Homemade Instant Oatmeal

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

Make your own instant oatmeal packets so you always have oatmeal ready to go! Add your favorite toppings or bring them along so you always have a delicious bowl of oatmeal, even away from home. Perfect for packing in lunches or taking along for camping.

If you’re anything like me, you’re totally obsessed with oatmeal. This versatile and tasty food can serve as breakfast, snack, or even dessert if you’re creative in the topping department. And if you have packets of instant oatmeal on hand, it’s literally just a minute or so away.

Instant oatmeal is truly an amazing invention. I mean, who would have thought you could pour a little hot water on top of a bowl of oats and it would magically turn into a delicious bowl of oatmeal? Absolutely genius!

But what if I told you that you can make those magic little packets at home? Would you do it? What if I told you it was way cheaper, healthier, tastier, and magical-er (technical word)?

While I try not to judge, I think you’d have to be crazy to not give this recipe for homemade instant oatmeal at least one good try. I mean, it takes literal minutes to combine oats, brown sugar, and salt, and maybe a minute or two more to split it into portions.

This recipe is SO easy and it will save you money, time, and mental energy. No worries about adding breakfast to the meal plan, just prep a batch of this DIY instant oatmeal, plan for some fun toppings on the side, and you’re ready to grab and go.

And did I mention how easy these are for camping? Before your trip, plan to prep and portion a batch. Then, when you get to your campsite, just boil water and pour it over the oatmeal. Instant deliciousness! No worries about cooking bacon, frying eggs, and toasting bread all on one tiny camp stove.

If you love oatmeal in all of its various forms (like I do!), I’ve got you covered with easy, creative, and delicious ways to use oatmeal. Try my baked apple oatmeal, chocolate chip oat bites, Almond Joy granola, OR my monster oatmeal cookies. I can’t pick one because they’re all my favorites!

With grocery prices always rising, convenience foods lose their luster as soon as you realize how easy they are to make at home. This easy recipe can be prepped in advance and uses just 3 base ingredients: oats, brown sugar, and salt.

The wonderful part is you can get creative with add ins (like powdered milk or peanut butter) and toppings (hellooooo chocolate chips) to create the most amazing instant oatmeal of your life.

Love peanut butter? You can make it happen.
Fruit lover? Toss in your favorite freeze dried fruit (or even fresh fruit).
Chocoholic? Add in your favorite chocolate chips, chunks, or crushed candy bars.
Cookies and cream fan? Some Oreo crumbles and a dash of milk is all that is keeping you from fulfilling your deepest oatmeal dreams!

If you don’t have instant or quick oats on hand, you can use rolled oats or old fashioned oats that have been processed in a food processor or blender until they are fine in texture. This will help them cook quickly and is a sort of DIY instant oat hack.

All you have to do is add all of the ingredients to a large bowl (leave out any toppings though!), and give it a good whisk until everything is combined.

Then, once everything is mixed together and pretty uniform, you’re ready to divide it into ½ cup portions. You can do this in airtight containers with a lid, or in little plastic zip-top bags.

I prefer storing them in airtight containers because I have the serving bowl worked right into the prep. When I’m ready to mix up my homemade instant oatmeal, I just add hot water (or milk) and I’m ready to party right there in the same container.

The benefit of plastic bags is cupboard space, so if you’re low on space but want to prep a bunch of easy grab-and-go breakfast options, zip-top bags might be the way to go!

Keep your instant oatmeal packets (or containers) at room temperature until you’re ready to use them. Then, just grab and go (along with any toppings you want to mix in).

Let the hot liquid stand for about one minute, then give it a good stir to combine. Add in any of your favorite toppings to your heart’s content.

But here’s the thing, if you’re taking these babies on the go you probably won’t have milk along for the ride, right? Don’t worry, I have a way to work around this minor inconvenience.

If you still want the creaminess of milk, just add 2 to 4 Tablespoons of powdered milk to each ½ cup portion. The powdered milk will mix with the hot water to give you a creamy, dreamy result that is just as good as the store-bought instant oatmeal packets.

If you love using other nut butters (almond, cashew, etc), feel free to use those. Not only does nut butter add flavor and saltiness, but it also adds a few grams of protein and fat, helping to make this breakfast-on-the-go all the more satisfying.

If you don’t want to tote your nut butter around, consider adding 2 to 3 Tablespoons of peanut butter powder to the instant oatmeal portion. It’s SO good and adds the perfect touch of nutty goodness.

If you like things sweet, you can add in some chocolate chips, freeze dried fruit, or marshmallows. If you like things salty or crunchy, try your favorite chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds, or toasted coconut. If you can dream it, you can add it to your homemade oatmeal packets!

As for when to add the toppings, that is totally up to you. I like to add mine after I’ve poured in the hot water or milk, as I don’t like the chocolate to melt too much.

But if you’re in a rush or like a uniform texture, go ahead and add your favorite toppings right to the zip-top bags or containers.

If you have a bigger appetite in the morning, you can store it in 1 cup portions, just be sure to scale up the hot liquid to 1 full cup as well.

I like to store mine in small glass containers with lids, because they’re so much easier to prep compared to pre-measured bags. The container acts as a bowl, so all I have to do is add in my hot milk or water, toss in the toppings, and I’m ready to go!

Packets on the other hand need to be emptied into a bowl or container, so it’s just an extra step at the time of serving. No biggie really, since it’s either done during meal prep or during serving, but I like the added convenience of using a container.

Packaging your homemade instant oatmeal in plastic bags is a great option for those with limited space for meal prep, or for those who want to replicate the familiar oatmeal packets from the store.

If you have kids, you know how important getting it as close to the original experience as possible is. If you know, you know!