Fast Food Oatmeal Ranked From Worst To Best

Most fast food restaurants offer a selection of breakfast sandwiches, parfaits, fruit, biscuits, and hash browns for those grabbing a bite on-the-go in the morning. At several restaurants, you'll even find slightly more involved breakfast options like pancake platters, quiche, breakfast burritos, croissant sandwiches, and pastries. But not as many fast food restaurants serve oatmeal for breakfast as you might expect, and those that do can vary significantly in what they offer. Even at places known for their breakfast offerings, like Dunkin' Donuts, IHOP, and Denny's, you won't find oatmeal on the menu.

Perhaps it's hard to find because people tend to cook more oatmeal at home, or don't want to pay more for a relatively inexpensive breakfast. Or maybe it's because of the extra steps involved for restaurants to hold precooked oatmeal at a safe temperature over the course of a breakfast service. Either way, oatmeal lovers may have a hard time finding breakfast options to-go. So I set out to find as many fast food restaurants offering oatmeal as possible, to satisfy that particular morning craving. I gathered eight oatmeals from drive-thrus, quick-service restaurants, and coffee shops, served warm or cold, to find out which fast food oatmeals are worth a stop and which you can skip. From worst to best, here's what I found.

My expectations for this organic steel-cut oatmeal grew the moment I walked in and smelled all of the impressive freshly baked goods in Le Pain Quotidien's quick-service bakery. I ordered the oatmeal with fresh berries and milk at the retail café in the front of the store, but since I asked for it warm it came from the kitchen that services the dine-in restaurant at the back of the store.

Aside from the oatmeal's warmth, the overall liquidity of the oatmeal and complete lack of seasoning was immediately disappointing. Many people reach for oatmeal for its health benefits, and understandably opt out of additional sugar — I am not one of those people. A pinch of salt and a sprinkle of raw sugar or spices would have gone a long way in boosting the flavor of this oatmeal. While the texture of oatmeal often straddles the fence between liquid and paste, and is mostly a matter of personal preference, this oatmeal was so liquidy that it was practically soup.

Le Pain Quotidien also serves the same oatmeal, topped with honey walnuts, bananas, and maple syrup and topped with your choice of milk, which is a much better choice for anyone who wants their oatmeal with a little extra flavor. Additionally, you could ask for less milk if you're not in the mood to drink your oatmeal, but at $9.75 a cup before tax and tip, this was an incredibly disappointing way to start the day.

Wendy's has taken a slightly different approach to serving oatmeal than all of the other fast food restaurants I tried, opting to serve a fully-cooked granola-style oatmeal bar instead of a cup of cooked oats. But since it's still technically oatmeal, it counts. If you're expecting a hearty granola bar, though, you'll need to adjust your expectations a little bit.

This oatmeal bar is essentially a rustic oatmeal raisin cookie. Sure, it's a little more fibrous, and it's packed with dried cranberries and blueberries instead of raisins. But you can still recognize an oatmeal cookie when you taste one. The sweet notes from the honey and molasses play well with the dried fruit, and a hint of warm baking spices round out the oatmeal flavor without being overpowering. It tastes great, and I think it should be available on the dessert menu all day long. Unfortunately, if you're in the market for a more traditional oatmeal breakfast, this probably isn't what you're looking for.

Besides being a dessert-for-breakfast option, Wendy's Oatmeal Bar is available at a nice price, costing me just $1.89 before tax. I can see ordering one of these along with more recognizable breakfast items, to keep in my bag as a snack for when the hunger pangs kick in before my next meal.

One of the best things about the breakfast-heavy food menu at Starbucks is that it's available long after the other fast food places have turned their breakfast menus over to lunch menus. If you're a breakfast-at-noon kind of person, there's a good chance that you can still grab an order of Egg Bites or an oatmeal from your local Starbucks without any judgmental looks from your barista.

With that said, you won't find an especially complex cup of oatmeal at Starbucks. While the oatmeal mix consists of both rolled and steel-cut oats for a little textural variety, it's still essentially a cup of unsweetened instant oatmeal, filled with hot water or your choice of dairy, and steeped for three minutes until it's soft enough to eat. You have a selection of toppings to choose from, including agave syrup, brown sugar, dried fruit, fresh blueberries, and a nut medley, all of which are individually packaged and appropriately portioned.

I like that Starbucks offers a few customization options for the oatmeal, and perhaps in the future, I'll order it with the honey blend and a little extra hot milk on top — but don't expect those customizations for free. A basic cup of oatmeal cost me $3.95 before tax, with an additional $1.25 added on for the toppings. After additional toppings and tax, you might be walking out with a cup of instant oatmeal that costs just as much as your handcrafted coffee.

Like the Starbucks oatmeal, McDonald's Fruit & Maple Oatmeal is essentially a cup of instant oatmeal, served with a few individually wrapped packets of toppings on the side. What sets it apart are the ingredients in the oatmeal itself. The instant oatmeal is sweetened with brown sugar and a touch of maple flavoring (although actual maple syrup is not listed on the ingredients list), and cooked with both water and light cream for a richer texture and flavor overall. It's a level of attention that I didn't expect from the fast food mega-brand, but appreciate all the same.

The texture of the oatmeal is exactly what I expected; finely chopped rolled oats that should be eaten before it gets too cold and forms a thick oat paste. It's served with a packet of red and green diced apple pieces, and a packet of dried fruit that includes cranberries, and both golden and California red raisins. As a personal preference, the oats could use another pinch of salt, but generally speaking, the sweetness is just right without overpowering the oats. The ratio of toppings to oatmeal is also perfect to get you through the entire cup.

While you don't have much of a selection when it comes to toppings, you also don't have to pay extra for them. The McDonald's Fruit & Maple Oatmeal is a balanced go-to oatmeal that's easy to like and reasonably priced. The whole thing cost me $4.29 before tax.

This was my first time going to Jamba and not ordering a juice, but the popular smoothie chain also sells a surprising variety of smoothie, oatmeal, and waffle bowls if you're looking for slightly more solid food. The oatmeal bowl is made with a straightforward base of organic steel-cut oats and soy milk concentrate, appropriate for anyone following a gluten-free or vegan diet. Included with the oatmeal are two toppings, from a selection of up to 10 different available toppings (depending on your specific store's offerings).

Almost like walking through a frozen yogurt shop, it was a little difficult to only choose two toppings. Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, coconut flakes, sliced almonds, chia seeds, honey, brown sugar crumbles, organic agave, and organic granola make it possible to enjoy a different oatmeal every day of the week without getting bored. Ultimately, I chose three toppings: blueberries, strawberries, and organic agave syrup.

The texture of the steel-cut oats is thicker and more toothsome compared to the instant oatmeal offered by the previous restaurants. There isn't anything especially groundbreaking about this oatmeal, but if you like the actual flavor and texture of oat grains, this is a big step up from the competition. At the Jamba location I visited under Rockefeller Plaza, a warm cup of oatmeal with two toppings cost $3.99 before tax, with an additional 75 cents added per topping — which might just be worth it if waking up early to cook oatmeal isn't for you.

Not content with serving a cup of plain oats, Pret a Manger created Pret's Creamy Porridge, which is made with "ancient grains" along with the oats, and cooked with whole milk. Just in case you were wondering what the difference is, porridge is more of an umbrella term that applies to many types of cooked grains, while oatmeal is a porridge made with oats alone.

The mix of ancient grains in Pret's Creamy Porridge includes quinoa, flax seeds, amaranth, and chia seeds, all offering additional nutrients to your morning routine. Additionally, the porridge comes with your choice of premade toppers. At the location where I tried the porridge, there were two topper flavors: Apple Cranberry Crunch, and Coconut Banana Blueberry. After tasting a half-dozen oatmeals with mostly similar textures and flavors, the variety of grains was a welcome change. The porridge itself isn't especially sweet, but the toppers add a nice touch of natural sweetness. Overall, this porridge made me feel like I was actually eating a breakfast that was good for me, without sacrificing flavor or enjoyment in the process.

A warm cup of Pret's Creamy Porridge cost me $6.50 before tax, which is a little more than most of the other oatmeals on this list. Given the additional ingredients, it seems like a reasonable upgrade, even if it's not something I'd splurge on every day. Pret also offers an Oatm*lk Porridge, made with oats and oat milk, for anyone looking for a dairy-free option.

As great as they may be, ancient grains might not be what you're craving for your typical weekday breakfast. Luckily, Panera always seems to have an option that's both comforting and reasonably healthy enough to feel good about your meal choice, and that's exactly what the Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Pecans offers.

The warm, puffy oat grains have a pleasantly hearty texture, and the strawberries, roasted pecans, and a slightly crunchy cinnamon sugar topping make the oatmeal both comforting and a little indulgent (not to mention how amazing it smells). If any of those toppings aren't really your favorite, you also have the option to customize your oatmeal with Maple Butter Pecan Granola, apple chips, blueberries, honey, and plain ground cinnamon. I was happy with the balance of sweetness and flavors from the cinnamon sugar, strawberries, and pecans offered on the oatmeal without any adjustments.

It's nice to have options, but it's also nice to have a reliably delicious breakfast that's easy to order before your coffee fully kicks in, and you're ready to start making real decisions. Additionally, it's dairy-free for those who may want that option, and as someone who generally enjoys oatmeal prepared with milk — the dairy isn't particularly missed. A bowl of Panera's oatmeal starts at $6.29 before customizations and tax, which is worth it for a satisfying breakfast that you can depend on to keep you full through the rest of your morning.

The oatmeal selection at Gregorys Coffee is by far the most complex, flavor-wise, and comes in two chilled grab-and-go options. My local shop had the Coco-Oats in stock, which includes coconut milk-soaked overnight rolled oats, topped with a maple quinoa granola, sweetened shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, peanut Medjool dates, cinnamon, maple syrup, and spices. Yes, it's a lot, and it's absolutely delicious. Objectively, it isn't the most balanced oatmeal option in the lineup, clocking in at 670 calories per container, with 49 grams of fat (36 grams from saturated fat). But that's also probably why it tastes so good. With that said, it is both gluten-free and vegan.

Given that it's already refrigerated, this is one oatmeal that will last a couple of days without losing much of its charm if you don't finish the 6.8-ounce portion in one sitting. That, along with the approachable price of $5.65 before tax, made me want to grab a week's worth of Coco-Oats to keep stocked in my fridge.

The only part about this granola that's hard to swallow is that outside of the Northeast, it might be difficult to track a Gregorys Coffee down. There are currently 41 locations in the Northeast, with a sprinkling of locations in Florida, California, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, and Tennessee (with more locations opening soon, according to coffee chain's website). If you don't have a Gregorys nearby, this is one overnight oats recipe worth trying to make for yourself at home.

I spent several cold mornings visiting restaurants to taste and gather each oatmeal contender for this review, tasting each option on its own first, then taking it home to compare with the other oatmeals that I had collected side-by-side. Since oatmeal isn't as widely available from many major fast food chains, my main goal was to taste as many as I could lay my hands on. While many smaller cafes and independent coffee shops offer oatmeal for breakfast, I stuck to stores that were available on a larger scale, regionally and nationally, to make sure readers everywhere would have several of the options available to them.

In an effort to establish a tasting baseline with each oatmeal, I tried to order an oatmeal topped with berries as often as was available. In most cases, I was able to taste the oatmeal first before adding the toppings, and again once all of the toppings had been mixed in. The price of each oatmeal wasn't an initial factor when choosing which options to taste, but it was taken into consideration after tasting each oatmeal to help judge the value of the oatmeal for the price, and in relation to the other options on the list.