Protein Chia Seed Oatmeal (Apple Cinnamon) Recipe

High-protein apple cinnamon chia seed oatmeal in a bowl with a spoon and sliced apples on top with a drizzle of date syrup.

5 from 23 votes

Protein Chia Seed Oatmeal (Apple Cinnamon) Recipe

Protein Chia Seed Oatmeal (Apple-Cinnamon) is creamy, warmly spiced, and naturally sweet with fresh apples, cinnamon, and nutty chia seeds. This easy make-ahead breakfast packs 32 grams of protein with no protein powder.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast, Healthy Treat, Snack

Cuisine: Vegan

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 501kcal

Author: Nisha Melvani

Equipment

Grater

Ingredients

½ cup dry steel-cut oats or 1 ½ cups cooked oats
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1 ½ cups nondairy milk plus more as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup Medjool dates (about 4) pitted
⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 medium apples
1 ½ cup unsweetened Greek-style yogurt (plant-based) or Greek yogurt
¼ cup hemp hearts
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
Lemon zest for brightness (optional)

Instructions

Cook or Soak Oats:
Cooked option: Simmer oats in 3 cups water for about 20 minutes, or until tender but chewy. Drain if needed and cool completely.
Soaked option: Place oats in a bowl, cover with 1 ½ cups boiling water, and refrigerate overnight. Rinse and drain in the morning.
Soak Chia Seeds: In a large bowl, mix chia seeds with nondairy milk and vanilla. Let sit 5 minutes, then stir again to break up clumps. Set aside to soak.
Finely chop pitted dates and pumpkin seeds together until a sticky crumb forms.
Grate the apples, preferably with the skin on.
Combine: Stir the drained oats into the chia mixture, then fold in date–pumpkin clusters, hemp hearts, yogurt, cinnamon, and grated apple. Adjust the texture with more nondairy milk.

Notes

Nutrition: ~70% DV magnesium, 44% DV iron, and 40% DV zinc per serving.

If using cooked oats, use 1 ½ cups for every ½ cup of dried. Use steel-cut, oat groats, or rolled oats.

Pumpkin Seeds: I use European pumpkin seeds linked here.

Tip: The apples will release some of their juice overnight, naturally thinning the mixture. If you prefer it creamier, hold back the apple and stir it in fresh before serving.

Nutrition