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Mouthwatering Oatmeal Brownies (With Protein)

I’ve struggled with making healthy brownies before, but these oatmeal brownies are an absolute homerun.

They’re gooey, chocolatey, and you’d never know that they were secretly nutritious.

Delicious oatmeal brownies

These oatmeal breakfast brownies are the perfect on-to-go breakfast for chocolate lovers. They may taste just like decadent brownies, but they have all the benefits of nutritious baked oatmeal.

We’re sneaking some protein into these brownies, too. While they may not be the highest protein treat you’ve ever had, each brownie contains 10 grams of protein, making it a great choice for breakfast or dessert.

Plus, all of the ingredients are safe to eat raw, so if you want to underbake these to have super soft, fudgy brownies, you can safely do so!

 

Oatmeal Brownies vs Baked Oatmeal

Healthy oatmeal brownie

You may be hesitant to enjoy this recipe as breakfast because, well, these are brownies. But I am here to convince you to eat brownies for breakfast.

These oatmeal brownies are made from a base of rolled oats and oat flour. The rest of the ingredients, which we’ll get into in a minute, are no different than ingredients you’d mix into your morning oatmeal: peanut butter, milk, protein powder, etc.

When I was writing this recipe, I had no idea whether to call refer to this as an oatmeal brownie, oat flour brownie, or brownie baked oatmeal.

Ultimately I went with oatmeal brownies (as you can see here), but this is truly no different than baked oatmeal. All of the ingredients are the same as baked oats, the only difference is that we’re slicing these up into gooey brownies!

If you need to convince yourself that it’s okay to eat brownies for breakfast, just remember that this recipe is brownie baked oatmeal, too!

 

How To Make Healthy Oatmeal Brownies

Single oatmeal brownie

Since these are oat flour brownies, one of the main ingredients needed is oat flour. Since you may not have it lying around, you might be surprised to know that you can easily make your own homemade oat flour in a matter of seconds.

All you have to do is throw some oats into a blender or food processor and you’ll instantly have oat flour!

I chose to use half oat flour and half oats in this recipe to strike a balance between oat flour brownies and baked oatmeal. Basically, I want these to taste like a perfect marriage between oatmeal and brownies!

Other than oats (quick oats or rolled oats both work), here’s what you’ll need to make these brownies, along with possible substitutions.

  • Peanut butter: Almond butter or cashew butter will also work great.
  • Almond milk: You can use any milk that you prefer.
  • Sugar-free syrup: I use this to keep the calories down a bit, but any liquid sweetener will work, like maple syrup or agave syrup.
  • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • Chocolate Whey/Casein Blend Protein Powder: I haven’t tested this recipe with other types of protein powder, but whey protein should work well. Vegan protein may not work quite as well. Or, if you want to eliminate the protein powder altogether, you can simply use the same amount of extra oat flour.
  • Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Chunks: You can’t have brownies without chocolate. I melt down half of the chocolate to stir directly into the batter, then leave the rest as chocolate chips to yield an extra fudgy brownie.

All we have to do is add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix it up until a thick brownie batter forms. The mixture will essentially resemble a combination of brownie batter and oatmeal.

Oatmeal brownie batter

Once mixed up, spray an 8×8 dish with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper, then add your oatmeal mixture.

I like to top my brownie batter with some additional chocolate chips and sea salt, but that is completely optional. The brownies will come out great as is, but nobody will ever be upset about extra chocolate.

Baked oatmeal brownies

Bake the oatmeal brownies at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Since every oven is different, check on the brownies at the 20-minute mark to see if they seem done. If you want these to be extra fudgy, you can pull them out of the oven when they’re slightly underbaked since all of the ingredients are safe to eat raw!

To test if they’re done, use a toothpick to see if it comes out mostly clean. It doesn’t need to be completely clean since there is melted chocolate inside of these brownies, but it shouldn’t come out looking like you just dipped it into raw batter.

Once the brownies are done, allow them to cool for about 15-20 minutes to give them time to fully set before cutting into them.

You can slice these brownies into as many as you’d like to make, but I never understand why brownie recipes will say that the recipe makes 16 servings. I don’t know about you, but I do not want tiny brownies, so I chose to slice this into 9 large brownies.

Sliced oatmeal brownies

Each brownie contains 200 calories and 10 grams of protein, making it a great breakfast to take with you on the go.

And yet, these taste just like delicious brownies.

Sure, the texture is different than traditional brownies, but that’s because these are basically a combination of oatmeal and brownies. The texture may be different from what you are used to, but it is truly a fantastic combination!

These oatmeal brownies hold up great as leftovers, too- simply store the leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy them throughout the week.

Oatmeal Brownies With Protein

 

More healthy recipes for chocolate lovers

Your love of chocolate doesn’t have to stop with these healthy oatmeal brownies. Be it breakfast or dessert, I’ve got tons of healthy chocolate-focused recipes here on my blog for you to enjoy. It’s tough to narrow it down, but here are some of my favorites:

 

Oatmeal Brownies With Protein

Mouthwatering Oatmeal Brownies (With Protein)

Yield: 9 Brownies
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

The gooey brownies are the perfect fusion of breakfast and dessert. They taste like a decadent chocolatey brownie, but have all the nutrients of a delicious bowl of high-protein oatmeal.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Add all of your dry ingredients to a large bowl and give everything a quick stir to combine.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl (peanut butter, syrup, melted chocolate, and milk) and mix until a thick but pourable batter is formed.
  4. Generously spray an 8x8 baking dish (or line with parchment paper) and pour the brownie batter into the dish.
  5. Top with additional chocolate chips and/or sea salt. Both are optional but add great flavor.
  6. Bake the brownies at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. The exact bake time will vary, but all of the ingredients are safe to consume raw so even if your brownies are slightly underdone you will be able to enjoy them. To check for doneness, a toothpick should come out mostly clean (I say mostly because there will be melted chocolate chips inside).
  7. Remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool for 15-20 minutes to allow them to firm up inside.
  8. Once cooled, cut the batch into 9 brownies, then dig in!
  9. Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy for about one week.

Notes

  • I have not tested this recipe with other types of protein powder, but since it's a relatively small amount, any type will likely work. If you use a vegan protein powder, you may need slightly more milk as it is more absorbant.
  • If you prefer no protein at all, you can swap the protein powder out for the same amount of oat flour.
  • I chose to use oats & oat flour for this recipe because the oats provide that oatmeal texture and the oat flour acts as a solid base for the brownies. You can opt for just one of the two, but the overall texture will change.
  • Remember: this batter is safe to eat raw, so don't be afraid to slightly underbake the brownies!

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Nutrition Information
Yield 9 Serving Size 1 Large Brownie
Amount Per Serving Calories 200Total Fat 9gCarbohydrates 23gProtein 10g

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Share The Love

Zack

Thursday 28th of September 2023

How much is 1/2 cup of liquid sweetener in grams?

Matt

Monday 2nd of October 2023

It will depend on the sweetener you use because they're all definitely weights. Since it's liquid, I like to measure with a measuring cup vs weight. It'll likely land between 100-150g

About Matt Rosenman

With over 15 years of experience in health and fitness, Matt Rosenman is the expert voice behind Cheatdaydesign.com. Matt’s philosophy is simple: no foods are off-limits, and a healthy lifestyle shouldn't be complicated or restrictive. As a former certified personal trainer with a bachelor’s degree in Health Behavioral Sciences, Matt brings well-rounded expertise to his blog. From revamping classic recipes with a nutritious twist to breaking down fast food menus, his goal is make healthy living less confusing for everyone. Featured in major publications and with a strong following on social media, Matt is committed to making “healthy” uncomplicated—no matter where you are in your health journey. Join Matt on his mission to simplify health without sacrificing flavor. Learn More

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