Three cheers for a healthy and nutritious breakfast that’s ready in under 2 minutes! These 4 instant oatmeal recipes take delicious flavor combos typically found in Quaker oatmeal packets, but are made with short lists of whole ingredients you can feel good about putting in your body.
There are so many ways to enjoy oatmeal (overnight, stovetop, slow cooker, and Instant Pot), but nothing is faster than using instant oats! It takes no more than 2 minutes to make the perfect bowl of instant oatmeal in the microwave!
Quaker instant oatmeal packets are such a nostalgic breakfast for me. I remember waking up in high school and dumping out a bag into a bowl, adding water, and microwaving it for a quick and flavorful breakfast before school. Then, I would add a scoop of peanut butter for good measure.
In this post, we’ll give you recipes for maple brown sugar, apple cinnamon, peanut butter chocolate chip, and blueberry muffin. Prep a double or triple batch of these instant oatmeal recipes and then add liquid when you’re ready to eat!
What do you need to make instant oatmeal?
The star ingredient in all 4 of these instant oats flavors is instant oatmeal (AKA quick cooking oatmeal). This is the most processed type of oatmeal. It requires the least amount of liquid and cooks the fastest. Here’s what you’ll need for each flavor.
Maple brown sugar: quick-cooking oats, maple syrup/brown sugar, ground flaxseed, ground cinnamon, salt, and milk.
Peanut butter chocolate chips: quick-cooking oats, peanut flour, mini chocolate chips, salt, and milk.
Apple cinnamon: quick-cooking oats, ground cinnamon, dried apple, pecans, coconut sugar/brown sugar, and milk.
Making instant oatmeal at home could not be easier! Follow these 5 steps, and you’ll be enjoying instant oatmeal in under 2 minutes flat:
First, make sure you’ve got plain quick cooking oats on hand (Bob’s Red Mill is our fave!).
Then add the liquid of your choice. Any milk will do! Or water, if you prefer that.
Flavor as you wish. We’ve got 4 amazing flavor combos below! Think instant oatmeal recipes like: apples and cinnamon, blueberry muffin, maple brown sugar, and peanut butter chocolate chip!
Microwave for 90 seconds on high.
ENJOY!
Want to meal-prep these in single servings?
If you’re planning to meal prep your instant oatmeal (just like the packets), we’ve got you covered! You’ll need to decide how many servings you’d like to make and then make sure you have enough jars/containers.
Simply combine all of the dry ingredients for your oatmeal in a single serve jar or container. Repeat.
Store instant oatmeal in a cool, dark place.
When you’re ready to eat add the liquid and microwave for around 90 seconds.
FAQ
Can you make instant oatmeal without milk?
Of course, you can make instant oatmeal without milk. If you need a dairy free option, you can use any kind of dairy-free milk or even use water! Pro tip: instead of microwaving, you can actually pour in hot water instead of milk!
How long can you keep instant oatmeal in the refrigerator?
Instant oatmeal will typically keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days (depending on what recipe you use, and what fresh ingredients you’ve added).
Do you eat instant oatmeal hot or cold?
Instant oatmeal is typically eaten warm, however, if you prefer cold oats you always have the option to make them ahead of time and enjoy them chilled (much like our MANY overnight oats recipes!). Because instant oats are cooked in milk or water, they become soft and easy to digest making them delicious eaten cold or hot. Choose your own adventure!
What is the difference between oatmeal and instant oatmeal?
Traditional oatmeal can refer to steel cut oatmeal or oatmeal using old fashioned rolled oats, while instant oatmeal utilizes quick-cooking oats, which are rolled oats that have been chopped into smaller pieces, pre-cooked, and then dried before they get to you. This allows instant oatmeal to cook more quickly, which can be great for quick breakfasts or meals on-the-go.
Best Store-Bought Instant Oatmeal
We’re big fans of buying plain quick-cooking oats (Bob’s Red Mill is our fave!), and then jazzing it up with ingredients at home, but if you’re in a pinch and want to buy already flavored instant oatmeal, we love:
Instant Oatmeal – 4 Ways!
Now that we’ve got your attention piqued on all the reasons we <3 instant oatmeal, we present to you: our favorite instant oatmeal recipes! They’re all ready to eat in under 2 minutes, making them a delicious, nutritious and EASY start to your day.
Maple Brown Sugar
This maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal packs the delicious flavors you love in instant oatmeal packets, but is made with 5 whole ingredients you can feel good about putting in your body!
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
This peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal is made with 4 ingredients, is ready to eat in under 5 minutes, and truly is the perfect healthy start to your day!
Apple Cinnamon
Apples and cinnamon were meant to be together! This instant oatmeal flavor combo utilizes dried apple slices and ground cinnamon instead of artificial flavors to make the most delicious and nutritious instant oatmeal to start your day.
Blueberry Muffin
Blueberry muffins in oatmeal form! This blueberry muffin instant oatmeal is 5 ingredients and seriously tastes just like a blueberry muffin.
How do you store instant oatmeal?
The great part about instant oatmeal, is it’s ready to eat in such a short amount of time that you’ll rarely need to meal prep it ahead of time, or store it in the fridge for later. But if you find yourself with extra instant oatmeal, you can store in an airtight container (like these Zip Top bags!) in the refrigerator. Other great storage (and on-the-go!) options include:
How long can you keep instant oatmeal in the refrigerator? Instant oatmeal will typically keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
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Instant Oatmeal – 4 Ways
These 4 instant oatmeal recipes take delicious flavor combos typically found in Quaker oatmeal packets, but are made with short lists of whole ingredients you can feel good about putting in your body.
First, decide which flavor you are going to make. Then, mix together the dry ingredients in a microwave-safe single serving container such as a jar or zip-top silicone bags (like we used). If you’d like to prep multiple servings, now is the time to do that!
Then, add 2/3 cup of liquid (water, or any kind of milk will work) to each serving, stirring dry and wet ingredients together.
Microwave on high for 90 seconds. Alternatively, you can stir in boiling water and skip the microwave.
Remove from microwave and stir. Serve, and enjoy.
Meal-Prep Them
First, decide which flavor you are going to make. Then, mix together the dry ingredients in a microwave-safe single serving container such as a jar or zip-top silicone bags (like we used). If you’d like to prep multiple servings, now is the time to do that!
Seal the single servings and store them in a cool, dark place.
When you’re ready to eat, add the liquid to your serving and microwave for 90 seconds. Enjoy with your favorite toppings
Tips & Notes
Nutrition information below is for maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal.
Nutrition per serving for blueberry muffin instant oatmeal: 310 calories | 9g protein | 7g fiber | 17g sugar | 11g fat | 46g carbohydrates
Nutrition per serving for apples and cinnamon instant oatmeal: 326 calories | 7g protein | 8g fiber | 22g sugar | 10g fat | 55g carbohydrates
Nutrition per serving for peanut butter chocolate chip instant oatmeal: 271 calories | 10g protein | 8g fiber | 4g sugar | 12g fat | 37g carbohydrates
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