Quick High Protein Vegan Oatmeal (+ Best Protein Powder)

This high protein vegan oatmeal is delicious, nutritious, ready in minutes, and keeps you full all morning long.

No joke, I have eaten protein oatmeal nearly every morning since 2015.

This version with raspberries and banana has been my go-to high protein oatmeal recipe as of late. It provides plenty of protein, fiber, iron, vitamin C, and omega-3s (aka healthy fats). This oatmeal has no added sugars and only 340mg sodium. It's the ultimate breakfast for a busy morning!

If you're a pancakes-for-breakfast person, you've got to try my vegan protein pancakes. They're so delicious, you wouldn't even know they have 23g protein in each pancake. Or if you're looking for a savory high protein breakfast, make sure to check out my vegan breakfast burritos.

For more breakfast ideas, check out these high protein vegan breakfasts.

And if you're wanting help to FINALLY lose fat and keep it off for life in a way that allows you to still eat delicious foods and doesn't take your mental peace in the process, check out my sustainable fat loss course.

Ingredients

This recipe is so simple. All you need are the following five ingredients.

• Old-fashioned oats
• BPN Vegan protein powder (peanut butter cookie flavor)
• Ground flax seeds
• Banana
• Raspberries

See recipe card for quantities.

My favorite protein powder to use in oatmeal is the BPN vegan protein powder in the peanut butter cookie flavor. I've used this protein powder almost exclusively for over a year now. I find it has a better flavor, texture, and protein content than many other vegan proteins I've tried.

I prefer to use pea protein powders over other vegan proteins. Check out this post if you want a more in-depth breakdown of soy protein vs pea protein.

For more information on protein shakes and what to look for in a protein powder, check out this in-depth article for all things vegan protein shakes, best protein powders, and homemade smoothies.

Instructions

You really cannot get more simple than this high protein vegan oatmeal.

Combine oats, protein powder, and sliced banana in a microwaveable bowl.

Add water, stir, and microwave for 1:30-2:00 minutes. (1:30 for a thinner oatmeal or 2:00 for a thicker oatmeal)

Stir and top with fresh raspberries and more sliced banana.

If desired, top with more ingredients like pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, etc. (optional)

Health Benefits of Protein Oats

• Whole grains:
  • Oats are whole grains, which have been shown to be beneficial in the prevention of diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancers.
  • Whole grains are beneficial to gut health and reducing inflammation due to their fiber content.
  • Additionally, oats provide important nutrients including calcium, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, antioxidants, and beta-glucans.
• Soluble fiber:
  • The soluble fiber found in oats can help to remove cholesterol from the body, helping to lower cholesterol levels.
  • High fiber diets contribute to improvements in blood sugar control, blood lipids, weight, satiety, inflammation, gut health, and premature mortality.
• Plant-based protein:
  • Plant-based protein has been associated with reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, better diabetes and kidney disease management, digestive health, weight management, and increased protection against certain cancers.
  • Adequate protein in our diets helps to retain and gain lean muscle mass, manage weight, keep us full for longer, assist with wound healing and acute illness recovery, and provide us with essential amino acids for many physiological processes. 
• Fresh fruit:
  • Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (which help to decrease inflammation and oxidative stress).
• Omega-3s:
  • The flax seeds in this oatmeal recipe (plus any hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, etc you may decide to add on top) provide plant-based omega-3s in the form of ALA. Omega-3s have been associated with a myriad of beneficial health effects mostly due to their anti-inflammatory properties. 

Variations

The banana-raspberry variation of this high protein vegan oatmeal is my favorite right now, but I've also made many different kinds of protein oatmeal through the years.

• Peanut Butter Banana - Flavor with banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter
• Chocolate Peanut Butter - Add peanut butter and a chocolate source (cocoa powder, cacao powder, vegan dark chocolate chips, or chocolate protein powder)
• Banana Nut - Just add bananas and walnuts
• Maple & Pecan - Add maple syrup (or date syrup) and pecans
• Mango & Chia Seeds - Add mango for sweetness and a tablespoon of chia seeds for omega-3s
• Banana Berry - Instead of raspberries, you can use strawberries or blueberries
• Vanilla Almond - use vanilla protein powder, almond butter, and sliced almonds; feel free to use a dash of vanilla extract too!
• Apple Cinnamon - I love making an apple cinnamon version during the Fall! All you have to do is chop up some apple and add it to the oatmeal with cinnamon before microwaving (you may need to microwave a little longer to get the apple soft)
• Pumpkin Spice - During the Fall months, you can also add a little pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice to the oatmeal for a comforting pumpkin breakfast.
• Other Non-Vegan Options - some people also add egg whites, whey protein, cottage cheese, or greek yogurt to their oatmeal (I don't go this route obviously but other options if you eat animal products)

Can you tell I like bananas in my oatmeal? I love the natural sweetness they provide without any added sugar. Protein oatmeal is really simple - just add a scoop of protein powder and your favorite toppings and call it a day!

Storage

This oatmeal is best eaten immediately when hot. If you wanted to meal prep instead, you could combine all ingredients in mason jars or an airtight container and store in the fridge for overnight oats instead. Overnight oats will be best when eaten within 1-3 days.

When I do overnight oats, I like to use non-dairy milk (i.e. almond milk or soy milk) instead of water for the extra calcium and vitamin D. I find that when I try to microwave oats with plant milk, it boils over and gets all over the microwave (and water does not).