Creamy and ready in minutes, this Instant Pot oatmeal is an easy breakfast to prepare fresh or for meal prep. No stirring, and it always comes out perfect.
The Instant Pot is a great appliance to cook your oatmeal; whether you make Instant Pot steel cut oats, Instant Pot baked oatmeal, or this Instant Pot oatmeal, it comes out perfectly each and every time!
With simple ingredients and a few minutes of effort, you can have a perfect bowl of oatmeal on your table in no time at all. It also keeps well as a re-heatable meal prep breakfast!
Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- the Instant Pot cooks the oatmeal through quickly, without the need to stir or watch the pot
- toasting the oats using the sauté function of the Instant Pot is optional, but adds depth of flavor to the oatmeal
- you can prep them ahead for easy re-heatable breakfasts
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this Instant Pot oatmeal. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
Ingredient notes
- oatmeal- this recipe is specifically for rolled oats, which may also be called 'large flake' or 'old fashioned'. Steel cut oats and quick oats do not work for this recipe.
- spices- we've added cinnamon and nutmeg to compliment the natural flavors of the oats, but you could omit them, or get creative with other spices.
- coconut oil- helps toast the oats, giving them a nutty flavor; stick to refined coconut oil if you want a neutral (not coconut-forward) flavor. You can swap for butter if you'd like.
- maple syrup- adds a touch of sweetness to the oatmeal; swap for honey or brown sugar.
Step by step directions
1. Toast oats- This step is optional. Select the sauté function of the Instant Pot, and add the coconut oil to the stainless steel inner pot of the Instant Pot. Allow to melt, then add oats. Toast the oats, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until lightly golden.
2. Other ingredients- add the water, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
TIP- this recipe has been tested in both a 6 quart Instant Pot and an 8 quart Instant Pot and works great in both!
3. Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to the 'sealing' position, and pressure cook on high for 1 minute. When the cooking cycle has completed, allow the pot to naturally depressurize for 10 minutes before carefully releasing any remaining pressure.
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4. Serve- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot, and stir up the oats. Add syrup to taste, and serve with your favorite toppings.
Recipe tips
To toast or not to toast
If you take the time to toast your oats before pressure cooking them, you will be rewarded with an even deeper, nuttier flavor. This step is entirely optional, so if time is of the essence, feel free to just add all the ingredients together.
Double it up
As written, this recipe makes 4 portions of oatmeal, but you can easily double this up with the same cook time. A good rule with the Instant Pot is to not fill more than halfway full.
Meal Prep & Storage
Instant Pot oatmeal is SO PERFECT for meal prep, and holds up in the fridge or freezer.
Here's how to store the cooked oatmeal:
- fridge- portion out into meal prep containers and store for up to 4 days
- freezer- you may freeze in meal prep containers OR portion out into muffin tins, then transfer to a freezer bag
To re-heat:
- thaw completely (if frozen)
- heat in the microwave until steaming hot
- add a splash or almond milk or your favorite milk to help loosen up the oats
- add maple syrup, peanut butter, or your favorite toppings
- stir it up and enjoy!
Variations
You can add so much flavor to Instant Pot oatmeal with a few add ins. I recommend waiting until the oats are fully cooked through to add thick liquids like applesauce or pumpkin puree, as they can lead to the dreaded burn warning.
- apple cinnamon- add 2-3 chopped apples in to cook with the oats; feel free to increase the cinnamon as needed
- pumpkin- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 cup pumpkin puree at the end of the cook time.
- peanut butter- stir in 2-4 tablespoons peanut butter after cooking
- chocolate- add in 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder before cooking; serve with mini chocolate chips
- citrus: add in some citrus zest- you can do this before cooking so the oats infuse with tons of citrussy flavor
- change up the fruit; add in some apples, pears, kiwis, bananas, really anything you can think of!
Find 7 steel cut oatmeal flavors here!
More Instant Pot breakfasts
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Instant Pot Oatmeal (Perfect & Creamy!)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil see note 1
- 2 cups oatmeal see note 2
- 5 cups water see note 3
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup maple syrup more to serve
Instructions
- Toast oats- This step is optional. Select the sauté function of the Instant Pot, and add the coconut oil to the stainless steel inner pot of the Instant Pot. Allow to melt, then add oats. Toast the oats, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Other ingredients- add the water, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
- Cook- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to the 'sealing' position, and pressure cook on high for 1 minute. When the cooking cycle has completed, allow the pot to naturally depressurize for 10 minutes before carefully releasing any remaining pressure.
- Serve- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot, and stir up the oats. Add syrup to taste, and serve with your favorite toppings.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Tips:
- fridge- portion out into meal prep containers and store for up to 4 days
- freezer- you may freeze in meal prep containers OR portion out into muffin tins, then transfer to a freezer bag
Video
Nutrition Information
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