This post is all about how to sweeten oatmeal without adding refined sugar.
Oatmeal is one of the most popular breakfast choices out there. And it’s easy to see why, it only takes minutes to make, tastes delicious, and is packed with fiber, Vitamin B, and magnesium.
But, one of the ways these health benefits can be offset is if your morning bowl of oatmeal is loaded with sugar! Oats have a pretty neutral taste, so it’s crucial to add some toppings to make it taste delicious.
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As someone who used to put a lot of sugar in my oatmeal (whoops), it does take a few days to adjust, but soon you’ll be obsessed with how good it can be! Trust me, there’s so many topping options out there that can make oatmeal just as tasty without adding refined sugar.
Keep reading to learn how to sweeten oatmeal without sugar and what you can use instead!
BUT FIRST, IS OATMEAL HEALTHY?
Yes! Oatmeal is a super healthy breakfast choice – it’s nutrient rich, packed with fiber, helps reduce blood sugar when paired with healthy fats and proteins, and provides antioxidants.
If you’re wondering what type of oats to choose: steel cut oats, instant oats, and old-fashioned rolled oats are all great options as long as they’re unsweetened.
HOW DO I MAKE OATMEAL TASTE GOOD?
There’s a few tips I suggest to make your oatmeal taste delicious before you even start adding toppings!
One of my favorite tips is using non-dairy milk when I make my oatmeal instead of plain water. This makes your oatmeal extra creamy and adds in some additional flavor. I love using unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk.
To add some additional flavor, I also like to add in a mashed banana as the oatmeal cooks. I mash it in with the oats and cook the oatmeal as I would normally. This not only makes super creamy oatmeal, but it also adds in natural sweetness with every bite!
If you’re not a fan of banana, you can also use unsweetened vanilla non-dairy greek yogurt instead (or regular greek yogurt, if you’re not vegan). This adds creaminess and a hint of vanilla!
HOW TO SWEETEN OATMEAL WITHOUT SUGAR
FRUIT
One of the best natural sweeteners to add to your oatmeal is fruit! As I mentioned previously, I love adding in a mashed banana as I cook my oats, but you can also add fruit as a topping.
Frozen or Fresh Fruit
- Berries are a great choice as they’re packed with antioxidants. Both fresh or frozen berries taste great in oatmeal.
- Ripe bananas are another great sugar substitute, as they taste sweeter than their unripe counterpart. If you don’t want to add the banana in while cooking, you can slice it on top.
Sautèd Apples – One of my favorite fruits to add to oatmeal is sautèed apples. You can cook the apples as you cook the oatmeal for an easy option.
Or, my favorite way is to sautè apples with coconut oil, cinnamon, vanilla and a bit of water. Cover and sauté for 5-7 minutes until the apples are tender. It’s SO good – you won’t believe there’s no added sugar!
Dried Fruit – You can also add dried fruit, such as coconut flakes, just make sure it is unsweetened! A lot of dried fruit is packed with added sugars, so it’s important to look at the label.
DIY Healthy Fruit Compote – You can also make a healthy fruit compote to top your oatmeal with. Simply sauté ½ cup of berries, with 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tbsp chia seeds and cook over medium low heat until thickened.
Dates – To sweeten your oatmeal you can chop up dates and add them into your oatmeal. They’re chewy, tasty, and surprisingly sweet!
Get Creative – You can add any of your favorite dried, frozen, or fresh fruits, whether it’s mango, pineapple, dragon fruit, etc!
PROTEIN POWDERS
Another great addition to oatmeal is protein powder. To add protein powder, I recommend mixing together the oats and protein powder and then cooking according to your directions.
As always, it’s important to make sure you’re choosing a protein powder that has good quality ingredients and is unsweetened.
Here are some of my favorite healthy plant based protein brands:
- EarthChimp Vegan Protein Powder
- Nuzest Unsweetened Vanilla Protein Powder
- Orgain Organic Unflavored Vegan Protein Powder
NUT & SEED BUTTERS
Another healthy way to flavor your oatmeal without sweeteners is by adding healthy fats such as nut and seed butters. Not only are nut butters a great way to add some extra flavor, but adding a healthy fat source at breakfast will also help keep you full for longer as well.
My favorite nut butters to add? Peanut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter! Just make sure they don’t have any added sugars.
SPICES & EXTRACTS
A simple way to add flavor to your oatmeal is to also add extracts and spices. You can add these as you cook or mix them in after the fact.
Vanilla extract and almond extract are two easy ways to mildly increase flavor. As far as spices, you can add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or any other spices you enjoy!
I recommend adding some additional toppings with any spices & extracts to get the most flavor out of your oatmeal.
LESS REFINED SUGARS
Another option to sweeten your oatmeal is to use less refined sugars. Of course, this is still technically adding sugar, but it is a healthier option than adding granulated and/or brown sugar.
Less refined sugars include:
- Pure Maple Syrup
- Date Syrup
- Raw Honey (If you’re not vegan)
- Agave
- Coconut Sugar
I would recommend trying out one of the other options first, and then slowly adding one of the less refined sugar options as needed!
While this is a refined sugar, I also find that just a few chocolate chips can add a huge flavor burst. Again, while it is a sweetener, it’s better than adding a tablespoon or two of added sugar!
OTHER TOPPING IDEAS TO ADD
Pairing one of the below healthy topping ideas with a natural sweetener, like fruit, will help make the oatmeal extra satisfying.
- Flax Seeds
- Chia Seeds
- Hemp Seeds
- Cocoa Powder
- Unsweetened Yogurt
- Sunflower Seeds
- Pinch of salt
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
SHOULD I ADD ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS?
Most artificial sweeteners are not good for you or your gut. There’s a few natural artificial sweeteners out there like stevia, erythritol, and monk fruit that are better than other artificial sweeteners such as splenda.
However, unless you have a dietary restriction, you’re better off just adding a small amount of one of the less refined sugars I mentioned above.
HOW DO I SWEETEN OVERNIGHT OATS?
Overnight oats are one of my favorite ways to have oats because they’re so easy to prep!
To make your overnight oats flavorful and sweet without added sugar, I recommend adding in a mashed ripe banana or unsweetened yogurt, along with non-dairy milk and letting that sit in the fridge overnight. Then, top with any additional fruit and some seeds!
HOW DO I SWEETEN BAKED OATS?
Another really good way to make oats is to bake them! I love to blend oats with banana, dates, almond milk, vanilla, salt, and a bit of baking powder and then bake them.
You can find one of my favorite baked oat recipes here (it does have maple syrup, but feel free to reduce it!).
WHAT IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE WAY TO SWEETEN OATMEAL?
My personal go-to favorite way to sweeten oatmeal is by cooking the oats with ½ a mashed banana and a 50/50 water and almond milk ratio. Then, I sautè apples with a bit of coconut oil, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and add those on top along with some nut butter for healthy fats!
And there you go! 15+ ways to sweeten your oatmeal without adding white or brown sugar. Have any other ideas? Make sure to comment them below!
Really good info: I use a teaspoon of raw honey, a handful of chopped walnuts, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and cook it with 3/4 cup of water. Good for you and filling with a cup of skim milk and a cup of diet cranberry or diet pamegranate juice.
That sounds delicious – I need to start adding ginger to my oatmeal. Thanks for sharing!