Recipes that prove oatmeal doesn't have to be boring

Let's kick off with this super-simple recipe courtesy of Alton Brown. First introduced on his oat-focused "Good Eats" episode, this fruit-heavy oatmeal is incredibly simple, very healthy, and could not be further from the pasty, mealy mess that comes to mind when you think of oatmeal. All you need is a slow cooker — simply put all the ingredients in there, turn the heat down to low and go to bed. You'll be greeted by a bowl of deliciousness when you wake up. The full recipe is here, via Food Network.

As you can probably tell by the long title of the recipe, this one's just a bit more complex. If you have about an hour or so, though, this healthy breakfast is sure to hit the spot. Baking the oatmeal along with quinoa gives the dish a satisfying crunch, and the addition of the caramelized strawberries and coconuts offers a nice contrast in flavor to the deep flavors of the oatmeal and quinoa. Follow along with the step-by-step instructions here.

Stick with us for a bit. We know you're used to having your oatmeal with cinnamon and brown sugar, and we're not trying to take that away from you. But the next time you get the urge to make oatmeal, try this recipe. Everyone knows everything is better with a runny egg and hot sauce on top, but this recipe goes a step further by adding crunchy cashews, soy sauce and rosemary. This spicy-garlicky breakfast bowl is a perfect, hearty and vegetarian breakfast, so make sure to try it out by following along with the recipe right here.

OK, I know that doesn't look like oatmeal, but stick with us. This no-cook oatmeal is hearty, healthy and super delicious. Plus, it only takes, like, five minutes to put together the night before. All you have to do is combine all the ingredients together and shake them up. When you wake up the next morning, the oats are soft and delicious, suspended in a mixture of chia seeds, yogurt, cinnamon and berries. Delicious. You can follow along with the full recipe at Allrecipes.

You probably read that title and thought, "Oh, I'll need a blowtorch for this recipe. I'll skip it." Don't. This delicious, custardy breakfast can be prepared from start to finish in 10 minutes if you use quick-cook oats. It's incredibly simple as well. The custard is made with instant vanilla pudding, and the brulee is achieved by popping the oatmeal in your broiler for a few minutes just before serving. Again, all this in 10 minutes. If you want the step-by-step instructions, Steamy Kitchen has them right here.

This baked oatmeal recipe is a bit less involved than the one we featured earlier but no less delicious. This eats almost like a casserole, with layers of fruits, oats and berries, and the way the oats set gives this dish a more robust texture than normal oatmeal that is just served in a bowl. Epicurious has the full recipe here.

Sure, we all know that oatmeal cookies are great, but these easy-bake oatmeal cakes are oh-so-much better. Flavored with walnuts and vanilla, the cakes take only a half-hour to cook and are perfect for an on-the-go breakfast to take to work and eat at your desk. Just make sure to bring extras for your co-workers — they're going to be jealous. The full recipe is here.

This savory oatmeal recipe stands on its own, taking oatmeal to the undiscovered countries of lunch and dinner. Additions of Gruyere, cubed ham and fresh chives give the oatmeal a deep and complex flavor that is perfect for any meal. The resulting dish is almost risotto-like — the cheese and oats blend together very well. Food Network has the full recipe here.

Stick with us here. We know oatmeal soup might not sound like anything you'd want, but give this recipe a shot. It's creamy and hearty, and the addition of celery adds a sharp note to the soup. Reviewers of the recipe highly recommend adding meat like ham (or bacon) to the soup to give the dish some saltiness, and I would recommend being liberal with the pepper grinder before serving. Either way, this simple four-ingredient recipe is well worth a try. Follow along here.

It's October, so you knew this was coming. Happy Healthy Mama has found a way to meld your love of oatmeal with your love of pumpkin (and its spice). These oatmeal cups take only about 30 minutes to prepare start to finish and bake up with a wonderful crispy-creamy texture. Happy Healthy Mama recommends adding in white chocolate, regular chocolate, raisins and walnuts, and we heartily second those recommendations. The full recipe can be found here, so be sure to try this one out!

Using oats in a standard recipe for pancakes ensures that the pancakes have a delicious, cereal-y texture and taste, and if you have a food processor, the pancakes will come out silky smooth as well. Consider adding berries, apples or chocolate chips to the batter before you cook them up if you want to take these delicious pancakes to the next level. The full recipe can be found here, via Allrecipes.

More savory oatmeal recipes! This Korean-inspired breakfast bowl looks like a bibimbap at first glance, but underneath the kimchi, chives and egg is a warm bed of savory oatmeal. This is a five-ingredient recipe as well, so it's not only simple, but incredibly quick as well. Mango & Tomato has the recipe right here.

If you have a bread machine (or a Cuisinart with a dough hook), you really have no excuse not try this quick-cooking roll recipe. The recipe is for rolls, but reviewers have noted that the dough can be easily made into loaves as well. The addition of oatmeal to the bread dough before it is baked adds to the texture and flavor of the bread, so even though you're not eating it with a spoon, the familiar taste of oatmeal will permeate the rolls. Allrecipes has step-by-step instructions here.

One last recipe for baked oatmeal, this time from the minds of A Beautiful Mess. Once again, the recipe itself couldn't be easier. Wet ingredients are added to dry ingredients and poured into a liberally buttered baking pan. The addition of eggs and cream creates a custard-like flavor for the oatmeal, which plays very well with the flavor of the cherries. A final drizzling of maple syrup completes the dish, and you have yourself an elegant breakfast in just about 30 minutes. All the steps to put it together can be found right here.

This recipe might not look as flashy or showy as the others on this list, but its unique milky-creamy texture as well as its simple preparation makes it a must-try. The recipe itself takes as long to prepare as it takes to boil water and only requires one pot to make. You simply put everything in, heat it up, and stir as the nutmeg and cinnamon flavors permeate through the oatmeal. Commenters on Allrecipes suggest adding cocoa, bananas, blueberries or even substituting evaporated milk to augment the flavor. The full recipe can be found right here.