This protein oatmeal is made with 3 basic ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now: oats, eggs, and milk (or vegan alternatives). No protein powder, no blender, no specialty items necessary.
I’ve added protein to my usual oatmeal recipe in the following two ways:
- I use more milk as the liquid (less water)
- I whisk in eggs at the end
The result? Oatmeal that’s smooth, custardy, and far tastier than anything spiked with protein powder. It’s easy, it’s cozy, and you probably already have everything you need to make it.
Jump to the recipe + video if you’re on board. Or read on if you want to know more. I get into why protein powder doesn’t work so well, why you should use eggs, why I add so much liquid to my recipe (and an assurance that I have not lost my mind), and a note on vegan alternatives.
Also check out my recipe for protein baked oatmeal if you want something even easier.
Why I don’t like using protein powder in my protein oatmeal
I’m not here to stop you from putting protein powder in your oatmeal. If you like it, go forth and sprinkle that vanilla-flavored whey to your heart’s content. But in my kitchen? We are Team Egg for sure.
Why? Because protein powder is like that early-bird friend who is kind of a mess if they have to stay up after 9PM. Let me explain:
Protein powder shines in cold applications (like smoothies, overnight oats, and “nice cream”). But the moment you pass a certain temperature, it turns a little sulky. It gets tired. It wants to go home. The texture gets stodgy, the flavor gets weird, and your cozy bowl of oats starts to taste like chalk.
Now, I am not the protein powder police. You can heat it and stir it into your stovetop oats. But just because you can does not mean you should.
That’s why I save my protein powder for cold applications, where it thrives. Like, in overnight oats, it’s basically the hero that saves you from squelchy sludge and delivers pudding-level creaminess.
But for warm oatmeal? I’d rather use something that can handle the heat—like eggs!
Why eggs work great in protein oatmeal
Eggs are phenomenal in protein oatmeal for a few reasons:
1. They’re a protein source you probably already have in your kitchen!
Need I say more? Sure, you could whip out a block of silken tofu or do something avant-garde with protein powder foam. But eggs? They’re always there for you. Even after you’ve been traveling for a week and return to a poorly-stocked kitchen.
I asked Caroline Weeks, PA-C, RDN, about her take on eggs as a way of adding protein to oats, and she said, “Eggs are a refrigerator staple I most recommend to my patients because not only are they generally affordable (hello 2025), but they are a nutrition powerhouse. One egg contains 6 grams of high quality protein with only 70 calories and contains all nine essential amino acids important for building and repairing muscle while also supporting bone health. I also recommend eggs because they are one of the highest food sources of choline, a nutrient important for brain health and cognitive performance which about 90% of Americans do not get enough of.”
2. They turn your oats into a custard.
I mean… custard for breakfast? Absolutely delicious. If you like flan, crème anglaise, egg tarts—basically, anything eggy and sweet—you’re going to like eggs in your oatmeal.
No, it’s not exactly flan itself. But it has the same custard-like quality in both flavor and texture, especially if you top it with something sweet. My favorite is cold strawberry compote.
3. They play well with both sweet and savory.
The nice thing about eggs (instead of, like, vanilla soy isolate) is that they taste truly neutral. Eggy oatmeal is great topped with maple syrup and berries, sure. But it’s just as delicious topped with buttery corn, scallions, and bits of crispy bacon. It could really go either way!
4. They’re traditional
This isn’t a Tiktok food hack or blender experiment. It’s got roots.
I live in Hong Kong, where you’ll find cha chaan tengs all over the city. Cha chaan tengs serve down-to-earth Hong Kong style breakfast items like milk tea, egg sandwiches, pineapple buns with butter, and my favorite: super creamy oatmeal.
Sometimes you’ll even find an option to have oatmeal with egg whites added (蛋花麥皮*). This egg oat porridge recipe looks a lot like the ones I’ve enjoyed here—cozy, custardy, and deeply comforting.
And that’s what inspired this recipe. Eggs (whether whole or whites) in porridge are just plain delicious. You should give it a try if you haven’t already!
*Shout out to my friend Harry for helping give the right context for oatmeal in Hong Kong!
A note on liquid:oat ratios (I promise I have not lost my mind)
When you see the recipe below, you’re going to think I have lost my mind because of the ratios of liquid to oats. But here’s a very important oatmeal PSA: We’re all not adding enough liquid to our oats!
I have a whole post about it where I share my classic oatmeal recipe. But don’t take it from me—52 reviewers have given it 4.9/5⭐️ (as of 12 June 2025). Commenters have said things like:
- “Thank you so much for making it possible to love oatmeal again 💕”
- “Simply the best oatmeal I’ve ever had in my life I kid you not… 1000/10 I don’t even leave reviews but I had to yet yall know”
- “You’ve changed the game. Ever since I got pregnant with my son in 2019, I haven’t been able to stomach oatmeal (because of the texture and gloopiness), but THIS, this right here changed me. I’ve had this every morning for the past week.”
- “At 61 I’ve finally made a delicious bowl of oatmeal. Normally I’d have thrown out more than half, today I wished I made more. Thanks for sharing, the key is twice the amount of liquid. So excited, can’t wait till tomorrow.”
So if you want your oatmeal to be creamy instead of “gluggy” (as one commenter calls the standard fare), you’re going to want to stick to the recipe below. And if you want to know more or you’re not quite convinced, feel free to check out the original post for a whole explanation.
Vegan alternatives
You can absolutely use vegan alternatives in this recipe.
Milk substitutes: Feel free to use soy milk (or another vegan milk of choice). If you’re trying to increase the protein content, choose a vegan milk that’s high in protein.
Egg substitutes: For the eggs, I do not recommend substituting homemade flax eggs. Instead, use a store-bought vegan egg substitute that’s been designed to be used 1-for-1 with conventional eggs (or find another oatmeal recipe that deliberately incorporates flax. I’ve heard good things about this one!).
Disclaimer: This recipe is shared for informational and culinary purposes only and does not constitute professional dietary advice.
PrintProtein Oatmeal (no powder required)
Note: the ratios in this recipe are not a mistake, although it will seem like a lot of liquid. Read here for more.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
- ¾ cup [75g] old fashioned oats (gluten free ones, if necessary)
- 2 cups [480g] milk*
- 1 cup [235g] water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 whole eggs**, whisked (to be added later)
- Toppings***
Instructions
- Bring the oats, milk, water, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan**** over medium heat, stirring every minute or so.
- Once it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid thickens and the oatmeal softens. It will start out watery, and at a certain point it will noticeably thicken (e.g., the bubbles will get bigger), while still remaining very pourable and creamy. Leave it uncovered the whole time, and be careful not to let it bubble over. When a skin forms, just stir it back into the oatmeal.
- Once the oatmeal thickens, slowly stream the eggs in while whisking constantly. Continue whisking until it starts to bubble again, and then immediately remove from heat.*****
- Pour into bowls and add your favorite toppings at the table (here, pictured with macerated strawberries).
Notes
* You can substitute a milk alternative. I like soy milk here.
** You can substitute 3 egg whites or 2 egg whites + 1 whole egg or substitute 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp [100g] vegan egg substitute (e.g., “Just Egg,” not homemade flax eggs, but a store-bought substitute that you can use 1-for-1).
*** Go either sweet or savory. You can just do a simple sprinkling of brown sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup. I love macerated strawberries or strawberry compote. Cinnamon apples are also lovely. Add any chopped nuts or spices you’d like. And if you go savory, you could always add a poached egg on top with sautéed scallions and/or garlic. I also really love buttery corn on top of oatmeal. The sky’s the limit!
**** If you’re using a wide pan instead of a small saucepan, you may need to add a bit more water as it cooks (more water will evaporate from a wide pan).
***** Streakiness is a matter of personal preference. If you want some streaks and strands of eggs, pour it in a spiral like you’re making egg-drop soup, then very gently stir it slowly. To prevent streakiness, stream it in very slowly while whisking constantly.
Video note: You can find the video in the introduction to this blog post. If you don’t see it after scrolling up, please disable ad block and reload the page.
