are some tasty and wholesome ways to incorporate more oats into your daily meals, from morning to night, with tasty snacks and drinks along the way.

As Oats

Oatmeal is a classic choice for breakfast, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. All types of oats work well in both sweet and savory dishes. For a twist, try making overnight oats using milk instead of water. This method boosts the protein content and adds a creamy richness that helps reduce the need for extra sugar.

In Beverages

Oat milk is a trendy beverage right now, known for its perfect foam that baristas love, and its rich, creamy texture that enhances coffee drinks. It’s also a great option for those with food allergies.

While oat milk loses much of its fiber and protein content in the process, it still provides some heart-healthy benefits. However, long before oat milk was a popular non-dairy alternative, people were already adding whole rolled oats to smoothies to enjoy the nutritious benefits of this superfood.

In Pancakes and Waffles

Breakfast with oats doesn’t have to mean traditional oatmeal. This versatile grain works wonderfully in hearty pancake and waffle recipes, making it an excellent choice for those avoiding gluten.

Typically, oats are combined with wheat flour to create delicious multigrain pancakes that are not only more filling but also offer a healthier, satisfying twist on the classic breakfast treat.

In Sweet Muffins

Oat flour is a great, adaptable addition to your favorite muffin recipes. It’s heavier than wheat flour, resulting in denser muffins, and it also absorbs more liquid, so be sure to adjust the recipe accordingly.

The benefits of oats extend beyond texture—they can naturally add sweetness to your muffins, helping to reduce sugar, while boosting their nutritional value. If you don’t have oat flour, you can easily make your own by grinding old-fashioned or instant oats in a food processor or coffee grinder.

In Savory Muffins

Muffins aren't just for breakfast—they can be savory too, and even better with oats mixed in. Adding oats to the batter makes the muffins chewier and more substantial, giving them a satisfying texture that falls between cake and bread.

Feel free to replace some of the regular flour with oats—up to a quarter cup swap won't change the overall recipe. You can also sprinkle extra oats on top for added texture and flavor—they’re not just for decoration!

In Snack Bars

Oats are a classic and convenient ingredient for snack bars, offering an easy way to boost your oat intake while enjoying a delicious treat. They’re portable, often sweet, and can be made without baking—making them a much healthier and simpler midday option than something like a Rice Krispies Treat.

Recipes to Try: Blueberry Oat Dream Bars; No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars; Apricot Ginger Crumble Gluten-Free Oat Bars.

In Scones

American scones are rich, dense pastries with bold flavors, making them ideal for hearty oats. While American scones tend to be sweeter and often iced, British scones have a powdery exterior and a lighter, airier texture. Irish scones resemble Southern biscuits, with a tender crumb and satisfying crunch. In all versions, you can shape the dough into either triangles or circles—the result will always be delicious.

Get the Recipe: Scottish Oat Scones; Pumpkin Oat Scones; Berry Oatmeal Scones.

In Breads

While oat bread doesn’t contain much whole-grain oats per serving, the combination of wheat flour and gluten is essential for the bread to rise properly, maintain moisture, and achieve a light, airy texture. But even a small amount of oats can bring a subtle sweetness and enhance the flavor of a basic white bread or lighten a denser whole wheat loaf.

Using a bread machine makes it much easier to create a hearty, aromatic loaf of oat bread. For an artisanal touch, sprinkle crushed rolled oats on top before baking to impress your dinner guests with a beautiful finish.

In Quick Breads

No yeast? No worries. Oats work wonderfully in quick bread recipes, offering a hearty texture and a subtle, layered flavor profile. The robustness of oats pairs particularly well with spiced breads like this one.

In Granola

Adding granola to your yogurt is one of the simplest ways to get more oats into your diet. But did you know it’s also super easy to make your own granola at home? By doing so, you can control the amount of salt and sugar, customize the ingredients to your liking, and bake it to the exact texture you prefer. You can even skip the oven altogether and toast it on your stovetop!

In Entrees

Don't limit oats to just sweets, treats, and breakfast dishes. The beta-glucan that gives oatmeal its thick, sticky texture can also be used as a thickener for soups, replacing bread, or as a binding agent for meats. Substituting oats for breadcrumbs can even make classic Italian meatballs or meatloaf gluten-free. Additionally, oats can stand in for traditional grains like rice in dishes such as risotto.

In Desserts

Oats can be used in a variety of ways to enhance desserts, whether it’s as a crumb topping for coffee cake or pie, in cookie recipes, or even as a base for pie crusts.

Oat-based streusels are a healthier alternative to their butter-heavy, flour-based versions, offering more crunch when toasted just right. Granola crusts have more depth than traditional pressed graham crackers and are easier to experiment with, allowing for new and unique flavor combinations. Oats are also incredibly sturdy, making them ideal bases that can support heavy toppings or absorb moisture—like syrups, custards, and melted butter—only to release those infused flavors back in every bite.