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This protein oatmeal is thick and creamy and packs in over 30 grams of protein per serving! Easy to customize and makes a healthy and filling breakfast.
Love oatmeal recipes? Try my overnight oats, overnight steel cut oats, brownie baked oatmeal, and baked oats.
Adding protein powder to oatmeal is a fantastic way to transform a bowl of oats into something even more satisfying and delicious. These protein oats are a fantastic way to kickstart your morning.
Table of Contents
Why add protein powder to oatmeal
Typically, one scoop of protein powder adds around 30 grams of protein, and I’ve been regularly doing this each morning. Protein is known for keeping you fuller for longer and helping repair muscles after exercise.
What I love about this protein oatmeal recipe is just how easy it is to customize. There are tons of protein powder flavors out there, so you can enjoy chocolate oats, vanilla oats, cookie dough oats, and more.
Like with protein overnight oats, you can make a big batch on the weekends and have breakfast sorted for the week ahead!
Ingredients needed
- Rolled oats. Also known as old-fashioned oats. These have a chewier and more satisfying texture than instant oats. If you only have the latter, you can use them.
- Water. To cook the oats in (with the milk). For extra creamy protein oats, use all milk.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk but any milk works, including soy milk, whole milk, and oat milk.
- Salt. Just a pinch to bring out the natural sweetness of the oats.
- Protein powder. Either flavored or unflavored. See my tips for choosing protein powder below.
- Mix-ins. Like any good bowl of oatmeal, you can flavor it up any way you like.
Best protein powder for oats
Not all protein powders are equal. Many of them are loaded with sugar, fillers, and almost as much carbs as protein. Here are my tried and tested options to choose from:
- Casein protein powder. This protein provides the thickest texture. If you add casein protein, you will need to add an extra 1/2-1 cup of liquid to compensate for it.
- Brown rice protein powder. Vegan and gluten-free protein powder. It’s thick and mixes well, and can come in a variety of flavors. Be wary though, some brands can have an ‘earthy’ texture, meaning it can have a quite distinct taste. Stick to vanilla, chocolate, or plain varieties.
- Whey protein powder. While not as thick as the other two kinds of powder, whey is easy to find at any grocery store and has minimal ingredients.
How to make protein oatmeal
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Cook the oats. Using either the stovetop or the microwave method, combine the oats, water, milk, and salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the oats are thick.
Step 2- Add protein powder. Moving quickly, whisk in the protein powder, ensuring there are no clumps throughout. If the oatmeal is too thick, stir through some milk or water.
Step 3- Add toppings. Top with fresh fruit, maple syrup, nut butter, chocolate, or whatever toppings you like.
Recipe tips and variations
- Adjust the consistency. If you prefer soupy and thinner oatmeal, add more liquid. If you prefer stick-to-your-ribs oats, use less liquid.
- Thicken the oats. Another trick to thicken oatmeal is to add 1-2 teaspoons of chia seeds or ground flaxseed. These not only make the oats heartier, but pack in 4-5 grams of fiber too!
- Add mix-ins. Fresh berries, bananas, peanut butter, almond butter, walnuts, cinnamon, or Greek yogurt are fabulous additions.
- Make chocolate protein oatmeal. Use chocolate protein powder and add some cheeky chocolate chips.
- Use other protein. If you don’t like protein powder, you can add Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or high-protein milk and still enjoy a high-protein oatmeal.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to five days.
To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled oats in freezer-safe containers and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Reheating: Microwave the oats for 30-40 seconds until warm. Add more milk or water, if needed.
More healthy breakfast recipes
- Almond flour pancakes
- Protein waffles
- Cottage cheese bread
- Oatmeal breakfast cookies
- Protein pancakes
- Protein cereal
Protein Powder Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats gluten-free, if necessary
- 1/4 cup protein powder
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk any milk works
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the oats, water, milk, and salt to a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl.
- Bring the oats to a boil then once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Let the oats simmer until they are nice and thick.
- Remove the oatmeal off the heat and whisk in the protein powder.
- Add toppings and enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
Originally published November 2013, updated and republished March 2024
I’m gonna add some cheeky chocolate chips lol!
Please do!
The protein clumps up and becomes gummy when added to hot oatmeal. How did you do it?
Hi Greg- I recommend slowly whisking it in to prevent that happening. It could also be the brand you are using- would you mind letting me know which one and I can look into it for you?
I make overnight oatmeal in my slow cooker. I put a glass container with my oatmeal mixture into a water bath and cook it overnight. Would you suggest adding the protein powder at the beginning or after it is cooked. Does cooking affect the protein powder?
I love adding it towards the end. There are rumors that cooking protein powder affects it, but that is not proven.
This one sounds good.
My personal favourite is one I made up and call “apple crumble oats”. I use rolled/porridge oats and add to them (sweet) ground cinnamon, sweetener (to taste), soy milk, Skyr vanilla protein yogurt and a diced apple (Gala apples are my favorite as they are lovely and sweet – you can remove or leave the skin on the apple according to preference). It is gorgeous, I make enough for a week of breakfasts/puddings and the only problem is trying not to eat the lot! 😂
HA! we would be a pair if we were in NYC together… my favorite place too, but if we were both stressed at the same time? nope, it would not be pretty. I whip my hair and freak out too.
chocolate oatmeal might help.
I think chocolate anything helps. Chocolate…tempeh?!
I usually cook oats with water, often add shredded carrot, sometimes shredded zucchini, cinnamon, sometimes cocoa powder and cook until thickened. Usually I put all ingredients in there just right at the beginning and cook until done (except eggs, I stir that in last). I eat it hot! I only eat uncooked overnight oats cold.
I don’t think anyone does not like peanut butter, like everyone is claiming to be the biggest pb addict in the world!
and I just realised that this is a very old post 😀 I thought it’s a new one that I have missed, lol. Your welcome for my oatmeal cooking directions! hahahaha
Haha no worries!
That’s so true- Everyone does claim to be the biggest addict! 😉
Bahaha, Oprah looks sooo scary yet very cute. I might invite her to Zurich and show here where to find affordable handbags (haha….)
I LOVE the spotlight on you Mr. Twerk!!
I am with you on the eggs. I freak out when there’s only one pack left, seriously, I eat so MANY!
I love them as an omelette, but even better combine them with oats – and cook eggy oats. Store them overnight and warm up in the morning – EGGY OAT BAKE here you are and I love you. Throw in a few pieces of kabocha and I am doing a happy dance (not that anyone wants to see that :-))
LOLLLLLLLLLLLLL. I nearly fell of my chair. and speaking of chairs. as Oprah would say- LOOK UNDER YOUR CHAAAAAAAAAAAAIRRRR. A NEWWWWW CARRR.
I can’t wait to meet you, Lucie. All we need are eggs, kabocha and we’d be set!
How dare you deface oprah like that!
I forgive you because you want to live in my two fav cities in the world! If you included San Fran in that list then we could move there together and live happily ever after…k?
I DID NOT DEFACE HER. Is it wrong that she grows hair there?
San Fran is definitely up there- I LOVE it there- we can walk up a hill and call it our HIIT workout for the day! sounds grand, Davida’s Delights can fund it.
I am with your sis Arman – Lost In Translation could very easily be my sleeping pill too!
I so enjoyed visiting NYC too, my sis used to live there and my cousin lives there now – but if I lived there I would be so broke after paying rent!
Love your reasoning behind the chicken/eggs! Your smarts will have you A-cing your statistics class dude! Oprah with ‘stash should change her name to Orman!
Oats for me usually involves almond milk, salt, cinnamon and chocolate chips and peanut butter tossed in towards the end to melt – ahhh – this is my bowl of comfort – sometimes I have eaten this for dessert instead of fro yo!
Hope your weekend was lovely – Jessie had a wonderful idea – was great to get to know you a little more 🙂
LOl. No melatonin for either of you guys then! Ohhhhhh that is probably why I’d NEVER ever be able to live there..that and the green card factor. Donald trump, just adopt me already.
LOL. Orman. Can you imagine that as the talk show? LOOK UNDER YOUR CHAAAAAIR. a NEWWWWWWW car.
I’ve always had this thing with oats- either cinnamon OR cocoa…I don’t know why! They are both amazing! Hope your Monday is off to a great start 🙂
I am a simple person – I get lost on books & movies.. I don’t look for the message! 🙂
I am simple elsewhere in cooking too – I like easy! 🙂
And thats the best way to go about things! Who needs to overcomplicate things when you can be perfectly satisfied with the basics!
I’m so with you on loving New York City and loving a hustle and bustle type city! I would love to live there or San Francisco.
My sleeping pill movie last night was The Zodiac… beginning was good, but fell asleep at the end. I’ve still never seen Lost in Translation.
OHHH i forgot about San Fran! I LOVE San Fran! A walk up one of their streets is a workout 😉
Haha, seeing as I have a great track record with recommending things to you, maybe give it a miss …:P
Ha! Love it oh so much!
You’re just jealous of Oprah’s Tash.
You crack me up!! Are you like this in person or does your wit just come out when you’re writing? I love New York and have lived there for 2 separate summer internships, but at the end of 3 months I was kind of ready to get out … it’s SO amazing to be there, but if you don’t escape every once in a while it’s overwhelming, at least for me!
In high school my friends thought I was one of the most random people- saying something serious then going into something completely out of nowhere…Aussie Charm? :p Ohh I did an Internship there over your ‘Summer’ period and must admit it was quite tiring..but I still loved it. Then again, I was coming home to a 360 kind of city so maybe thats why. PS I’ve finished exams now which means I am keen to read your Aussie travel recaps! Do you mind linking me up to them again?
Of course! I do think Sydney is a ton different than NYC because Sydney is SO green. Of course, NYC has Central Park, which is comletely amazing, but you can really walk around the bottom half of the city for days without seeing an inch of green. I’ll let you decide for yourself which you like – they’re both amazing! Here’s the old blog: https://lyonsasia.travellerspoint.com/ … remember to filter on the right side for “Australia”!
So true- Besides central park I found it hard to find greenery…except the whole foods salad bar. Thanks for the link- I’m excited to read it!
I love the twist! So good to learn more about you, Arman! Bravo to Jessie for turning the tables on ya! 😉
I usually keep my oats pretty simple…just oats and water in the microwave…but recently, I’ve been playing around with a new recipe using eggs. If I get everything together, I MIGHT just be able to post it this week! I’m with you, love adding them to my oats for more of a richer flavor and I’m starting to realize that cooking them in almond milk versus water makes a HUGE difference (one thing I’ve learned since giving up my calorie counting days). 😀
Sleeping pill movie: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon…I rarely ever fall asleep during movies, but this one has knocked me out BOTH times I tried to watch it! Lol
Thanks Heather 🙂 I love that I accidentally cracked the full egg in when I made it like that- never going back to just whites… okay sometimes but still.
Crouching tiger hidden dragon…talk about false advertising in the name. They should rename it Melatonin.
I’m inclined to agree with your sister. Lost in Translation left me lost.
I loved this bit though: “Whenever I’m stressed I don’t handle it particularly well. I get angry at everyone around me and I whip my hair back n forth worse than Willow Smith.” If I had any hair, I might do the same. Ha. When I get stressed, I get grumpy and moody and all freaked out. Ya know what calms me down…exercise and making a list because I love them.
Haha, I KNEW a list would somehow make it all better- I like writing lists but leave it at that- I never seem to follow through with it!
It’s all good. It’s really the simple act of calming, and actually my lists are really guidelines. Or big run on lists which I know will last for days. Gotta be realistic with your expectations right. Otherwise you just set yourself up for failure.
Hhaaah it’s your blog you do WHAT YOU WANT. Das right. Anywhoooo, I use Iron Man as a natural sleeping pill. That’s probably weird but I really just can’t get into that movie.
Actually, add that genre of movies to my sleeping pill list too. Actually, my sleeping pills are probably crowd favourites…Titanic. The notebook. The list goes on…
I’m slightly miffed by the fact that you chose Oprah over me as your island companion, but your reasoning behind it is good, so I guess I can forgive you. I can’t say I’m with you on her stash, though — I prefer her clean shaven 😛
And you better believe I have a specific oat method! I don’t even like anyone else to cook my breakfasts for me because they can never get the oats just right. Yup… I’m someone who would prefer to drag my butt out of bed to cook breakfast than to be served breakfast in bed. Priorities 😉
If I brought you, you would chuck the eggs at me over not picking a computer as my electronic choice (with a cheeky WoW game hidden inside… ;))
I like your priorities- I would rather do that too! My sister offered to make me oatmeal with egg whites once. She microwaved a packet of instant oats and gave me an omelette on the side. Fail. Whale.
I used to handle stressful situations similarly…it’s been a work in progress over the course of my 20s, and I feel like I’m finally getting a grip on things. It’s not easy changing innate details of your personality, and definitely takes time and patience (and introspection).
On another note, Op is looking pretty good there. She must have been growing it out since last Movember!?
That is so great to hear Kelly- It really is a work in progress and I’m slowly able to go up a number… argh! I reckon Oprah’s a better catch now that she sports the tash!
Loving the twist. Naming Oprah as your island companion makes you my new hero 😛
There is a an awesome video on youtube that is nothing more than a compilation of her shouting celebrity names. I watch it when I’ve had a bad day lol
I love that your overnight oats are cooked – but I can’t say I’d be able to control myself from not eating them when they are finished 😛
Haha, ONLY if she brings her entourage…otherwise she is useless to me. Or maybe she could be a protein option 😛
LOL..I actually have to make them while making dinner or I’d do the same. Try it this way- so good!
Well I love this twist and I especially like the idea that Toronto is top 3 on your city list. However… London is my favorite city so let’s just move there together, get this wedding registry up and running, and play with our Vitamix. Mmmmkay?
Pretty sure the Vitamix is mine and the kitchen aid is yours 😉
Done. Or we can just pub crawl..sorry city crawl around the globe!
I love Lost in Translation too. When I lived in Hong Kong I watched that movie a million times because I could relate to it so well given the situation I was in where I was the only white female for literally miles around.
I need to try out your cocoa oats they sound delicious.
I’d love to visit New York one day but Melbourne will always be home to me. I could work overseas for a year but I’d always come back home for sure….especially since no one has brunch like we have here!
Happy Sunday and I hope statistics study isn’t getting you down.
YES! When I was travelling europe and stuck in a mind F!$k for quite some time- I watched it over and over for that very same reason (minus the white female bit ;). I can imagine how tough that would have been in Hong Kong- the hustle and bustle would have been so similar to Tokyo!
In NYC- Brunch was an excuse to have alcohol on Sundays…I swear everywhere instead of advertising eggs and omelettes would advertise bloody marys!
Arman, I am with you on the eggs. They are so easy to make and have infinite possibilities. I always feel a tad guilty because I sometimes hear the old school propaganda in my head about egg yolk and cholesterol. Then I snap out of it! I get pretty worked up when stressed out too. My brain gets stuck on a loop. Thanks for sharing!
Ohh the damn egg yolk and cholesterol debate…something I ‘blissfully’ ignore… or try to! I can’t help it- they are so versatile! Our brains must be on the same wavelength!