This High Protein Oatmeal with Crème Brûlée crackle is a delicious and nutritious morning-friendly version of the decadent dessert!
I think of oatmeal as the ultimate comfort food. It probably has to do with the fact that I literally grew up on oatmeal so its tied to nostalgia from my childhood. But regardless, I can always count on oatmeal to make me feel good both emotionally, and physically too! Plus, it’s just so dang delicious.
So if you are also part of the oatmeal fan club, you’re gonna love this high protein oatmeal with crème brûlée crackle! This recipe literally tastes like eating dessert for breakfast, but is packed with protein to help fuel your morning.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
Besides the fact that this recipe combines the comfort of oatmeal with the decadence of crème brûlée (need I say more?), here are just a few more reasons why I KNOW you’re totally gonna dig this recipe.
- High protein without using any protein powder
- Takes only 15 minutes to prepare
- Uses less than 10 ingredients
- Gluten free
Key Ingredients
Rolled Oats – I prefer using old fashioned rolled oats rather than steel cut because they tend to cook faster and hold more liquid. If you’re in a time crunch though, you can also try using instant oats and decrease the cook time but the texture won’t be quite the same.
Egg whites – Without using any protein powder, I like to boost the satisfying power of this high protein oatmeal by whisking in some whipped egg whites to yield a fluffy texture. If this is your first time experimenting with whipped egg whites in oatmeal, then boy are you in for a treat!
Brown Sugar – to get the irresistible crème brûlée crackle, we sprinkle a bit of brown sugar on top of the high protein oats and torch the crap out of it! In other words, we get it all nice and brown like you would with a classic crème brûlée.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: In a small pot, combine the oats, water, salt, cinnamon, vanilla bean seeds and the residual vanilla bean pods. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Stir the pot occasionally until the oats have absorbed almost all of the water but are still very moist and thick (about 3-5 minutes).
Step 2: In a bowl, using a hand mixer beat the egg whites until they froth up.
Step 3: Add beaten egg whites to the pot with the oats. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is creamy and fluffs up- about 3 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pods and add maple syrup, to taste. When ready to serve, top with brown sugar. Using a blow torch, brulee the top of the oatmeal bowls until caramelized and golden and dig in!
Expert Tips
While you may be surprised to see that we are using water instead of milk to make this high protein oatmeal, there is good reason. While I am not above using milk to whip up a batch of the good stuff, I take the texture of this oatmeal recipe very seriously! I mean, this ain’t your average oatmeal recipe… its Crème Brûlée oatmeal! So it deserves the very best VIP treatment.
With that said, using water tends to yield a creamier bowl of oatmeal which is on par with the texture of a Crème Brûlée dessert. On the other hand, using too much milk can quickly turn the texture of this recipe thick and sticky, and that just won’t do this time around. But if you insist on adding milk to this recipe, i’d suggest adding just a splash!
Recipe FAQs
You could try substituting it with aquafaba (which is the leftover liquid from a can of chickpeas) and whipping it the same way you would the egg whites, however it doesn’t have much protein. Otherwise, you could omit the egg whites, and instead of cooking the oats with water you can use a high protein plant-based milk like soy milk.
If you have oven safe boils available you can try broiling it in the oven instead but make sure to keep a close eye on it because it can burn crazy quickly!
Absolutely you can! You can try making this the same way you would make overnight oats and adding the crème brûlée crackle before serving.
More Recipes You Might Like
Here are more high protein oatmeal recipes that I know you’ll LOVE!
- Whipped Protein Oatmeal (3 Ways!)
- Pina Colada Protein Oatmeal
- Tiramisu Overnight Oats
- Korean Savoury Oats
Now I want to know – What are some of your favourite comfort food breakfasts?
High Protein Oatmeal with Crème Brûlée Crackle
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashion rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
- 3 cups water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 vanilla beans split and scraped out
- 2 cups egg whites pasteurized
- Maple syrup to taste
Topping
- 8 tsp light brown sugar
Instructions
- In a small pot, combine the oats with the water, salt, cinnamon, vanilla bean seeds and the residual vanilla bean pods. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Stir the pot occasionally until the oats have absorbed almost all of the water but are still very moist and thick- about 3-5 minutes.
- In a bowl, beat the egg whites until they froth up, then add them to the pot with the oats. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is creamy and fluffs up- about 3 minutes.
- Remove the vanilla bean pods, and maple syrup, to taste.
- Divide between four bowls and sprinkle with about two teaspoons of brown sugar. Using a blow torch, brulee the top of the oatmeal bowls until caramelized and golden and dig in!
Video
Nutrition
Have you tried this Crème Brûlée high protein oatmeal yet? What did you think?
Updated on November 28th, 2021
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Maddie says
Can’t wait to try these! Did you count maple syrup in your nutrition info?
Abbey Sharp says
Yes we did!
Maddie says
Great, do you know how much? Since it just says to taste. Thanks!
Petra says
Do i have to add egg whites while the oats are cooking or do i add them all together before putting everything on the stove?
Abbey Sharp says
While the oats are still on the stove.
Lisa says
is there a substitute for the egg whites? want to make it for a morning breakfast but a few of the guests can’t have eggs.
Abbey Sharp says
Instead of egg whites, you could substitute it with aquafaba (which is canned chickpea liquid that mimicks the look of whipped egg whites), however it doesn’t have much protein. You could also try without the egg whites, which would remove the the high protein content.
Dana says
This looks unreal! Wondering if you have any hack suggestions for those of us who don’t have a kitchen torch?
Abbey Sharp says
Try broiling it in the oven but watch it like a hawk because it can burn crazy quickly!
Stephanie says
Would this keep in the fridge for a few days then brûlée before serving?
Abbey Sharp says
Yes! Totally 🙂
Stephanie says
Would this keep in the fridge for a few days then brûlée it before serving?
Julia Walters says
I’m not really a fan of oatmeal but your recipe really looks delicious. Nice pictures. Thanks for sharing your recipe ideas. I really like to try something new and out of my comfort zone. By the way, I am just wondering if I can add some vanilla extract, will it affect since there’s already vanilla beans?
Abbey Sharp says
yes, you can add vanilla for sure!
Jemma says
I don’t have a hand mixer, but I do have a good blender. Would that work to whip the egg whites?
Abbey Sharp says
Ya I think that should work just fine.
Julie@Consumerion says
Whoa!! Never thought you could make a Creme Brulee Protein Oatmeal!! I usually have mine with milk, berries, or sliced banana, and a little bit of maple syrup to taste! But yours, is just appetizing! I can’t wait to try it! Can I use skimmed milk for the ingredients, instead of 3 cups of water?
Abbey Sharp says
yes of course!
Christina Bauer says
This is crazy brilliant! I think I’d use coconut sugar to brulee. I absolutely must make this!!
Abbey Sharp says
enjoy!!
Abbey Sharp says
also i tried coconut sugar, but be warned it does burn easily and get dark super fast.
Chrissy says
This looks awesome! I am a big fan of oatmeal and think of it as a comfort food too. But I have not tried adding eggs. Great idea to pump up the protein. I’ll need to try it out. Thanks.
Abbey Sharp says
exactly! enjoy
dixya @food, pleasure, and health says
turning breakfast into creme brulee sounds like a delicious way to start the day. i usually do mocha (cocoa powder + espresso powder) in my overnight oats with sliced banana and nuts.
Abbey Sharp says
ohhh that sounds amazing
Emily says
Whattttt? That looks amazing! I so need to make this!
Abbey Sharp says
haaha thanks Em!
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
wow now that’s how to do oatmeal!
Abbey Sharp says
you bet girl
Jodi @ Create Kids Club says
This is genius! Looks amazing 🙂
Abbey Sharp says
thank you Jodi
Emily @Sinful Nutrition says
This sounds absolutely amazing! I’m all about dessert for breakfast. 🙂
Abbey Sharp says
yah girl!!