Instant Pot Oatmeal makes for a fast, easy, and healthy breakfast. Prepared completely hands-off in just minutes, old-fashioned oats cook up to a perfectly creamy consistency right in the Instant Pot. This simple oatmeal recipe can be dressed up and served in endless ways for a wholesome breakfast you will never tire of eating.
While waking up to a slow cooker full of steel-cut oats is dreamy, and grabbing a jar of overnight oatmeal from the refrigerator is a great start to a hot summer morning, I am in love with Instant Pot Oatmeal for many reasons.
- Completely Hands-Off. No waiting for the water to boil. No stirring while cooking. Just set it and forget it.
- Ready in less than 20 minutes from start to finish. I can set everything up for oatmeal in the pressure cooker when I wake up and by the time I have gotten my kids out of bed and dressed, breakfast is ready to be served.
- Customizable. I can make a large batch of oatmeal that can be customized in a million different ways to please everyone in my family. So the person who doesn't like bananas can have raisins and walnuts instead--you get the idea.
- Healthy. Oats are a great source of fiber and whole grains and have a lower GI index, which can help regulate blood sugar. Instant Pot Oatmeal is a breakfast that will keep you full for HOURS.
- Affordable: Oats are an inexpensive staple that can be found at just about any store or purchased in bulk online.
- Allergy-Friendly. This recipe for oatmeal is naturally egg-free, nut-free, and soy-free. And with a few simple modifications, Instant Pot Oatmeal can also be gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan-friendly.
- Kid-Friendly. While I love Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats, my kids much prefer the texture of regular oatmeal, as do most kids. And with limitless varieties, they never tire of eating this Instant Pot Oatmeal.
👉Given that you can prepare Instant Pot Oatmeal so quickly and it is such a healthy breakfast option, this is a recipe you will find yourself making again and again!
What you Need
- Oats: This recipe is designed for old-fashioned rolled oats. not quick-cooking or steel-cut oats. Be sure that your oats are labeled gluten-free if needed.
- Milk: For the creamiest oatmeal, use any variety of milk or nondairy milk as a portion of your cooking liquid.
- Water: For the best results, use water in addition to milk to cook the oats.
- Flaxseed: Flaxseed is an optional ingredient that adds omega fatty acids and fiber to the oatmeal. You can use either whole flaxseed for added texture or ground flaxseed for this oatmeal recipe.
- Heat-Safe Bowl: To cook the oats in a mixture of water and dairy, you will need a heat-safe bowl.. I recommend a stainless steel bowl, but a deep cake pan designed for the instant pot will work as well.
- Rack: Use a metal trivet to lift the bowl above the water.
How to Cook Instant Pot Oatmeal
Making old-fashioned oats in the Instant Pot is incredibly simple. RIDICULOUSLY SIMPLE.
- Place the trivet in the inner pot of your pressure cooker and pour in 1 cup of cold water for 6-quart instant pots and 1.5 cups of water for an 8-quart Instant Pot.
👉Remember to use cold tap water, not warm water as that will ultimately change the cooking time.
- In a heat-safe bowl, mix the oats and liquid together with a bit of flaxseed, and then place that bowl onto the rack inside the prepared Instant Pot.
- Put the lid on your instant pot, turn your valve to "sealed", and set your pressure cooker to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. I have found it takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes to come to pressure.
- Allow your oatmeal to sit in the Instant Pot for 5-10 minutes before doing a quick release of the remaining pressure--see my tips on doing a quick release in my Instant Pot 101.
👉I would not release the pressure right away, because this may cause your oatmeal to bubble up and spill out the pot it is being prepared in.
- Serve the oatmeal warm with any desired toppings.
Flavor Varieties
There are about as many varieties of oatmeal as there are people. One of the main reasons I love to make a big batch of plain Instant Pot Oatmeal is so that each person can flavor their oatmeal exactly as they desire.
Here are a few of my favorite Instant Pot Oatmeal serving ideas. Each recipe is for one serving of oatmeal.
- Vanilla Maple: ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, and ½ tablespoon maple syrup.
- Almond Joy: use coconut milk as your dairy or top cooked oatmeal with a bit of coconut milk before serving and top with mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and toasted almonds
- Pumpkin Pie: mix in 2-3 tablespoons pumpkin puree, ½ tablespoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Raisin Nut: top oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon and 1-2 tablespoons each of raisins and chopped walnuts.
- Apple Pie: top oatmeal with chopped fresh apple, cinnamon, and honey or maple syrup.
- Honey Nut: stir in 1 tablespoon honey and top with toasted nuts of any variety.
- Pina Colada: top oatmeal with pineapple chunks, toasted coconut, and sliced bananas. Serve with a splash of coconut milk.
- Savory Sausage and Cheese: add in ¼ cup cooked crumbled sausage and ¼ cup shredded cheese.
- Savory Bacon and Egg: top oatmeal crumbled bacon and a fried egg
- Berries and Cream: stir in ¼ cup of fresh berries. ½ teaspoon vanilla and ¼ cup yogurt
Preparing In Advance
Even if you are cooking for one, I recommend preparing a full batch of Instant Pot Oatmeal. Once cooked, allow the oatmeal to cool slightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat individual servings as desired.
FAQs on Making Oatmeal in the Instant Pot
No! I prefer to make my oats using milk to keep the oatmeal super creamy. That said, if you are not using dairy or nondairy milk to make your oatmeal, there is no need to use the pot-in-pot cooking method. Simply mix together 2 cups of oats with 3 cups of water directly inside the inner pot. Cook on HIGH pressure for 1 minute (not 3 minutes) with 5-10 minutes of natural pressure release.
For oats to cook properly, you need to use a ratio of 3:2 liquid to oats. When cooking oats in your instant pot, much like rice, you will NOT need as much liquid as you do when cooking on the stovetop. This is because, when you cook oats on the stove, some of the liquid is evaporated, but in the pressure cooker, no liquid is evaporated.
NO! When I first wrote this post, I suggested using an oven-safe glass dish, since then Pyrex has come out to say that their dishes are not safe in the Instant Pot, therefore I no longer recommend using any glass heat-safe dish. Stainless steel is the way to go to be safe!
Yes! To use quick-cooking oats simply reduce the cooking time from 3 minutes on HIGH pressure to 1 minute on HIGH pressure.
More Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Instant Pot Breakfast Casserole
- Instant Pot Yogurt
- Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
- Instant Pot French Toast Casserole
If you enjoyed this recipe for Instant Pot Oatmeal, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Instant Pot Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup water plus water for inside pressure cooker
- 2 cups milk any variety
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed
Instructions
- Insert the trivet into the Instant Pot. Pour in 1 cup of cold water inside the inner pot for a 3 or 6-quart instant pot and 1.5 cups of cold water into an 8-quart instant pot.
- Inside a 7-cup heat-safe bowl, mix together the oats, 1 cup water, 2 cups milk, and flaxseed. Please note that Pyrex is NO longer approved for using inside and instant pot.
- Place the bowl on top of the trivet and put the lid on the Instant pot. Set Valve to "sealed" and set manual or time to 3 minutes on high pressure.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5-10 minutes before carefully releasing any additional steam by using a wooden spoon to turn valve to vent.
- Remove the bowl carefully from the pressure cooker and then serve with desired toppings or allow to cool and store in fridge to reheat as needed.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- You need a total of 3 cups liquid to 2 cups oats for oats to cook properly. If you want your oats to be really loose, use an additional ½ cup of dairy or water.
- You can use all water or all dairy. In my experience all water is incredibly bland and using all dairy/non-dairy as your liquid doesn't result in oats breaking down into a creamy texture.
- It is important to note if you are using a high-fat dairy (like coconut cream or whole milk) you MUST use only half full-fat dairy products with half water so the fat in your dairy will not separate.
- You will also need additional water under the trivet for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2017, updated in 2022 with a new video.
Grace
I used the pip method (uncovered) with 2 cups rolled oats, 1 cup water, and 2 cups milk and added raisins and cinnamon. I set it for 8 minutes HP and let it natural release for 9 minutes and my oats came out slighty undercooked. Any suggestions?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Grace! If you like your oats super broken down, you may want to cook for 9 or 10 minutes in the future. Also, be sure to use cold water in the bottom of the of your pressure cooker! In fact if you used warm water for PIP, first start with using cold water and still cook for 8 minutes on high pressure.
Lizabeth
I did not have a pot to use the PIP method so I followed her instructions for making this directly in the IP insert. Very minimal sticking which was easily scraped off. Zero burning. I like my oats a bit creamier so I added milk and butter after cooking. Very pleased how well it turned out, as well as, not having to babysit and stir during the cooking process. We currently live FT in our travel trailer so easy meals are a must. This recipe is a keeper!
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you for letting us know your modifications! I am so glad you enjoyed the oatmeal.
Mariss
I just got a Mealthy Multipot and made oatmeal in the stainless steel pot but I added a couple tsp of butter to the water/nonfat milk as well as salt, brown sugar and dried cranberries. I didn’t have an issue with sticking but could be the butter and a bit too much liquid. It all turned out well even sitting in pot on warm for a couple hours.
Kristen Chidsey
Great to know! Some models are more prone to get burn warnings, so I try to create my recipes to prevent that from happening, regardless the model used.
Momofboyz
I made a double recipe in my 8 quart with peaches. It was fast, almost effortless and delicious 😋. Thank you for the recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! I love fast and effortless meals myself--especially for school mornings! Enjoy!
Stephanie
My new favorite way to make oatmeal! Delicious!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed Stephanie! IP oatmeal is so creamy.
Marie
Hello. I was browsing the web looking for how others cook their oatmeal in the IP, as I have been doing it for a few weeks (rolled oats, not quick or instant) and, while tolerable, is way too pasty. I use pot-in-pot for 3 minutes and it is way too paste-like for me. We add ground flax and oat bran, so I tried waiting to add that until the end, and it is still paste. I even adjusted the pressure to "low" but with the same result. Hmmm..... any thoughts?? (p.s. I use same proportion of oats to water (I don't use milk or soymilk in my oats)
Kristen Chidsey
The best advice I can give you is to follow my recipe as written. Which is 1 part oats to 3 parts liquid (water is fine) and 8 minutes high pressure. My oats do not turn out gummy and this recipe has been tested many, many times. Your oats will get very pasty without enough liquid. Hope that helps.
Marie
I am now making oatmeal we like! Per your suggestion, I increased the water greatly....but, I also make sure the water is boiling before I add it. So: 1.5 cups oats+ 5.5 cups boiling water==> set timer for morning==> 1 minute at low pressure==> remove lid, add ground flax/oatbran/cinnamon==> stir for a bit while we finish getting ready==> perfect oatmeal that is not pasty at all 🙂 (note, this is still pot-in-pot...the 1" water in the liner can be cold)
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you were able to adapt the recipe to suit your needs. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Joe
Favorite basic recipe for oatmeal. Works with even a halfcup of oatmeal with appropriate proportions.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you have found a great go to recipe here Joe!
Dawn
I was looking for an oatmeal recipe to try in my Nina Foodie and yours looked the easiest. I put apples, cranberries, raisins and brown sugar in with the oatmeal and will be adding cinnamon and walnuts. Just heard the beep that it's done cooking. The foodie didn't take 10 min to pressurize. Can't wait to see how it turned out.
Kristen Chidsey
I hope you enjoy Dawn! I love cranberries with apples 🙂
Rose
Dawn’s recipe adding apples, etc sounds delicious. Any suggestions as to how much of the apples, cranberries, raisins and brown sugar to add? And do I cook it for the same amount of time?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Rose, I hope Dawn will reply with her exact amounts, but if not, I would add 1 cup chopped apple, 1 tablespoon brown sugar (you can add more after cook time if desired sweeter), and 1/4 cup raisins. And cook time will remain the same.
Douglas
I also tried half the recipe, and while it came out great, it must have blown a bubble up and out, because there was oatmeal all over the inside, including the cover.
Kristen Chidsey
Oh dear...I bet a bubble did form. I make this weekly and have never had that happen. But I am glad it turned out.
Rachel
I halved this recipe (1 cup oats, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup milk, 1/2 tbsp milled flaxseed, plus a dash of salt). I still added 1 cup of water to the pot for steaming. After cooking, I added chopped strawberries and xylitol sweetener. It turned out PERFECTLY. So yummy! Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Wahoo!! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Carl
Really good. I made this with 1% milk and topped it with just raw brown sugar. Next time I think I will try full fat milk or 1% plus a little half-and-half for a bit more creaminess.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed! Ans yes, full fat milk or half and half will certainly make this creamier!
Sam
Perfect! Pre-made a batch for my toddler. The consistency was much better than the microwave or stove, and very soft. I stirred in some frozen blueberries and cinnamon after cooked.
Kristen Chidsey
YAY!! I am actually eating some of my IP oatmeal right now--with cinnamon and banana 🙂 I hope your toddler enjoys!
Erica
I made the oatmeal in the pressure cooker, with 1C water and 2C almond milk. I don't have a burn warning on my pressure cooker.
The time it took to push the button and I turned it off was about 18 minutes. It didn't burn, but was a little browned on the bottom in one spot.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad it worked out for you! Using dairy may cause a burn notice and that is why I recommend pot in pot for this recipe.
Carol-Ann
Thank you yummy. I had no idea it was so easy!
Just an FYI, I've done some reading/research on using Pyrex in general:
"new pyrex"(1998 and later when Corning sold it) should not be used in the instant pot as they can shatter, because they're making them with a different material.(they can also shatter during normal oven use) Stainless steel is the best bet.
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you for that info! And so glad you enjoyed the oatmeal.
Ilona
Thanks so much x
Werra Watson
This is the best oatmeal. The kind that just sticks to your ribs.
So much better then "Instant Oatmea'>
Thank you for a great and versatile recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you love this recipe Werra!