This peanut butter oatmeal is the ideal healthy and easy breakfast recipe starring whole grains! Here’s the trick to making it taste great.
There’s no breakfast better than oatmeal, in our minds! So let us introduce you to a daily staple around here: this delicious Peanut Butter Oatmeal! Here’s the thing: oatmeal can be gloppy, gooey, or under-seasoned. But cook up a pot the right way, and it tastes like a dream! Here we’re sharing our favorite method for chewy toasted oats, and there’s a peanut butter banana variation if you prefer a little natural sweetness. Plus we’ve got the all important key: when to add the peanut butter. We make this every day (no joke) and it’s incredibly filling…and satisfying.
Also try: Easy Banana Oatmeal
The key to peanut butter oatmeal
Here’s the thing. We figured that peanut butter oatmeal would be absolutely delicious if you throw spoonfuls of creamy peanut butter right into the pot and cook. Wrong! Here’s what happened, and how to avoid it:
- Don’t put peanut butter into the pot while the oatmeal is cooking. Why? When it’s done, you can barely taste the peanut butter. Even if you add a load of PB, there’s something about the flavor and texture that’s just not right. (Trust us.)
- The best way? Swirl it on top right before serving. Yeah, so it’s oatmeal topped with peanut butter. But this is the only way to get big peanut butter flavor! Top it right away and the warmth of the oats makes it heart meltingly good.
Why it’s the best oatmeal: toasted and chewy!
The other part to this peanut butter oatmeal? You’ve got to make the best pot of oatmeal imaginable! Over here, we’re anti creamy, gloppy oats with no texture. Our best oatmeal is lightly chewy and toasted before you add the liquid. This makes it utterly irresistible. Here are the keys to toasted oatmeal:
- Toast the oats in butter or coconut oil until fragrant. It takes just a minute or two, but it makes a big difference.
- Add liquid and cook on low without stirring. This easy method makes the oats chewy with separate grains, instead of a gloppy mess.
- If you like it creamier, add milk at the end. Add as much milk as you like to get to a creamier texture to these oats.
Variation: peanut butter banana oatmeal
Like your oatmeal sweet? No problem! Adding mashed bananas during the cooking time makes a beautifully creamy body to the oatmeal and a lightly sweet flavor. This is one of our favorite variations, and a quicker way to get the flavor of our banana baked oatmeal. Try this variation when you have a few ripe bananas on hand!
Peanut butter oatmeal toppings
How do you like to top your oatmeal? This peanut butter oatmeal is absolutely perfect with just a swirl of nut butter on top. I’ll admit: my daily oatmeal (and I do eat this every day) is simply oats, peanut butter, and salt. I like it on the savory side! But want to jazz it up a bit? Here are some ideas:
- Honey or maple syrup: a small drizzle is all you need!
- Jam or jelly: PB&J oatmeal is where it’s at! Try our homemade strawberry jam
- Berries: Blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries pair well
- Banana slices: Especially if you do the peanut butter banana variation
- Bee pollen: The confetti in the photos is bee pollen, and it adds a nice crunch
More variations: change up the nut butter!
It goes without saying, but peanut butter oatmeal can morph into all sorts of other types of oatmeal just by changing the nut butter. We love making lots of different nut butters at home, but these days you can easily find them at your grocery. Here are a few fun variations:
- Almond butter: top it with homemade almond butter (the vanilla bean or chai variations would be killer)
- Pecan butter: we especially like this homemade pecan butter on oats
- Cashew butter: another great option! cashew butter has beautifully sweet flavor
- Walnut butter: this cinnamon-scented walnut Butter is particularly tasty
Oatmeal nutrition info
Why eat oats in the morning? Well, these whole grains are a wholesome and filling breakfast idea that’s hard to beat. Here are some of the nutritional benefits of oats (source):
- Oats are high in plant based protein. 1 cup of raw oats have 11 grams protein. That’s about 20% of your daily need!
- Oats are high in fiber. 1 cup of raw oats have 8 grams of fiber, which is about 30% of the daily value.
- Oats are very filling: they may reduce appetite and help you eat less calories.
More oatmeal recipes
There are so many great ways to eat this versatile grain in the morning! Here are a few favorite vegetarian breakfast ideas starring oats:
- Try all our Oatmeal Recipes to Start the Day
- Go basic with How to Make Oatmeal
- Bake it up with Everyday Baked Oatmeal (and eat off leftovers all week)
- Blend up an Oatmeal Smoothie
- Mix up Homemade Granola Bars or Peanut Butter Granola
- Go savory with Savory Oatmeal
- Whip up a stack of Oatmeal Pancakes
- Opt for the easiest prep with Overnight Oats
- Go outside the box with Easy Oatmeal Bars, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars, or Easy Energy Balls
This peanut butter oatmeal recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Print
Peanut Butter Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 2 to 3 servings 1x
Description
This peanut butter oatmeal is the ideal healthy and easy breakfast recipe starring whole grains! Here’s the trick to making it taste great.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
- 2 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats (do not use instant oats or steel cut oats)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk, oat milk or almond milk (or additional water)
- Sweet variation: 2 ripe bananas, mashed (optional)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons peanut butter
- Other toppings as desired: small drizzle honey or maple syrup, berry jam, fruit, etc.
Instructions
- Melt the butter or coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the oats and toast for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant.
- Add the salt and cinnamon. Turn the heat to low and carefully pour in the water and milk, stirring. Add the mashed banana, if using. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until tender, then remove from the heat. Serve immediately for a chunky texture, or stir in an additional ½ cup milk for a creamier body. The texture is intentionally chewy (not gloppy or soggy!). Top with the peanut butter and any other toppings as desired.
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Breakfast
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: Peanut butter oatmeal
how do you swirl peanut butter?
You can just throw it on top and stir in a little to the top portion — or just dollop on top! It’s pretty free form!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I made it for my four little kids and myself and it was a big hit (a very rare thing!). It was so easy to prepare and provided protein, fruit, and grain in a single bowl, saving me lots of fuss and dishes. Putting it into the regular school-morning rotation!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Yummy! I added 1/2 cup apple sauce and topped with chopped pecans.
Thank you! I love this Oatmeal. I made it with the banana and it was yummy! It is the perfect thing for a cold morning. I have wanted to like oatmeal but every time I tried to make it the finished bowl would be sticky and clumped together.
Your recipe is not, at all!
★★★★★
Does this hold up if reheated? I’d like to meal prep this as doing a whole lot in the mornings is not practical. Make Monday-Wednesday on Sunday, Thursday & Friday can be made Wednesday evening..
Yes, you can make it and refrigerate for a week! Just don’t add the peanut butter until serving.
This is by far, the best oatmeal recipe I ever made. Never have I ever heard of toasting the oat and spices before cooking but I’m so glad I did.I always felt my oatmeal lacked flavor and like it was missing something. Here I found the key 🔑!! Your recipe brings sooo much flavor to the meal. I have made it twice already. I made the PB&J version and OMG so delicious. Thank you for sharing!! 👍😋
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed! You’re welcome :)
Awesome recipe. I was looking for something plant-based and healthy that I could make with what I had at home and this fit the bill.
★★★★★