Easy Homemade Instant Oatmeal Recipe
This easy homemade instant oatmeal recipe is perfect for busy mornings! This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make and calls for just 3 simple ingredients. It’s yummy, easy to make, and a great time saver. Plus this recipe teaches how to make your own homemade instant oatmeal packets!
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I’ll be honest for most of my life I hated oatmeal, any kind of oatmeal. I would say over and over again that I didn’t understand how people ate oatmeal, much less liked it! Now and then my mum would treat us kids to a box of store-bought oatmeal packets, they were filled with sugar and came in a variety of different flavors. And though I still didn’t like oatmeal, I did finally start to realize why other people did.
It wasn’t until I was in my late teens/early 20s that I actually found myself enjoying a hot bowl of oatmeal, and not just enjoying it, but loving it, craving it, and wanting to eat nothing but oatmeal for breakfast for the foreseeable future.
What caused this sudden change? What made me, an avid hater of oatmeal for years, suddenly a lover of oatmeal? My own homemade instant oatmeal mix, that’s what.
As I got older, I got busier, and soon I found myself with little to no time to eat breakfast, and most days just skipping it all together. So in my usual fashion, I set out to find a quick and easy recipe, for breakfast, something that would save me time, and that I would still enjoy eating!
It wasn’t long till I stumbled upon this great idea, I knew I wasn’t a huge fan of oatmeal but it would make an easy breakfast, not to mention instant oatmeal is easy to meal prep.
And let me tell you, this recipe changed not only my view of oatmeal but also my life. Trust you’ll never go back to those store-bought packets again!
Why You Should Make Homemade Instant Oatmeal
In my mind, there are lots of reasons why one should make homemade instant oatmeal, and or their own homemade oatmeal packets. But I won’t get into all of them now, instant I’ll give you my top three reasons ways why everyone should make homemade instant oatmeal!
One. It’s way cheaper than buying instant oatmeal from the grocery store. If you’re used to buying instant oatmeal, you’ll be happy to know this homemade version is just as quick and easy, but it also saves you money! Not to mention you can easily make a large batch and stock your pantry, so it’ll not only save you money but also a trip to the store!
Two. Homemade instant oatmeal is better for you. Making your own food at home allows you to be the only one who gets to decide what goes in it. Homemade instant oatmeal doesn’t contain any perspectives and has way less sugar per serving. It tastes better and is better for you, plus you can add whatever you want to it! Below you’ll find my basic recipe, you can add any of your favorite mix-ins to create your favorite flavors!
Three. It’s easy and kids love it! Not only is instant oatmeal a quick breakfast, but it can also easily be meal preped. You can whip up a batch of it on Sunday, make your own instant oatmeal packets, or leave it as, and have breakfast for the entire week! Plus kids love this recipe, they enjoy getting to make it their own and try new flavors! It’s not only yummy but it’s never boring!
How To Make Instant Oatmeal
Ingredients
- quick cooking oats, you can also use old-fashioned oats or rolled oats.
- brown sugar, you can also use dark brown sugar
- sea salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Spread the oats out evenly on a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the oats from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.
In a food processor, combine 4 cups of the baked oats, with the brown sugar, and sea salt. Pulse until the mixture becomes a rough powder. You want it to be fairly well-processed but not fine enough to be considered oat flour!
In a large bowl combine the processed oat mixture with the remaining 2 cups of oats. Transfer the mixture to a container, or a large resealable plastic bag. Or create your own homemade instant oatmeal jars or packets!
When you are ready to eat, combine 1/2 cup of the instant oatmeal mix with 1-1 1/2 cups boiling water, in a bowl or large coffee mug. Cover and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes or until thickened to your liking.
Stir and enjoy!
Notes
Instant oatmeal can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month!
If you are looking to make this recipe even better for you free feel to use any other healthy sweetener option! Maple sugar, coconut sugar, and date sugar all work well! You can also leave the sugar out completely and sweet the oatmeal once it is cooked with maple syrup or honey!
How To Store Instant Oatmeal + Topping Ideas
If you are looking to meal prep this recipe, you can easily create single-serving instant oat jars or packets! I like to use 8-oz mason jars with lids to create easy grab-and-go breakfasts, these jars are easy to store, and you can add whatever toppings/mix-ins you like to each one!
If you are looking for something more travel-friendly, I would recommend creating your own instant oatmeal packets, using sandwich bags! Label each bag with its flavor and or the name of the person it belongs to. Fill, with 1/2 cup instant oatmeal and your choice of mix-ins, seal, and you are ready to go! These bags can easily be stored in the pantry or packed in lunch boxes for an easy breakfast any time anywhere!
If you are looking for fun, and delicious toppings/mix-ins try any from the list below! Some favorite combinations are peanut butter banana, berries and cream, chocolate coconut, apple cinnamon, and maple cinnamon!
The best instant oatmeal mix-ins.
- chia seeds
- freeze-dried fruit
- powdered milk
- flax seeds
- coconut milk powder
- your favorite nuts
- cinnamon
- coconut flakes
- instant coffee
The Best Instant oatmeal toppings.
- fresh fruit
- chocolate chips
- peanut butter and almond butter
- sliced bananas or apples
- whipped cream
- maple syrup
Be sure to check out these easy breakfast recipes too!
Strawberries and Cream Instant Oatmeal
Homemade Instant Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 6 cups quick cooking oats you can also use old-fashioned oats or rolled oats.
- 1/2 cups packed brown sugar you can also use dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Spread the oats out evenly on a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the oats from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.
- In a food processor, combine 4 cups of the baked oats, with the brown sugar, and sea salt. Pulse until the mixture becomes a rough powder. You want it to be fairly well-processed but not fine enough to be considered oat flour!
- In a large bowl combine the processed oat mixture with the remaining 2 cups of oats. Transfer the mixture to a container, or a large resealable plastic bag. Or create your own homemade instant oatmeal jars or packets!
- When you are ready to eat, combine 1/2 cup of the instant oatmeal mix with 1-1 1/2 cups boiling water, in a bowl or large coffee mug. Cover and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes or until thickened to your liking.
- stir and enjoy!
