Oats are so versatile that it's worth always having a packet in the store cupboard. With their slow-releasing energy and cholesterol-lowering properties, they make a perfect breakfast but are also brilliant in other dishes to add texture and flavour. Make your own granola bars, bake oats into bread or incorporate them into desserts such as fruity crumbles, tasty cheesecakes and hard-to-resist tarts. Our inspirational oat recipe collection offers you plenty of choice.

For overnight oats, also known as Bircher muesli, jumbo oats are soaked (you guessed it) overnight which makes them easier to digest. Usually made with apple juice, our recipe uses fresh orange juice and kombucha (a fermented drink). Add in nuts, seeds, fresh seasonal fruit and yogurt to serve.

Get the recipe for overnight oats here

A bowlful of slow-release energy, this combines quinoa with oats in a porridge made with milk, served hot with raspberries, thick, creamy yogurt and a drizzle of honey. It can be prepared the night before, then microwaved to serve. The recipe uses frozen raspberries but you can vary the fruit according to what's in season.

Get the recipe for red and black quinoa porridge here 

It's so worth making your own granola. Some shop-bought ones can be high in sugar and it's very easy and quick to make. This recipe contains both jumbo porridge oats and oat bran, which is from the outer husk of the grain and is high in protein. Add in walnuts, sesame seeds and dried fruit of your choice, to serve with fresh seasonal fruit and yogurt.

Get the recipe for breakfast granola here

A fool is a very British dessert, consisting of cooked, mashed fruit folded into whipped cream or custard. In this recipe, tart gooseberries are cooked with sugar, folded into whipped cream and yogurt, and topped with crunchy caramelised oats. Gooseberries have a short season so you can substitute them with blueberries or strawberries – just reduce the sugar when cooking them.

Get the recipe for gooseberry fool here

Chewy, fruity with a lovely crunch, these little energy bars are made with rolled oats which have been flattened in the production process and stick together well. There's not too much sugar in these either, but a lovely sweetness comes from honey. With nuts, seeds and lots of dried fruit, the recipe makes 12 bars which will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.

Get the recipe for fruity granola bars here

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This free-form galette is made with an oat flour and wheat flour pastry, which encases the fresh fruit. Rolled oats are scattered on the pastry before the fruit is added, to absorb the juice and prevent the base from becoming soggy. It's a simple, lovely tart to serve with whipped cream or ice cream. When peaches are out of season, try using apples.

Get the recipe for peach and blackberry tart here

When you need a sugar fix, these soft, chewy, fruity flapjacks will certainly hit the spot. Using light muscovado sugar gives a hint of caramel. Everything is simply mixed together in a saucepan then baked for around 20 minutes. The recipe makes 16 and they will keep in an airtight container for up to four days.

Get the recipe for apricot and white chocolate flapjacks here

This heavenly frozen dessert is definitely one to have up your sleeve. The base is a combination of toasted porridge oats, hazelnuts and golden syrup. The simple filling is made with frozen bananas, golden syrup and cinnamon. So it's completely vegan. Serve with blueberry compote which can also be made ahead of time.

Get the recipe for banana ice cream cheesecake here

These little baked snacks contain just five ingredients and are ready in 25 minutes. With dried cherries, porridge oats, cocoa, butter and mashed banana, they will keep for up to three days. Dried cranberries would work well in place of the cherries too.

Get the recipe for chocolate cherry oaty bites here

Need a sweet treat in a hurry? These soft, chewy cookies couldn't be easier to whip up – all done in 15 minutes. Butter, golden syrup and sugar are melted in a saucepan, the dry ingredients are stirred through and walnut-sized, slightly-squashed balls of mixture are baked. The recipe calls for rolled oats, which are everyday porridge oats.

Get the recipe for coconut and oat cookies here

Start your day off right with this simple five-minute smoothie. Frozen strawberries are fine when fresh are out of season. It's an easy blend of fruit, porridge oats, milk, honey and yogurt. Any mixture of berries works perfectly too.

Get the recipe for strawberry power smoothie here

This nutty, fruity granola makes enough for 18 servings, so it's a perfect make-ahead breakfast as long as it's stored in an airtight container where it will keep for up to three weeks. Oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and coconut are baked in a mixture of maple syrup, honey and cinnamon, to give a lovely hint of sweet spice. Serve with milk or yogurt and fresh fruit.

Get the recipe for cinnamon granola here

This divine dessert has comfort food written all over it. Caramelised bananas in coconut milk and maple syrup, covered with a crunchy crumble topping of nuts, oats, seeds, maple syrup and peanut butter. It's served with a spiced cardamom custard and any leftovers make an indulgent breakfast.

Get the recipe for banana and peanut butter crumble here

Flapjacks are so easy to make and so inexpensive that you'll never buy a box again. With just five store cupboard ingredients, this recipe uses a mixture of jumbo oats and porridge oats – the former adding a lovely crunch to these sweet, buttery bites.

Get the recipe for classic flapjacks here

An age-old Scottish classic which consists of toasted oatmeal, puréed and whole raspberries, whisky and whipped cream. It's a very simple dessert to put together, which just needs a couple of hours in the fridge to chill and develop flavour.

Get the recipe for cranachan here

These sweet, buttery biscuits would be just perfect with a cup of tea. They are so easy to make at home, with six simple ingredients. They are made with porridge oats and sweetened with sugar and honey, with little preparation time needed.

Get the recipe for crumbly oat biscuits here

The base of these slices bears some resemblance to a chewy flapjack, with oats, desiccated coconut, butter and golden syrup flavoured with ground ginger. Once baked, it's topped with a buttery, sweet, ginger icing. You'll need to set the mixture in the fridge overnight before slicing, and it will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.

Get the recipe for oaty ginger crunch here

A whole-grain loaf full of different toasted nuts and seeds makes the most delicious toast. The oats in the dough help add extra texture and fibre. To save time with kneading, use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.

Get the recipe for seeded bread here

With no added sugar, this is a healthier version of a favourite – chopped dates provide the sweetness. The choice of berry is up to you, although this would work perfectly with a bag of frozen mixed berries. The topping is lovely and crunchy, with oats, ground almonds and a little spice. 

Get the recipe for mixed berry crumble here

Take a simple flapjack up a notch by adding dried berries and cherries, and chopped hazelnuts for an easy, buttery, chewy snack. You can play around with the recipe, using different dried fruits such as apricots or sultanas, and vary the nuts according to what's in the cupboard.

Get the recipe for berry flapjacks with roasted hazelnuts here

Adding rolled oats to a pancake batter gives texture and makes them more substantial. This recipe is a winner where the batter, including ripe bananas, is just whizzed up in the food processor. The warm pancakes are served with caramelised fried bananas and walnuts. 

Get the recipe for banana pancakes here

These traditional crunchy savoury biscuits are perfect with cheese and pickles. They are so easy to make with just four ingredients – oatmeal, salt, baking powder and butter – and are ready in 25 minutes.

Get the recipe for Scottish oatcakes here

This is a handy recipe to cook if you have a jar of sweet mincemeat lurking in the cupboard from Christmas. It uses shop-bought pastry too. The buttery streusel topping with jumbo oats adds a lovely crunch, and would work spooned over cooked apples instead of the mincemeat.

Get the recipe for mince pie streusel tart here

Plum and apple is such a classic combination. The tart apples cooked with jammy plums, and a hint of cinnamon and orange, make this warming crumble a winner. The buttery topping, with oats and demerara sugar, has a lovely crunch. Serve with vanilla custard or whipped cream.

Get the recipe for plum and apple crumble here

Chances are you'll have all the ingredients for these simple oat bars in the cupboard. Perfect for a lunch box or as a snack on the go, they will keep for three days in an airtight container and they also freeze well. Ideally, use crunchy peanut butter rather than smooth for a really great texture.

Get the recipe for peanut butter and banana oat bars here