I don’t know about anyone else, but recently all I am seeing all over the internet is recipes with oats. Baked oats, oat cookies, oat cakes, oatmeal with fancy toppings, MILKSHAKES WITH OATS???

Personally, I’ve only ever made oatmeal in the microwave…. So naturally, I was super curious to try some of these out. I made it a goal this semester to eat healthier, but I know I tend to have a bit of a sweet tooth. These recipes are perfect for a late-night snack or to curb your sweet tooth like me. And the best part – a 30 ounce can of Quaker Oats is only about $5 at Stop & Shop, so my little oat-experiment didn’t crush my college student budget. You HAVE to make these for yourself. 

Hot Cocoa Baked Oats

Wow – I didn’t even know this could be possible. I found this recipe on this girl’s page on Instagram who eats entirely gluten and dairy-free. Her handle is @faiths_fresh_, and she posts awesome recipes with all-natural ingredients. Here it is!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup oats
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ mashed banana
• ½ cup almond milk
• Optional: marshmallows and chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined
3. Transfer to an oven-safe dish, add marshmallows and chocolate chips (optional)
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes

Full disclosure: I couldn’t find marshmallows in the grocery store, so I used Peeps as a substitute. I thought it would come out cute when they melted…but really it was a massacre of marshmallow bunnies. I am just going to let you look at the pretty picture the creator took instead…

 

 

Cake Batter Protein Milkshake

I will admit – I was skeptical about this one. It seemed too good to be true. I was quite wrong. Found this gem on Pinterest, and it came from the site plantyou.com 

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup oats
• 1 cup cashew milk (I used almond milk – worked just fine)
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Directions:

1. It’s really simple. Just blend and enjoy!
2. And obviously, top with whipped cream 🙂

“Blooberry” Oats

I got this recipe from @tracesoats (Instagram and Tiktok), who has dedicated an entire social media career to making different oat recipes. His whole page is great, but I personally tried this one out because I bought a massive amount of blueberries the last time I went to the grocery store.

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup oats
• ⅔ cup water & a splash of milk (I used almond)
• ½ tsp maple syrup
• ⅓ cup frozen blueberries
• Splash of vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp protein powder (optional)

Toppings I used:

• PB2 (or peanut butter)
• More blueberries 
• Honey

Directions: (My safe place – the microwave)

1. Mix oats, water, milk, maple syrup, frozen blueberries, and vanilla extract together
2. Microwave for 2 minutes
3. Let the oats sit for 3 minutes
4. Microwave again for 1 minute
5. Stir in protein powder (optional)
6. Add toppings

OK – I think I have had enough oats for now. Let me know if you try any of these recipes in the comments below!

 

Hi! I’m a junior Communications and Writing student from Long Beach Island, New Jersey. I am so excited to be working with Campus Recreation this semester, and writing blogs for InsideRec! Becoming a part of the team has given me the opportunity to grow as a writer, and share my experiences with the URI community. In the summers, I am an ocean lifeguard, so health and fitness have always been a passion of mine. Besides going to class, I work at O’Neil’s Package Store in Narragansett, and I like to spend time with friends and family.