Yes, you can reheat leftover oatmeal. It’s one of the easiest ways to use up the leftovers and a quick means of making breakfast.
But if reheated, oatmeal doesn’t get your taste buds drooling, you might want to try some of these amazing recipes to use up those extra already-cooked oats.
Using up leftover cooked oatmeal is a great way to save money and make do with what you have, so get creative and try out some of these great recipes for leftover oatmeal.
Table of Contents
Muffin Recipes
These light and fluffy, hearty muffins will have you making extra oatmeal just for an excuse to make them. These muffins are heartier than a cupcake, but still come out with a nice fluffy texture.
Check out this recipe for cinnamon coffee cake muffins which will use up about 2 cups worth of leftover oatmeal.
Leftover Cooked Oatmeal Muffins
Crispy on the outside and cake-like on the inside, these muffins work great with your leftover flavored oatmeal, like apple cinnamon. You could easily double the recipe, and freeze the extras for an easy breakfast or snack.
Leftover Oatmeal Muffins with Salted Butter
It’s hard to go wrong with oatmeal muffins, but they are even better when slathered in salted butter. These versatile muffins can be made with any type of oats (steel cut, rolled, or quick) and you can mix in any type of topping, such as cocoa nibs or raisins.
This simple recipe can be made by substituting your oatmeal and milk for already cooked oats. This recipe calls for applesauce instead of oil and whole wheat pastry flour.
You can make these delicious banana oatmeal muffins by reducing the milk content and using cooked oats instead of uncooked ones.
You can even use up some of those overripe bananas for this amazing recipe. I like to add a bit of vanilla extract for an even better flavor…
Check out this video on how to make biscuits from your leftover oatmeal. They’ll go great with just about any dinner.
This recipe starts with cooking oats. Instead of making fresh oatmeal, just use your leftover, already cooked oats to create these light and fluffy dinner rolls for your next dinner party or family supper.
Cake Recipes
This may be one of the easiest ways to use up leftover oatmeal. Shape your leftover oatmeal into a small loaf, and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, simply slice it and fry it up in a little butter for a breakfast that is sure to delight you. You can top it with fruit and whipped cream for an extra special treat.
For a breakfast cake, try this sweet treat that uses two cups of your leftover oatmeal. If you don’t have leftovers, this cake looks tasty enough to make a fresh batch of oatmeal just to bake it.
Chocolate Leftover Oatmeal Cake
If you’re a chocolate lover, try this chocolatey twist on leftover oatmeal cake. Use up your thick, chunky leftover oatmeal, and combine it with a few healthy options such as maple syrup, coconut oil, and whole wheat flour to make a healthy, tasty, fudgy cake.
Add some extra chocolate chips to your wet ingredients to make it even more chocolatey!
You’ll love this old-fashioned oatmeal cake recipe. Every bite is tender and moist, and the coconut topping gives it an extra fancy flair. To make the recipe more rich, use half and half instead of milk.
Not everyone loves super sweet cake, but if you like coffee cake, then this oatmeal recipe should be just right.
This recipe calls for Truvia and a little brown sugar, which gives it the sweetness with fewer calories. Not only does it use up your leftover oatmeal; it goes great with coffee, too.
Mrs. Bauman’s Lazy Oatmeal Cake
This cake recipe, well, takes the cake. It’s a kid-pleasing, long-lasting, easy-to-make cake that keeps your leftover oats from going to waste.
It was developed by Mrs. Bauman, an Old Order Mennonite. It’s an easy and inexpensive recipe to make. What more could you ask for in a cake recipe?
In Britain, leftover oatmeal or other hot cereal is known as porridge. This recipe makes great use of your leftover porridge and is easily customized as well. This cake is extra yummy when topped off with a cream cheese icing or even a caramel glaze and nuts.
Cookie Recipes
Joanie Simon created this recipe for a delicious treat using your oatmeal leftovers. She insists that you don’t skimp on the lemon glaze. This recipe can be made with just about any kind of leftover oatmeal. It uses one cup of leftover or prepared oats.
Try these porridge cookies to use up those leftovers, and create a tasty treat your family will love. These cake-like cookies are best when made with Scottish, pinhead oats.
Leftover Steel Cut Oatmeal Cookies
If you love steel-cut oats, try this recipe for cookies. The recipe creator did a little experimenting with cream of wheat and spices. You can easily adjust the spices in the recipe to suit your taste buds.
You can use up all kinds of leftovers to make these cookies, including leftover oats, pretzels, candies, or whatever. This recipe is designed to make a balance of sweet and salty cookies using half a cup of each special ingredient.
Leftover Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Fruit
Try your leftover oatmeal in this recipe, using dried fruit and your favorite sweetener.
This recipe shows you how to add that leftover oatmeal to standard cookie dough to make a
delicious, traditional oatmeal cookie.
One option is to add some cocoa powder for a chocolatey cookie, and don’t forget to chill them in the fridge for a bit so they hold their shape while baking.
Leftover Oatmeal Cookies
Here’s a video from Good Morning America on how to make cookies from your leftover breakfast oatmeal:
Leftover Oatmeal Cookie Recipes
Blueberry Muffin Leftover Oatmeal Cookies
If your kids love to waste oatmeal, you’ll want to try this oatmeal-saving dessert.
If you love buttery cookies, try this oatmeal cookie recipe. It calls for half a cup of butter.
Fried Oatmeal Recipes
Pan-Seared Oatmeal with Fresh Fruit and Yogurt
For a different take on using up leftover oats, try this pan-seared oatmeal recipe by RachelCooks. She uses steel-cut oats, but you could try this recipe with other types of oats as well. Top it off with fresh fruit, dried fruit, yogurt, or maple syrup for a delightful breakfast.
This recipe works great with leftover steel-cut oats that are made with milk. Top it off with some walnuts for a flavorful crunch.
Don’t skimp on breakfast with these fried oatmeal patties. Fill up a loaf pan with leftover oats, and let it chill overnight. Just slice, fry, and top for a wonderful breakfast.
Don’t fritter away that leftover pot of oatmeal – turn it into delicious fritters instead with this recipe from today.com.
You’ll need to roll your oatmeal into small balls, and then flatten them for cooking. If they don’t hold their shape, you can add a little flour to the mixture to make it stiffer.
Both vegan and gluten-free, this fried oatmeal dish is sure to please. Freezing the oatmeal in a loaf pan will make it easier to slice, and if you’re really ambitious, you could cut out shapes with cookie cutters before you fry it up.
Old-fashioned oats and a little bit of butter transform your leftover breakfast into something new and amazing with this recipe for crispy oatmeal pancakes.
Bread Recipes
This hearty recipe makes a pretty and delicious loaf of bread. This bread stays soft and chewy and makes great sandwiches.
Leftover Oatmeal Bread with Honey
This bread recipe calls for just a few wet and dry ingredients: oatmeal, water, honey, yeast, salt and flour. It doesn’t take much to make this delicious bread.
It will use up about 3 cups worth of leftover oatmeal. You may want to warm the oatmeal in the microwave a little bit just to get out the clumps.
KitchenMage’s Leftover Oatmeal Bread NotQuite Recipe
Kitchen Mage shares her formula and recipe idea for using up leftover oatmeal in bread recipes. You can use it with any cooked cereal and even brown rice if you choose.
Bars
For hearty and filling breakfast bars, try this recipe. See the directions at the bottom to turn the bars into delicious chocolate brownies! Check out the comments section on this recipe to see how readers have adapted this yummy recipe to suit their needs.
If you’ve got leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving dinner and some leftover oatmeal, this recipe is great to use up both with its layers of chewy crust, tangy cranberry sauce, and a nutty crunchy topping.
Monster Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These oatmeal bars will use up your leftovers, and satisfy that sweet tooth, all in one delicious bar. The recipe creator uses M and Ms and Reeses Pieces, but you can use just about any chopped-up candy bar instead.
More Ideas
Smoothies are refreshing and nutritious. Add a little more punch to yours with some cooked oats. You can use the oats to thicken up any smoothie that comes out a little too watery.
You can use up your leftover bananas, oats, and raw eggs with this easy pancake recipe. No flour is needed.
Make Ahead Meal Mom makes her leftover oats into delicious blender pancakes. The blender makes the steel-cut oats into more of a puree. You’ll need to cook these a little longer than typical pancakes, and they will have a softer, chewy center.
If you’ve got leftover porridge, you can make easy pancakes. Bonus, you can use up some of your overripe bananas.
Yes, you can turn that leftover oatmeal into baked oatmeal, just check out this recipe. It will use up 1 ½ cups of your leftover cooked oats. If it isn’t sweet enough, add a little maple syrup after it’s cooked.
Meatballs
You can even make oatmeal meatballs! Meatballs made with leftover oatmeal may sound like a strange combination, but they are surprisingly delicious.
The oatmeal itself doesn’t taste sour or bitter; instead it adds just the right amount of texture and flavor to really bring the whole dish together.
Here’s an easy leftover oatmeal meatball recipe.
Need some more inspiration? Caroline Lange gives 7 ways to use up those leftover oats.
Check out her article here.
Muesli Bowls
If you don’t have time for baking but still want something delicious for breakfast or lunchtime snack, muesli bowls are perfect for that!
This recipe requires one cup leftover oatmeal plus easy ingredients you probably already have in the pantry. Layer all the ingredients in a bowl in your desired order and enjoy as-is or heated-up as an alternative!
Here is the recipe.
The Best Way to Reheat Oatmeal If you still want to reheat your leftover oats, check out some directions here to make it even tastier.
Did you know leftover oatmeal can be frozen? Just freeze it in portion-sized containers and you’ll be ready for a quick breakfast. Simply reheat in the microwave as needed. Julie R. Thompson shares detailed instructions for freezing oatmeal for a quick and easy breakfast here.
Add a few spoonfuls of leftover oatmeal to recipes you already make and love, such as smoothies, meatloaf, or add it to soups like you would add a little rice. If you just have a few spoonfuls left, you can toss it into cookie dough, yogurt, or even ice cream.
Of course, if you simply cannot find a recipe you like to use up your leftover oatmeal, don’t worry! Chickens love oats, so scoop up any leftovers and hand them over to your flock for a treat!
What To Do With Leftover Oatmeal Packets?
One great way to use leftover oatmeal packets is to simply poach some tuna, combine it with the cooked oatmeal and your favorite veggies like tomatoes and peppers, scramble some eggs for texture, and voila – an innovative dish that won’t put you to shame at the dinner table.
Or, why not get creative in the kitchen by making a vegetarian version of the classic shepherd’s pie? Start out by tossing together sautéed mushrooms with your oats packet filling, top with mashed potatoes instead of beef or lamb, and skip the cheese layer.
Leftover Oatmeal FAQ
How long is cooked oatmeal good in the fridge?
Depending on how it’s prepped, it can last up to five days in the fridge – that’s like an eternity in refrigerator years.
Can you make oatmeal ahead of time and reheat it?
You can make oatmeal ahead of time and reheat it. All you have to do is make the oatmeal before you go to bed, stick it in the fridge, and then heat it up for a few minutes when you wake up.
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