This recipe for old-fashioned oatmeal pudding features creamy oats cooked in milk & topped with berries and nuts. Filling enough to keep you full all day!

Oatmeal pudding makes breakfast a breeze. You may want to double the recipe and keep it refrigerated for up to 4-5 days. When you’re ready to serve it, just reheat it in a microwave for a quick grab and go breakfast. I would suggest adding a bit of milk before reheating.
Oatmeal Pudding 101
The difference between traditional oatmeal and oatmeal pudding is that it’s cooked with milk for an ultra-creamy texture. To dress it up, our favorite pairing with old-fashioned oatmeal pudding would be any type of berries, toasted nuts, and honey drizzled right on top. That said, this recipe can be adjusted to your preference. The amount and type of milk can also be adjusted to your liking.
Hot Tip: Everyone has a different preference for pudding, so prepare it more on the thicker side. Right before serving, my youngest, Ethan, adds additional milk to make it runnier. Jacob, my oldest, likes to have it thicker and he loads it up with a lot of toppings on top. See, everyone’s happy!

How to Assemble the Perfect Oatmeal Pudding Bowl
Preparing a perfect oatmeal pudding only requires 20 minutes of prep time and some light assembly with the toppings.
- Prepare the Ingredients: If you’re using raw nuts, toast them until golden brown in a skillet over low heat and rough chop them. If your nuts are already toasted, simply rough chop them. Wash the blueberries, blackberries, & strawberries under cool water and set them aside.
- Prepare the Oatmeal Pudding: Pour the milk into a saucepan with the old-fashioned oats and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes.
- Put the Bowls Together: Divide the oatmeal pudding into individual serving bowls. Top with berries and nuts, followed by a drizzle of honey. Enjoy!

3 Tips for Perfect Oatmeal Pudding
Making oatmeal pudding only requires a little bit of technique and some creativity with what toppings you are craving most. Here are 3 pointers to push you in the right direction.
- Adjust the berries and nuts. Feel free to add more or fewer berries and nuts according to your tastebuds. If you want a more filling bowl, add more nuts. If you’re in the mood for light and fruity, over-index on the berries.
- Use full-fat whole milk. For the creamiest oatmeal pudding, use full-fat, whole milk. If you don’t do dairy, opt for full-fat coconut milk, almond milk, or oat milk instead.
- Cook the oatmeal pudding over low heat. The key to a creamy oatmeal pudding is to cook it low and slow. Keeping the heat over low also prevents the oats from burning or cooking too quickly and having a crunchy texture.
Different Mix-Ins to Experiment With
If you want to make this oat pudding recipe your own – which you should! – feel free to play around with different ingredients and flavor combinations. Here are a couple of mix-in suggestions to inspire you.
- Seeds: Flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, & hemp seeds all add extra protein and crunch.
- Nut Butters: Another great way to make this oatmeal pudding more filling is to add peanut butter, almond butter, & sunflower butter.
- Alternative Sweeteners: You can also sweeten the oat pudding with something besides honey. Maple syrup, agave nectar, brown sugar, or even date paste.
- Different Fruits: Apples, raspberries, bananas, & cherries are other tasty fruits you can mix and match. In the summertime, we love to do a tropical pudding with mangoes, pineapples, and coconut shreds.
- Chocolate: If you’re feeling decadent, add in some dark chocolate chips or a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder. This pairs amazing with berries or bananas.
- Spices & Seasonings: Other tasty mix-ins include some vanilla extract, cinnamon, or even a little nutmeg during the fall season (this pairs well with baked apples or pears).
Serving Suggestions
These oatmeal bowls are more than filling enough all on their own, but they can be served alongside some other breakfast classics for an even more filling meal. Crispy air fryer bacon immediately comes to mind or an omelette roll with ham, mozzarella, and veggies.
Storing Oatmeal Pudding
There are two different ways you can store oatmeal pudding – in the fridge or the freezer. Here’s all you need to know.
- Fridge: To keep the oatmeal pudding fresh for up to a week, store it in an airtight container. This will prevent the oats from drying out, while also keeping the pudding from absorbing any lingering smells in the fridge.
- Freezer: To freeze the oatmeal pudding, spoon it into a muffin pan greased with coconut oil spray. Place the muffin pan(s) into the freezer for a couple of hours. Once the oatmeal cups are frozen, pop them out of the tins and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Transfer the wrapped cups into a freezer-friendly plastic bag for up to 3 months.
Reheating Tip: The best way to reheat refrigerated or frozen oatmeal pudding is in the microwave for 1-2 minutes with a splash of milk to rehydrate it.
FAQ
Can you eat oatmeal pudding for dessert?
Yes, you can eat oatmeal pudding for a healthy dessert or sweet treat. This is when you can experiment with more decadent flavor combinations like berries and chocolate chips or sweetened condensed milk and mangoes.
Can you mix protein powder into oatmeal pudding?
For a more filling breakfast, it’s a great idea to mix in your favorite protein powder. Vanilla or chocolate protein powders are a great option, as they mix well with most breakfast-style flavor combinations. That said, feel free to use whichever variety you like best.
Can oatmeal pudding go bad?
Yes, you’ll know that oatmeal pudding has gone bad when it starts to smell a little moldy from the milk. Another indicator is that the oats have dried out and turned a little stale.
Can you eat oatmeal pudding as a snack?
Oatmeal pudding makes for a wonderful, protein-packed snack. That’s right – it’s not just for breakfast! If you’re in the mood to make it more savory, you can always fry an egg, throw it on top, and drizzle on some hot sauce.
More Tasty Sweet Grain Recipes to Try
- Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding Recipe – Sweet rice porridge
- Baked Rice Pudding with Condensed Milk – Slavic-style rice pudding with a sweet crust
- Banana Baked Oatmeal – A hearty breakfast that can easily be made ahead!
- Overnight Oats – Our favorite cold oats, perfect for meal prepping
- Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pudding – Slavic buckwheat kasha with pumpkin puree
- Crazy Easy Baked Oatmeal – Brown sugar and vanilla baked oatmeal
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 4 cups milk
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1/2 cup pecans toasted
- 1/2 cup almonds toasted
- 1/2 cup honey
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients for the recipe. The amount of berries and nuts can be adjusted according to your tastebuds.
- Pour the milk into a saucepan with the old fashioned oats. Let the mixture simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Divide the oatmeal pudding into individual serving bowls. Add the berries and nuts and drizzle the tops with honey. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for. this, my kids have been loving this for breakfast on school day mornings!
Hi Diane- thank you! It's a such a great, healthy breakfast option!
wow, these are amazing and I love the additional nuts and berries that are topped on this dish, thank you so much for sharing!
Hello, Jess. You're welcome, enjoy!
So delicious! We'll definitely be making this again!
Hi Erin- woohoo! Best kind of feedback 🙂
Firstly would like to sincerely thank you for your wonderful recipe
Please keep it on
Thank you very much for your kind words 🙂