Brown sugar and Honey need a break, time to transform that daily bowl of oats with these recipes.

By Veronique Wojcik

Oatmeal is a great, quick go-to for college students with all the simple carbs to help you get through the morning. But even so, having the same thing everyday can get a little boring. If you find you’ve lost interest in this easy breakfast, or never took a liking to it in the first place, these recipes will show you just how fun oatmeal can be.

Each recipe can either be cooked on the stovetop, microwaved, or even left in the fridge to prepare overnight. Choose whichever works best for you!

Chocolate Chip, Banana, and Tahini Oats

This recipe is almost a dessert in breakfast form. The tahini balances out the sweetness of the chocolate, and the banana adds a taste of freshness and nutrition. But even so, if you’ve got a big sweet tooth, this recipe is for you.

Tahini often gets overlooked when people are exploring it and all the recipes it can be used in, but this recipe from Emily Grace Food gives the tahini the spotlight it deserves. You can also add more toppings like cacao nibs or even a drizzle of agave to take this simple recipe to the next level.

What you’ll need: 

• ⅓ cup oats
• ⅔ cup water or milk
• 1 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp tahini paste
• ½ sliced banana

Steps:

1. Place your oats, water, sugar, and cacao powder into a small pot and cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes
2. Transfer the oats into your bowl of choice and top with a drizzle of tahini paste and sliced bananas
   

Savory Oatmeal with Mushrooms and Garlic

The idea of savory oatmeal may seem a little odd at first. But once you try out this recipe, there is no going back. It is similar to a breakfast plate with all the umami and savory flavors, but it takes less time and dishes to make before your morning class.

The ginger, garlic, and sesame combo has yet to be beat in the savory word. All of these flavors work lovely together and complement each other in this recipe from Budget Bytes.com. One thing to note, some prepping could possibly be done ahead of time for this recipe, including chopping the veggies a day before, so it shortens the cooking time for the day of.

What you’ll need:

• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 4 mushrooms 
• 1 tsp butter 
• 1 cup vegetable broth 
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 
• 1/2 cup spinach 
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Steps: 

1. Mince the garlic, chop the mushrooms, and grate the ginger  
2. Place the butter, garlic, and ginger into a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until aromatic
3. Add the mushrooms to the pan and saute until they have softened
4. Add the vegetable broth and turn up the heat to high until you reach a boil
5. When it begins to boil, add the oats and turn the heat back to medium and cook for about 10 min
6. Stir in the spinach and sesame oil and take the oats off the heat
7. Add salt and pepper to taste and wherever toppings you desire!
   

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal   

With autumn in full swing, seeing the array of orange leaves fall from the trees all around campus automatically puts us in the mood for all-things pumpkin. Pumpkin spice is a classic fall flavor that is ensured to shine just as bright in your oatmeal as it does in pie on your Thanksgiving table.

The Food Network never disappoints with their cooking shows and online recipes that always rise to the occasion, and this recipe is no exception. The warmness of the spices paired with the classic squash makes this a hard-to-go-wrong recipe, perfect for a crisp fall day. 

What you’ll need:

• 1 can of pumpkin puree
• 2 cups milk
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• Salt, to taste
• 2 cups oats

Steps

1. Add pumpkin puree, milk, cranberries, vanilla, sugar, spices, and salt into a small saucepan and whisk until combined
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and add the oats to the pan
3. Cook the oats for about 10-15 minutes, or until soft
4. Transfer the oats to a bowl and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds or even some extra sugar
   

Spiced Pear Oatmeal

Cinnamon apple? Been there, done that. With this recipe, we have a re-defined version of cinnamon apple oatmeal, using pears instead of apples, along with cinnamon and nutmeg. This recipe from Darn Good Veggies finally shines some well-deserved light on the pear. Pears are in season during the fall and there is no better way to use them than to place them right in your oatmeal. They offer a tender bite accompanied with the warm spice. Fruit and spices are a must for fall and so is this recipe. 

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups of oats
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 pear, diced
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg

Steps:

1. Add water and milk into saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat
2. Add in the oats and cook for about 7- 10 minutes
3. Add in the diced pears and remaining ingredients. Stir until combined
4. Transfer oats into bowls and drizzle with maple syrup
   

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Baked Oats

We love the classic chocolate and peanut butter combo. Having familiar flavors makes trying new recipes much easier, and this is no exception. 

Baked oats have come and gone in waves throughout the internet and for good reason. This oatmeal technique creates an almost muffin- or cake-like texture. For this recipe from Paleomg.com, you do need a blender and oven. But once you’re done, you’ll be falling in love with baked oats.

What you’ll need:

• ½ banana
• ½ cup oats
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• ⅕ tsp baking powder.
• Pinch of salt

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a medium sized ramekin with butter
2. Add banana, oats, syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, baking powder, and salt into a blender and blend until smooth
3. Place ¾ of the batter into the ramiken and add the remaining peanut butter in the center
4. Top the ramiken off with the remaining batter
5. Place into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes