8 Healthy Toppings for Oatmeal to Jazz Up Your Winter Breakfast

Are you looking for healthy oatmeal toppings?

It’s no secret that I love breakfast [exhibit #1, exhibit #2 (and a favourite), exhibit 3], but what might be a secret is how much I love oatmeal for breakfast. When the weather dips below what I consider “normal human temperatures”, oatmeal never fails to save the day!

Make it sweet or savoury, experiment with toppings, or try new fruits or vegetables you wouldn’t normally. Oatmeal offers a perfect canvas for whatever you want to throw at it, food-wise.

How to Choose the Right Oatmeal for Breakfast

Since I’m just as pressed for time as the next person (maybe you!), I like rolled oats on weekdays.

Add them to a pot with some dairy-free milk or water (though they won’t be as creamy), vanilla, and any spices you like.

A few of my favourites are nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice, a unique spice that tastes like a blend of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper and juniper all rolled into one!

I usually add in some mashed banana, applesauce, maple syrup or other sweetener of choice, but you can omit it.

Steel-cut oats take a lot longer to cook than rolled oats so I usually save them for Saturdays and Sundays. Or, I might make a big batch on Sunday night and then simply re-heat serving sizes in the morning with extra nut milk and my preferred add-ons or toppings.

By the way, half-pint or similarly sized mason jars are great for storing individual servings.

Want more healthy toppings for oatmeal?

Here are some of my favourites during the coldest months of the year!

1. Apples

Apple and cinnamon are a classic combination when it comes to oatmeal so it’s hard to go wrong, right? But unfortunately, many people gravitate toward the instant, sugar-packed oatmeal refined to within an inch of its life.

Use rolled oats and try making your own. You’ll be amazed at just how easy it is!

Rolled oats, chopped apples, cinnamon, a little honey or maple syrup, and a little sea salt to help the flavours e-x-p-l-o-d-e. For variation, try apples and nutmeg and you’ll probably fall in love like I have!

If you’re apple picking in the fall and you don’t have a cold cellar, the freezer is a great place to store extra apples. Dip cored, chopped apple slices in a solution of water and lemon juice and then freeze them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

They are PERFECT for cooking into oatmeal or using frozen in smoothies instead of ice cubes. Apples are, unfortunately, often on the “Dirty Dozen” list. Ideally, buy organic if you can.  

2. Avocados

Avocado in oatmeal might seem unusual, but it adds a rich, creamy texture that’s both satisfying and nutrient-dense. They provide monounsaturated fat and about 4 g of protein (that’s higher than most fruit).

For a sweet variation, blend avocado with banana or cocoa powder for smoothie-like overnight oats or a chocolatey treat. You can customize with sweeteners like maple syrup and toppings like nuts or seeds, balancing flavors and textures in a satisfying breakfast.

For a savoury twist, try cooking oats in broth and topping with mashed avocado, a poached egg, green onions, and a dash of hot sauce.

3. Blueberries

Rich in antioxidants (like anthocyanins), blueberries also offer fibre, vitamin C, folate, iron, potassium, and manganese. Since fresh blueberries are hard to come by in winter and most likely not very nutritious, frozen blueberries are ideal this season.

You can also find frozen organic blueberries fairly quickly in most large grocery stores. Pile them on top of your oatmeal for a berry-delicious breakfast!  

4. Kiwi

Kiwis are never really “in season” in the part of the world I call home, but they seem like a bright spot in the winter with their gorgeous green flesh studded with black seeds in the centre.

I love cutting off the stem and then scooping out the insides or even peeling them and then slicing them into rounds. They taste both sweet and tart, though they’re sometimes a bit more lip-puckering than expected.

Offering pectin to help control blood cholesterol levels, fresh kiwis provide significant vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium.  

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5. Nuts and Seeds

I include some nuts or seeds (or often a combination) in almost every bowl of oatmeal I make because they are a very effective way of increasing protein and fat in our breakfasts, which helps balance our blood sugar for long into the day.

Walnuts, cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, Brazil nuts. Try something new or change it up every day!

About 1 oz. or a small palm-full is usually the recommended serving size.  

6. Pears

I love pears, either raw (added on top) or gently cooked (added into the oatmeal itself about halfway through cooking). They are usually easy for the body to digest. They offer vitamin C, folate, potassium, iron, and fibre. Most of the fibre is insoluble, making it a decent support for anyone with constipation.    

7. Pumpkin

You can use fresh or canned pumpkin as healthy oatmeal toppings. Consider different varieties of winter squash (Butternut, acorn, pepper, Kabocha, etc.). They are mostly interchangeable (different flavours but collect them all!).

If using canned pumpkin, look for organic, BPA-free lined cans as much as possible.

You could make AMAZING oatmeal out of pumpkin, raisins, walnuts, vanilla, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, flax and pumpkin seeds.

8. Spinach

Admittedly, I haven’t tried this because I prefer my oatmeal more on the sweet than savoury side. However, I love spinach with typically savoury spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric and fenugreek. One or a mix of these might be delicious in a savoury oatmeal.

Add fresh spinach in the last minute or so of cooking so it keeps its bright green colour.  

Hopefully these toppings for oatmeal keep breakfast interesting for the next few months until the snow melts.

What are your favourite healthy oatmeal toppings?

Let me know below!

Life is a plate… Eat up,

Ashleigh