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.
Emily Payton says
I LOVED this! My kids and I absolutely gobbled it up. I never would have thought of adding egg white to porridge. I normally just add protein powder. But this is so so much better! Can’t wait to experiment with other flavours!
Nicole says
How would you do this for overnight oats with the egg whites?
Abbey Sharp says
It should be fine overnight!
Whitney Carella says
This recipe is delicious and so filling ! We have been making this every weekend and I look forward to it EVERY TIME! A nice warm bowl of deliciousness with a hot cup of coffee on a snowy cold morning -perfect way to start a Saturday 😊