High Protein Oatmeal (3 Ways!)

Name: High Protein Oatmeal (3 Recipes)
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: ½ cup rolled oats; ½ cup milk or water; 1 scoop vanilla protein powder; ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; Pinch of salt; ¾ cup Greek yogurt; Raspberries, (for topping, optional); 3 cups rolled oats; 3 scoops vanilla protein powder; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon salt; 3 cups milk or water; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1½ cups berries; ¼ cup butter, (melted); ½ cup rolled oats; 1 cup milk or water; 1 tablespoon ground flax; 1 scoop vanilla protein powder; Pinch of salt; ½ cup Greek yogurt; ¼ cup blueberries, (for topping, optional)

If you’ve got aggressive daily protein goals and you’re getting bored with eggs every morning, these high protein oatmeal recipes are for YOU! We’re walking you through how to make the tastiest high protein oatmeal (traditional, in the microwave), high protein oatmeal bake, and high protein overnight oats. Each recipe is delicious, well-balanced, and perfect for meal prep.

And if you’re here because you’re a fan of our blueberry oatmeal bake, think of these recipes as their more balanced, “keep you full longer” big sister. If you’re here because you love our copycat Starbucks egg bites, apple cinnamon overnight oats, or the popular tiramisu overnight oats, you’re going to love these!

A serving of high protein oatmeal bake has been placed into a white serving bowl. A dollop of yogurt is added on top. A copper spoon is placed to the side.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

They’re ideal for meal prep – there’s something about having breakfast ready to go in the fridge that makes the entire week feel lighter and easier. These 3 high protein oatmeal recipes are ideal for prepping (really quickly, actually) on the weekend so that you’re ready to go all week long.
They’re high in protein – this one’s obvious, considering the titles of the recipes, but all 3 of these oat recipes are loaded with protein from either protein powder, Greek yogurt, or both. It’s refreshing to enjoy a sweet (vs. savory) breakfast that’s high in protein!

High Protein Oatmeal Recipe Ingredients

Each of the ingredient lists are really similar. You’ll need oats (of course), protein powder, cinnamon, and salt for all three recipes. Beyond that, there vary a bit. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.

Ingredients for High Protein Oatmeal

All of the ingredients needed for high protein oatmeal in different sized bowls and plates on a terrazzo surface.

Protein powder – use any protein powder you love here. Our go-to is Equip Food’s Grass-Fed Beef Protein Powder Isolate (we used vanilla here), but any flavor or brand that you have on hand is great.
Milk – feel free to use any milk you love (dairy or not) or water, if you’d like.
Greek yogurt – grab whole milk, 2%, or non-fat Greek yogurt here depending on your macro goals. Any of the 3 will work!

Ingredients for High Protein Oatmeal Bake

Protein powder – use any protein powder you love here. Our go-to is Equip Food’s Grass-Fed Beef Protein Powder Isolate (we used vanilla here), but any flavor or brand that you have on hand is great.
Milk – feel free to use any milk you love (dairy or not).
Greek yogurt – grab whole milk, 2%, or non-fat Greek yogurt here depending on your macro goals. Any of the 3 will work!
Maple syrup – note that this is included here if you want your oatmeal sweeter! Because my protein powder has a sweetener in it, I find that it’s not necessary. But if you skip the protein powder, this is the amount I recommend for the oats to bake correctly!

Ingredients for High Protein Overnight Oats

Protein powder – use any protein powder you love here. Our go-to is Equip Food’s Grass-Fed Beef Protein Powder Isolate (we used vanilla here), but any flavor or brand that you have on hand is great.
Milk – feel free to use any milk you love (dairy or not) or water, if you’d like.
Greek yogurt – grab whole milk, 2%, or non-fat Greek yogurt here depending on your macro goals. Any of the 3 will work!

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Recipe Variations and Modifications

Top as you’d like – we topped each of these recipe with berries, but the sky is really the limit here. Top with nuts, chocolate chips, ANY fruit you love, etc.
Sweeten as you’d like – you can absolutely add maple syrup or honey to any of the recipes.
Use a different flavor of protein powder – Equip has so many delicious protein powder flavors to choose from (chocolate, salted caramel, strawberry, and peanut butter, to name a few), so grab the flavor that sounds the most delicious to you!

How to Make High Protein Oatmeal

All three of these high protein oatmeal recipes are really easy to make! Follow along below for the full how-to for each.

How to Make High Protein Oatmeal

Ingredients for hot protein oatmeal have been placed into a white mixing bowl.

Two hands are shown whisking the ingredients together.

Step 1: Add the oats, protein powder, salt, and cinnamon to a bowl.

Step 2: Add the milk or water to the bowl, and use a whisk to combine the mixture. If the protein powder gets lumpy, just continue whisking – it’ll smooth out.

Fully combined protein oatmeal ingredients sit in a white bowl.

Fully combined protein oatmeal ingredients sit in a white bowl. A scoop of a thick white creamy ingredient is shown being mixed into the oat mixture.

Step 3: Microwave the oatmeal for 2 minutes.

Step 4: Stir the yogurt into the bowl of oatmeal, then top with raspberries and enjoy!

How to Make High Protein Oatmeal Bake

A variety of dry ingredients have been added to a beige-colored baking dish.

The liquid ingredients have been added over the top of the dry in the beige-colored baking dish. It has been topped with blueberries.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 2.75-quart baking dish or skillet with butter, or line it with parchment paper. Add the oats, protein powder, cinnamon, and salt to the dish, and stir to combine.

Step 2: Add the milk and vanilla extract to the baking dish and stir everything together. Top with the blueberries and melted butter.

Fully baked high protein oatmeal bake sits in a beige-colored baking dish.

Step 3: Bake for 30 minutes, until browned.

Step 4: Let the oatmeal bake cool slightly, then serve with Greek yogurt, if desired. Note: I find that 3/4 cup oatmeal spooned over 1/4 of this dish (meaning, it makes 4 large servings) will yield approximately 46g protein. This is perfect for keeping me on track for my protein goals!

How to Make High Protein Overnight Oats

Ingredients for high protein overnight oats have been added to a mason jar.

The ingredients in the mason jar have been shaken to combine.

Step 1: Add the rolled oats, milk, ground flax, protein powder, and salt to a mason jar.

Step 2: Stir or shake the mason jar until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Let the oats sit in the fridge for at least two hours, then shake or stir again.

3 mason jars, full of high protein overnight oats, have been topped with blueberries. They sit arranged in a line on a white speckled countertop. A gold-colored spoon has been added to one of the jars.

Step 3: Top with Greek yogurt and blueberries, and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

For the microwave oatmeal: if you’re finding that your oatmeal has a kind of gummy texture after being cooked, try whisking the protein powder into the bowl of oatmeal *after* you microwave the oats. There are some protein powder brands that will make the oats gummy and others that won’t, so this will depend on the specific brand that you use.

How to Serve

Serve any of these three recipes on their own or alongside a savory component (think: eggs, bacon, Starbucks egg bites, etc.) Feel free to top your oatmeal with any toppings you love! A few topping ideas below…

Nut butter
Nuts
Fruit
Greek yogurt
Chocolate chips
A drizzle of honey or maple syrup

How to Store and Reheat

Store any of the three oatmeal recipes in an airtight container (or jar) in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To reheat either the microwave oatmeal or the oatmeal bake, just pop a serving in the microwave for about a minute, until warmed through.

4 mason jars, full of high protein overnight oats, have been topped with blueberries. They sit arranged in a line on a white speckled countertop.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add protein to my oatmeal?

A great question! Now, as far as an oatmeal base goes, we’ve done the guesswork for you and upped the protein significantly compared to your average oatmeal breakfast. That said, if you want to add even more protein, some ideas are: stir in a spoonful of your favorite nut or seed butter, add an extra extra half (or full) scoop of protein, or increase the amount of Greek yogurt you add to the top (a great source of protein).

Do eggs or oats have more protein?

Eggs have more protein than oats right out of the package. For comparison, two eggs have about 12 grams of protein, while a 1/2 cup of oats (the typical amount in a single serving bowl of oatmeal) has about 6 grams. That said, I’ve developed THESE high protein oatmeal recipes so that they’ve got much more protein, you won’t be left feeling hungry or unsatisfied a couple of hours after eating.

Is it better to eat protein or carbs for breakfast?

I’m a big belier in …well, you do you! I think every body is incredibly different and your needs will vary from the person next to you. I personally eat BOTH, protein and carbs at my breakfast. That said, I think it’s easier to not eat *enough* protein than it is to not eat enough carbohydrates. If we keep our eyes on adequate protein content in our breakfast (I personally aim for 30+ grams AT LEAST), our blood sugar (and therefore, energy) is more stable, and we feel fuller and more satisfied for much, much longer.

Three glass storing containers, each containing a different type of egg bite, sit in a vertical row on a white speckled countertop.

Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites (3 Ways!)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Roasted Veggie Breakfast Casserole

Now fully cooked frittata has been cut into triangular pieces. One piece is shown being removed from the skillet with a silver spatula.

Vegetable Frittata with Goat Cheese and Bacon

If you tried these High Protein Oatmeal recipes or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!

High Protein Oatmeal (3 Ways!)

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe