You know how healthy (and affordable, and easy) oatmeal is. The problem is your kids also know how healthy oatmeal is. And they hate the texture. Really, really hate the texture, or so they tell you again and again. It can be a struggle to get kids to even look at oatmeal, much less eat it. But you CAN work this wonder food into your family’s diet. Here are 35 ways to get your kids to eat oatmeal that don’t involve the hated bowl of hot oatmeal.

1. Overnight oats can be customized to suit every taste. The key with kids is to incorporate ingredients they can’t say no too, like the chocolate in this peanut butter cup overnight oats recipe.
2. Blend oats into a strawberry smoothie for a creamy texture the kids might mistake for a milkshake.
3. Substitute oat flour for regular flour in pancakes, waffles, muffins and more.
4. Funny how kids who hate oatmeal absolutely love chewy granola bars. And you can make your own without even turning on the oven with this no-bake chewy granola bar recipe.
5. Add kid-friendly chocolate chips to crunchy granola and use it to top plain non-fat yogurt for an easy snack or breakfast, or sprinkle some on ice cream for dessert.
6. An oat crust gives homemade chicken tenders an irresistible crunch.
7. Add oats to your favorite pancake batter, along with some cinnamon.
8. Add oats to your burger patty mix, whether it’s beef, turkey, chicken or salmon. It actually helps retain moisture that might drip out during cooking, keeping your burgers good and juicy.
9. Make a batch of your favorite oatmeal cookies (hold the raisins if you’ve got picky kids). They’re delicious on their own, or you can use them to make ice cream sandwiches.
10. Bake an oat pie crust for sweet chocolate or fruit pie, or savory quiche.
11. With only three ingredients, make streusel topping to sprinkle on cobbler, muffins and yogurt.
12. Top grilled or baked fruit with an easy oatmeal cinnamon crumble.
13. Bake oatmeal into bread.
14. Combine peanut butter, oats, maple syrup and chocolate chips to make bite-sized no-bake snack balls.
15. Cook up an oatmeal pizza crust in less than 30 minutes. Bonus: It’s gluten-free too!
16. Substitute oatmeal for rice in savory dishes, like a dinner bowl of tomatoes, red peppers, black beans, spinach and spices with oatmeal.
17. Make oatmeal scones instead of muffins for a change.
18. Two words: oatmeal donuts. What kid can say no to donuts?
19. Add some rolled oats to your favorite muffin mix.
20. Turn fruit into dessert with streusel-stuffed baked apples.
21. Try baking an oatmeal cake.
22. Stir oatmeal into yogurt and top with your kid’s favorite fruit.
23. Why not try homemade oat milk? It only takes 10 minutes!
24. Sneak some oatmeal into their cheese and crackers with this easy oatmeal cracker recipe.
25. With just 3 ingredients, make oat crepes to stuff with sweet and savory fillings.
26. Add oatmeal to your favorite meatloaf recipe.
27. Don’t tell the kids, but they’re eating oatmeal for taco night. No, really. Oat bran tortillas are a great alternative to soft flour tortillas.
28. Add rolled oats to your favorite chicken soup for extra nutrition and texture.
29. Coat French toast in quick cooking oats after you dip it in egg batter … it’s the secret to French toast that’s custardy on the inside, extra crunchy on the outside.
30. Make oatmeal treats for your other kid … your dog!
31. For a quick snack on the go, you can’t beat classic no-bake cookies made with oats.
32. Forget the oven. Bake cookies right on the stovetop with this oatmeal skillet cookie recipe.
33. Having dessert for breakfast might just convince your kid to eat that bowl of oatmeal after all. Make a bowl like you always would, then add chocolate chips, marshmallows, M&Ms, caramel drizzle, peanut butter or whipped cream. Just don’t go too crazy with the sugary toppings.
34. This oatmeal cookie brittle is made with healthy oatmeal and applesauce, but it’s still a cookie. That makes it A LOT harder for any kid to refuse.
35. See if changing the kind of oats will change your kid’s mind. Instead of making oatmeal with rolled oats, try chewier steel cut oats. They do take longer to cook, but that’s no problem when you can easily make overnight steel cut oats in your slow cooker!

If you need to avoid gluten, just look for gluten-free oatmeal. And if you want to maximize health benefits, seek out plain rolled oats (old fashioned oats) or steel cut oats. So go ahead kids, balk at that bowl of oatmeal I’m eating. You’re eating it too in that chewy granola bar. Mom’s got tricks.