4 Ingredient Instant Oatmeal Recipe: How To Make Homemade Oatmeal

Maura White
by Maura White
12 servings
12 min

Today I’m going to show you how to make your own instant oatmeal recipe! This recipe is simple and has only 4 ingredients in it!

It does not contain any processed thickeners or preservatives like maltodextrin, which is found in packaged instant oatmeal you find in the store.

Plus, when you put together your own instant oatmeal packets, you’ll actually save yourself some money!

Ingredients needed for your Instant Oatmeal Packets Recipe:

  • 1 1/2 cup dried apples, but you could use raisins, cranberries, or any dried fruit! (buy in bulk to make it even cheaper!) You could also add nuts or chocolate chips too if you’d like.
  • 1 cup brown sugar (add 1 & 1/2 cups total if you like sweeter oatmeal)
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 4 cups of Old Fashioned Oats (or any dried hot cereal mix like Bob’s Organic Whole Grain High Fiber Hot Cereal)

Stir together all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/3 cup of the mixture to a sandwich size plastic bag. This amount makes approximately 12 bags.

To cook: Add the dry contents of your instant oatmeal to a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2/3 cups of milk and microwave for one minute. Stir and check the consistency. Microwave for another 30 seconds if you’d like your oatmeal to be thicker. Add more toppings like fresh fruit or maple syrup if desired.

Price Comparison:

Quaker Instant Oatmeal at Wegmans is $2.79-$2.99 per box, for 8 individual packets

If you were to use 1 lb of old fashioned oats (18 oz or 6.5 cups) it costs $1.99.

A 32oz bag of brown sugar costs $1.49 (32. oz will last a long time!) plus the cost of cinnamon is minimal, plus whatever fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, etc. you decide to add, if any.)

4 cups of oats costs about $1.50, plus about $.30 for brown sugar plus cinnamon and any dried fruit you add.

You get more packets of instant oatmeal packets than you would from a $2.99 box from the store. If you were to buy oats in bulk, it would cost even less, making this a very frugal option for a fast and nutritious breakfast.


This homemade instant oatmeal recipe will cost you less, has all-natural ingredients, and is customizable to how you like your oatmeal the best! Make up a batch on a Saturday, and you have easy breakfast for the rest of the next week!

Now that we are in back-to-school season and getting back into busy morning routines, this instant oatmeal packets recipe is a great way to simplify mornings with an all-natural, nutrient-filled breakfast.

You can even make different batches for different kids, depending on their fruit or topping preference! It’s easy, frugal, nutritious, and customizable, which sounds like a win-win to me!

Looking for more easy, low ingredient recipes? Check these out:

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4 Ingredient Instant Oatmeal Recipe: How To Make Homemade Oatmeal
Recipe details
  • 12  servings
  • Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 2 Minutes Total time: 12 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup dried apples, raisins, cranberries, or any other dried fruit of your choosing! You could also add nuts or chocolate chips too if you’d like.
  • 1 cup brown sugar (add 1 & 1/2 cups total if you like sweeter oatmeal)
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 4 cups of Old Fashioned Oats
Instructions

Stir together all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/3 cup of the mixture to a sandwich size plastic bag. This amount makes approximately 12 bags.
To cook: Add the dry contents of your instant oatmeal to a microwave safe bowl. Add 2/3 cups of milk and microwave for one minute. Stir and check the consistency. Microwave for another 30 seconds if you’d like your oatmeal to be thicker. Add more toppings like fresh fruit or maple syrup if desired.
Maura White
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Comments
  • June Stafford June Stafford on Aug 03, 2022

    Very confusing Instructions!!! Had read them several times before I could work out what I think you were trying to say.

  • Jo Jo on Aug 14, 2022

    I think you need to do some price shopping to bring your numbers up to date.

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