57 Best Oatmeal Toppings To Try

Oatmeal is a relatively healthy breakfast option, but sometimes we all wonder what to put on oatmeal to make it taste better and less like cardboard. So we’ve made a long list of the best oatmeal toppings that will suit anyone in your family. 

As a breakfast option, we love our oats and have made many different recipes, such as chocolate peanut butter overnight oats, carrot cake overnight oats, and protein overnight oats. Oats have nutritional benefits like fiber, protein, and antioxidants that help reduce blood pressure. So we love it because it’s a healthy option for breakfast, but there are so many ways to dress it up. 

Protein Toppings for Oatmeal

Adding protein on top of oatmeal will keep you full for longer, and here are our favorite options: 

• Fried egg (1 egg): 76.7 calories, 4.8 g protein, 0.4 g carbs, 6 g fat
• Hard-boiled egg (1 egg): 68.2 calories, 5.5 g protein, 0.5 g carbs, 4.7 g fat 
• Scrambled eggs with salt (1 egg): 105 calories, 6.8 g protein, 1.3 g carbs, 8 g fat
• Poached eggs (1 egg): 71.5 calories, 6.3 g protein, 0.4 g carbs, 4.7 g fat 
• Breakfast sausage, turkey (1 link): 35.7 calories, 4.1 g protein, 0.5 g carbs, 1.8 g fat 
• Bacon (1 slice): 37.4 calories, 2.7 g protein, 0.1 g carbs, 2.8 g fat

• Protein powder (1 scoop): 67.5 calories, 10.7 g protein, 3.8 g carbs, 2.4 g fat
• Chia seeds (1 tsp): 16.2 calories, 0.6 g protein, 1.4 g carbs, 1 g fat

• Hemp seeds (1 tsp): 18.4 calories, 1.1 g protein, 0.3 g carbs, 1.6 g fat
• Greek yogurt, nonfat plain (¼ cup): 36.1 calories, 6.2 g protein, 2.2 g carbs, 0.2 g fat 
• Granola, honey almond (2 tbsp): 62.5 calories, 1.3 g protein, 31.3 g carbs, 2.3 g fat 

Nuts & Seed Toppings

These nut and nut butter options add texture and protein to oatmeal. 

• Peanuts (2 tbsp): 107.1 calories, 4.4 g protein, 3.9 g carbs, 9.1 g fat
• Cashews (2 tbsp): 89.9 calories, 3 g protein, 4.9 g carbs, 7.1 g fat
• Walnuts (2 tbsp): 96 calories, 2 g protein, 2 g carbs, 9.5 g fat
• Almonds (2 tbsp): 96 calories, 2 g protein, 2 g carbs, 9.5 g fat

• Pumpkin seeds (2 tbsp): 84.7 calories, 4.4 g protein, 2.2 g carbs, 7.2 g fat
• Almond nut butter, unsalted (1 tbsp): 95.9 calories, 3.3 g protein, 2.9 g carbs, 8.7 g fat
• Peanut butter, unsalted (1 tbsp): 96.4 calories, 3.6 g protein, 3.6 g carbs, 8.3 g fat

Fruit Toppings for Oatmeal

Fresh fruit toppings are some of our favorite ways to eat oatmeal because they balance the texture and add a natural sweetness to any breakfast.

• Strawberries (2 tbsp): 6.1 calories, 0.1 g protein, 1.5 g carbs, 0.1 g fat
• Raspberries (2 tbsp): 8 calories, 0.2 g protein, 1.8 g carbs, 0.1 g fat
• Pineapple (1 slice): 42 calories, 0.5 g  protein, 11 g  carbs, 0.1 g  fat
• Blueberries (2 tbsp): 10.5 calories, 0.1 g protein, 2.7 g carbs, 0.1 g fat 
• Blackberries (2 tbsp): 7.7 calories, 0.3 g protein, 1.7 g carbs, 0.1 g fat
• Kiwi (2 tbsp): 13.7 calories, 0.3 g protein, 3.3 g carbs, 0.1 g fat
• Bananas(2 tbsp): 16.7 calories, 0.2 g protein, 4.3 g carbs, 0.1 g fat
• Apples (2 tbsp):8.1 calories, 0 g protein, 2.2 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Peaches (2 tbsp): 7.6 calories, 0.2 g protein, 1.8 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Mango (2 tbsp): 12.4 calories, 0.2 g protein, 3.1 g carbs, 0.1 g fat
• Shredded coconut (1 tbsp): 33 calories, 0.3 g protein, 1.2 g carbs, 3.2 g fat

Savory Toppings for Oatmeal

Don’t restrict your oatmeal needs to sweet toppings. Using savory toppings will keep oatmeal breakfasts more exciting since these combinations aren’t as common. 

• Bean sprouts (¼ cup): 8 calories, 1 g protein, 1.5 g carbs, 0 g fat 

• Arugula (½ cup): 2.5 calories, 0.3 g protein, 0.4 g carbs, 0.1 g fat
• Avocado (½): 113.6 calories, 1.3 g  protein, 5.9 g  carbs, 10.5 g  fat

• Sauteed mushrooms (2 tbsp): 3.5 calories, .5 g protein, .5 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Sauteed spinach (½ cup): 3.5 calories, 0.4 g  protein, 0.5 g  carbs, 0.1 g  fat

• Green onions (2 tbsp): 4 calories, 0.1 g protein, 0.5 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Cilantro (1 tsp): 0.1 calories, 0 g protein, 0 g carbs, 0 g fat 

• Jalapenos (2 tbsp): 3.3 calories, 0.1 g protein, 0.7 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Cheddar (1 slice): 84.6 calories, 4.8 g  protein, 0.7 g  carbs, 7 g  fat
• Caramelized onions (2 tbsp): 65 calories, 0 g  protein, 1 g  carbs, 6.8 g  fat 
• Parmesan (1 tsp): 8.7 calories, 0.6 g protein, 0.3 g carbs, 0.6 g fat
• Edamame (2 tbsp): 23.5 calories, 2.3 g protein, 1.75 g carbs, 1 g fat

Sweetener Ideas

We prefer natural, unprocessed fruits for sweetening, but sometimes that fruit just doesn’t pair well with your combination. If you need extra sweetener or flavor for your oatmeal, here are our favorite natural options: 

• Dark brown sugar (1 tsp): 15 calories, 0 g protein, 4 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Agave nectar (1 tsp): 21.7 calories, 0 g protein, 5.3 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Maple syrup (1 tsp): 17.1 calories, 0 g protein, 4.4 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Monkfruit sweetener (1 tsp): 0 calories, 0 g protein, 4 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Honey (1 tsp): 21.5 calories, 0 g protein, 5.8 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Strawberry jam (1 tbsp): 50 calories, 0 g protein, 13 g carbs, 0 g fat 
• Dates (1 piece): 66.5 calories, 0.4 g protein, 18 g carbs, 0 g fat
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 tbsp): 54.6 calories, 0.5 g protein, 7.3 g carbs, 3.4 g fat

Oatmeal Spices & Seasonings

Seasonings are the icing on the oatmeal for us. There are so many different spices and seasonings to use that can give your oatmeal a little heat or crunch. Spices can add a lot of health benefits with very low calories. Oils add a lot of flavor but a lot of calories, so use sparingly!

• Cinnamon (¼ tsp): 1.6 calories, 0 g protein, 0.5 g carbs, 0 g fat 
• Pumpkin spice (¼ tsp): 1.5 calories, 0 g protein, 0.3 g carbs, 0 g fat  
• Roasted sesame oil (1 tsp): 40 calories, 0 g protein, 0 g carbs, 4.3 g fat
• Red pepper flakes (¼ tsp): 1.6 calories, 0.1 g protein, 0.3 g carbs, 0 g fat 
• Everything but the bagel (¼ tsp): 5 calories,  0 g protein, 0 g carbs, 0 g fat 
• Furikake (¼ tsp): 2.5 calories, 0.1 g protein, 0.2 g carbs, 0.1 g fat
• Sriracha (1 tsp): 6 calories, 0.1 g protein, 1.2 g carbs, 0.1 g fat
• Chili garlic crisp (1 tsp): 49.6 calories, 0.5 g protein, 0.7 g carbs, 5 g fat

Healthy Oatmeal Toppings

When assembling your oatmeal, you want to balance out all the toppings to get a well-rounded meal. Too much of one topping can give you too many carbs or fats–something we don’t want. We like to follow this simple ratio when making oatmeal to ensure a healthier breakfast:

1. Oatmeal base (with alternative milk or vegetable broth for the liquid)
2. Protein topping (chia seeds, Greek yogurt, eggs)
3. Good fats (avocado, nut butter)
4. Natural sweeteners (honey, agave, dates) 

Here are our favorite healthy oatmeal toppings and recipes: 

• Apple cinnamon – sauteed apples, cinnamon, agave, and chia seeds
• Elvis – nut butter, banana slices, honey
• Brunch – soft-boiled eggs, avocado, arugula, everything but the bagel seasoning

A Healthy Oatmeal Recipe Example

Our favorite toppings for healthy oatmeal are sometimes savory options, like sauteed spinach, sauteed mushrooms, arugula, Greek yogurt, and boiled eggs. We even cook our oatmeal with vegetable broth instead of water or milk to give it a bit more flavor. Other healthy topping options include fresh berries, nut butter, and hemp or chia seeds.  

Here’s our go-to savory and healthy oatmeal recipe: 

• Sauteed mushrooms, eggs whites, sauteed spinach, and everything but the bagel seasoning

A Gluten-Free Oatmeal Recipe Example

If you have dietary restrictions that don’t allow you to eat gluten, well, oatmeal is a fan favorite because it’s naturally gluten-free on its own. Just make sure to continue to add gluten-free toppings to make a tastier breakfast, like strawberries, apples, or kiwi. There are also savory options like tomatoes or avocado. 

One of our favorite gluten-free and delicious oatmeal toppings is piña colada: 

• Piña colada – coconut milk, mango slices, pineapples, shredded coconut, chia seeds

High Protein Oatmeal Idea

If you’re looking to stay fuller for longer, adding more protein to your oatmeal is a great idea. We love to add protein powder directly to our oatmeal while cooking for a quick and easy-filling meal. Other protein options are also eggs, bacon, and chia seeds. 

Here’s an example of a high-protein oatmeal recipe that’s tasty:  

• Chocolate peanut butter – cocoa powder, chocolate protein powder, nut butter, chocolate chips, sliced almond, raspberries (or jam)