101 mix-ins

What Should I Put in My Oatmeal

One press deals a fruit, a nut or seed, something sweet or creamy and a spice for the bowl.

All 101

AppleDice it and cook it with the oats until soft. Try it with cinnamon and walnuts.Fruit
WalnutsBreak them over the top. Try them with banana or apple.Nut or seed
Maple syrupPour it on at the end. Try it with pecans or walnuts.Sweet or creamy thing
CinnamonStir it in as the oats cook, or dust it on at the end. Try it with apple or raisins.Spice

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All 101 mix-ins

Fruit 24

Apple Dice it and cook it with the oats until soft. Try it with cinnamon and walnuts.
Applesauce Stir a spoonful in at the end. Try it with cinnamon and raisins.
Banana Slice it on top, or mash half into the pot as the oats cook. Try it with peanut butter.
Blackberries On top, fresh. Try them with honey and hazelnuts.
Blueberries Fresh on top, or frozen and stirred into the hot oats. Try them with lemon zest.
Cherries Fresh, frozen or dried. Try them with sliced almonds and chocolate chips.
Dates Chop them and cook them with the oats, which they sweeten. Try them with tahini.
Dried apricots Chop them and stir them in. Try them with pistachios and cardamom.
Dried cranberries Stir them in at the start. Try them with orange zest and pecans.
Figs Fresh ones sliced on top, dried ones chopped in. Try them with honey and walnuts.
Frozen mixed berries Stir them in frozen and watch the oats turn purple. Try them with almond butter.
Kiwi Slice it on top at the end. Try it with toasted coconut.
Mango Cube it on top. Try it with toasted coconut and coconut milk.
Peaches Fresh or canned, sliced on top. Try them with nutmeg and pecans.
Pear Dice it and cook it with the oats. Try it with ground ginger and pecans.
Pineapple Small pieces on top. Try it with toasted coconut and macadamia nuts.
Plums Cook slices soft in a small pan first. Try them with cinnamon and yogurt.
Pomegranate seeds Scatter them on at the end. Try them with pistachios and honey.
Prunes Chop them and cook them with the oats. Try them with orange zest.
Pumpkin purée Stir a spoonful in as the oats cook. Try it with pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup.
Raisins In at the start, so they swell as the oats cook. Try them with cinnamon.
Raspberries Press a few into the hot oats and leave the rest whole. Try them with chocolate chips.
Rhubarb Cook it soft with a little sugar first. Try it with yogurt and ground ginger.
Strawberries Slice them on top. Try them with yogurt and a little vanilla.

Nuts and seeds 20

Almond butter A spoonful on top, left to melt. Try it with berries.
Cashews On top at the end. Try them with mango or dates.
Chia seeds Stir them in and wait a few minutes. They thicken the bowl.
Granola A handful on top at the end, for crunch. Try it with yogurt and berries.
Ground flaxseed Stir a spoonful in at the end. Try it with banana and cinnamon.
Hazelnuts Chop them roughly. Try them with chocolate chips or pear.
Hemp seeds Sprinkle them on at the end. Try them with berries.
Macadamia nuts Chopped, on top. Try them with pineapple or mango.
Peanut butter Stir a spoonful through, or leave it as a swirl. Try it with banana.
Peanuts Chopped, on top. Try them with banana and a little jam.
Pecans Toast them for a minute in a dry pan first. Try them with maple syrup.
Pistachios Shelled and chopped. Try them with dried apricots and cardamom.
Poppy seeds Stir a pinch through. Try them with lemon zest and honey.
Pumpkin seeds On top at the end. Try them with apple, or on a savory bowl.
Sesame seeds Toasted, on top. Try them with tahini and dates, or on a savory bowl.
Sliced almonds On top at the end. Try them with cherries or peaches.
Sunflower seeds On top at the end. Try them with raisins and honey.
Tahini A thin swirl at the end. Try it with dates or honey.
Toasted coconut Flakes on top at the end. Try them with mango or pineapple.
Walnuts Break them over the top. Try them with banana or apple.

Sweet and creamy things 17

Apple butter Stir a spoonful through at the end. Try it with walnuts.
Brown sugar A spoonful on top, left to melt into a puddle. Try it with butter.
Butter A small pat on top, left to melt. Try it with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Caramel sauce A drizzle at the end. Try it with apple and a pinch of salt.
Chocolate chips Scatter them on the hot oats and they melt into streaks. Try them with raspberries.
Chocolate hazelnut spread A spoonful on top, left to melt. Try it with strawberries.
Cocoa powder Stir a spoonful in as the oats cook, then sweeten. Try it with banana.
Coconut milk Cook the oats in it, or pour a little over. Try it with mango.
Fruit compote Spoon it over warm. Try it with yogurt and sliced almonds.
Honey A drizzle at the end. Try it with figs, lemon zest or tahini.
Jam A spoonful swirled through at the end. Try it with peanut butter.
Lemon curd A spoonful on top at the end. Try it with blueberries.
Maple syrup Pour it on at the end. Try it with pecans or walnuts.
Milk or cream A splash poured round the edge at the end. Try it with brown sugar.
Mini marshmallows On top of hot oats, where they go soft. Try them with cocoa powder.
Molasses A thin drizzle at the end. Try it with ground ginger and cinnamon.
Yogurt A cold spoonful on top of the hot oats. Try it with berries and honey.

Spices 13

A pinch of salt Into the pot from the start, whatever else goes on top.
Allspice A pinch stirred in. Try it with banana and brown sugar.
Cardamom A pinch stirred in as the oats cook. Try it with pear or pistachios.
Chai spice Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves together, stirred in. Try it with milk and honey.
Cinnamon Stir it in as the oats cook, or dust it on at the end. Try it with apple or raisins.
Cloves Ground, and only a pinch. Try them with apple or plums.
Ground ginger A pinch stirred in. Try it with pear, molasses or pumpkin purée.
Lemon zest Grate it over the bowl at the end. Try it with blueberries or poppy seeds.
Nutmeg A small pinch at the end. Try it with peaches or banana.
Orange zest Grate it over the bowl at the end. Try it with dried cranberries.
Pumpkin pie spice Stir it in as the oats cook. Try it with pumpkin purée and pecans.
Turmeric A pinch stirred in with ginger and cinnamon. Try it with honey and milk.
Vanilla A few drops of extract at the end. Try it with berries or chocolate chips.

Savory bowls 27

Avocado Slice it on top at the end. Try it with a fried egg and hot sauce.
Bacon Cook it crisp and crumble it on. Try it with a fried egg and cheddar.
Black beans Warm them and spoon them over. Try them with salsa, avocado and cheddar.
Black pepper Plenty, ground over the top.
Caramelized onions A spoonful on top. Try them with cheddar or mushrooms.
Cheddar Stir a handful into the hot oats until it melts. Try it with bacon or black pepper.
Cherry tomatoes Cook them in a pan until they burst. Try them with Parmesan and olive oil.
Chili crisp A small spoonful on top at the end.
Egg stirred in Beat an egg and stir it into the hot oats for the last minute. Try it with cheddar.
Everything bagel seasoning A shake over an egg or avocado at the end.
Fresh chives Snip them over the bowl at the end.
Fried egg Slide it on top of oats cooked in broth or salted water. Try it with scallions.
Hot sauce A few shakes at the table.
Kimchi A spoonful on top at the end. Try it with a fried egg and toasted sesame oil.
Leftover roast vegetables Warm them and pile them on. Try them with a soft-boiled egg.
Olive oil A thread over the top at the end.
Parmesan Grate it in at the end. Try it with olive oil and black pepper.
Pesto A small spoonful swirled in at the end.
Salsa A spoonful over black beans or an egg.
Sausage crumbles Brown them in a pan first. Try them with cheddar and hot sauce.
Sautéed mushrooms Cook them in a pan and spoon them over. Try them with Parmesan.
Scallions Sliced thin, over the egg or the cheese.
Shredded chicken Stir it into oats cooked in broth. Try it with scallions and soy sauce.
Soft-boiled egg Halve it over the bowl. Try it with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil.
Soy sauce A few drops at the end, over an egg.
Toasted sesame oil A few drops at the end.
Wilted spinach Stir a handful into the hot oats until it wilts. Try it with a fried egg.

How it works

What should I put in my oatmeal when brown sugar gets boring? Choose from 101 mix-ins: 24 fruits, 20 nuts and seeds, 17 sweet and creamy things, 13 spices and 27 things for a savory bowl.

Read the full guide

In the pot or on top

Dried fruit, diced apple, spices and a pinch of salt go in while the oats cook, so they soften and flavor the whole pot. Nut butters, jam and yogurt are stirred through at the end. Fresh berries, nuts, seeds and anything crisp sit on top.

Oatmeal that is not sweet

Cook the oats in broth or salted water and treat them like rice: an egg, cheese or mushrooms on top, then scallions, soy sauce or chili crisp.

Bowls that taste like a bake: apple, cinnamon and walnuts. Banana, peanut butter and chocolate chips. Pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice and pecans.

Questions and answers

What should I add to my oatmeal?

A fruit such as banana or blueberries, a nut or seed such as walnuts or chia seeds, something sweet or creamy such as maple syrup or yogurt, and a spice such as cinnamon.

What seeds can I put in oatmeal?

Chia seeds and ground flaxseed are stirred in. Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and hemp seeds go on top for crunch. Poppy seeds go with lemon zest and honey.

What can I eat with plain oatmeal?

Stir in a spoonful of peanut butter, jam or yogurt, or slice a banana over it. If nothing sweet appeals, top it with a fried egg, cheddar and black pepper.

How should I eat oatmeal?

Hot, with one thing stirred in and one thing on top. Leftover oatmeal thickens as it cools, so loosen it with a splash of milk when you warm it up.