Delicious Instant Pot Oatmeal Recipe (2 methods) (2024)

Instant Pot oatmeal is easy enough to make on a weekday, and it’s a delicious and comforting way to start your day with a healthy breakfast.

I’ve made my cinnamon maple oatmeal on the stovetop and in the microwave for years. But making it in the Instant Pot is now my go-to method.

Why? It certainly isn’t any quicker. The benefit to me though? It is 100% hands off, and it stays warm and ready-to-eat right until I am ready to eat it.

Typically, I will make this right when I wake up, and then I go shower and get dressed while it is cooking. Hooray for being a 100% hands off recipe!🎉🤸🏼‍♂️ This is true for either method.

That is the main benefit to me for making it in the Instant Pot?. I cannot tell you how many times I have boiled over oatmeal on the stovetop or in the microwave. It makes such a mess!😫 That is never a problem cooking it this way. 🙌🏻

There are two ways to make oatmeal in your Instant Pot: (1) the pot in pot method and (2) the regular method. I will explain each.

Ingredients

For tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients you have access to. And the ingredient list is fairly simple:

• oats
• almond milk
• water
• cinnamon
• vanilla
• real maple syrup.

How to make Instant Pot oatmeal – pot in pot method

Making Instant Pot oatmeal with the pot-in-pot method is often called PIP for short. So why use this method? I like pot in pot method for single servings or smaller batches. Easy cleanup is also a benefit.

I also like using this method because I don’t have to worry about scorching. We occasionally like to make our oatmeal with cow’s milk (in place of the almond milk in the recipe below), and that can sometimes scorch/ burn.

I often use the pot in pot method to make a single bowl, and I cook it in the container I plan to eat it in. Less dishes for the win!🙌🏻 The bowl will be hot, though, so be sure and use a folded towel or heat absorbing oven pad. Or you can make it in a bigger bowl, if you plan to make a few servings.

You want a 2:1 ratio of your liquids to oats. Your liquids include water, milk, vanilla and any liquid sweeteners. I use 100% pure maple syrup in this recipe because it is our go-to. I make that part of the liquids.

Also, this method suits small batches best since you are somewhat limited with the pot in pot capacity. We have made anywhere from 1 to 3 servings using this method. (This will vary depending on the size of your inner pot.)

We just place all ingredients in a glass bowl. Make sure it will fit inside your Instant Pot! We most often use this glass 4 cup measuring dish from this Pyrex set. (Amazon affiliate)

Then cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, and allow the pot to naturally release. This method takes a bit more time. Usually I will get it going in my Instant Pot, and then go shower, dress myself or dress my kids until it is ready.

Instant Pot oatmeal (regular method)

What I mean by the “regular method” is making it straight inside the inner pot.

I made it in the stainless pot (that comes with the Instant Pot) for years. And that works fine.

I must say, though, I am really loving the ceramic non-stick coated version of the inner pot. (Amazon affiliate link) It makes cleanup a breeze! And I find myself making this way a lot more often these days. That being said, do not feel like you must purchase an extra pot. It works great in the stainless pot too.👌🏻

So what is the regular method good for? Big batches! I will make a big pot of this (6 adult sized servings, i.e., 3 cups dry oats). It also cooks a little quicker. And you can still walk off and leave it for longer, if you need to. We use the leftovers to reheat and eat on busy school mornings. More on that in a second!

I just cook mine on low pressure for 2 minutes, and I allow for at least 10 minutes of natural release. Then release any remaining pressure.

When you open the pot, it will look a bit separated, like this.

It may or may not have an extra layer of liquid floating at the top. This batch sat for a few extra minutes, while I got my camera set up. Just give everything a good stir until it is well-mixed, like this.

Optional step: if it is too thick for your liking, add a splash of almond milk or water, and stir to combine.

If it is too thin, let it sit with the lid off for a couple minutes, stirring once or twice, and it will thicken up on its own.👌🏻

Toppings

I love topping mine with some fresh fruit, like strawberries, bananas and blueberries.

Other toppings we use, depending on our mood: a dollop of nut butter (peanut butter or almond butter are our favorites), chopped nuts, chia seeds, apples, pear slices, brown sugar, chocolate chips. The possibilities are endless!

How to reheat leftover Instant Pot oatmeal

Like I mentioned earlier, I love making a big batch of this and reheating it for a quick breakfast all week. My kids love it too!

We prefer to reheat ours in the microwave. Pulling back out the Instant Pot seems a bit silly for us, just for reheating purposes. If you are going to to that, for us at least, we’d just assume make a fresh batch! Most of y’all probably agree, but I know there are a few anti-microwave people out there. You do you, friends. I’m just sharing how we do ours.😉🙃

So here is what we do to reheat ours in the microwave. It will be more of like a solid chunk, very thick. I spoon out however much we want in a serving, and I use the spoon to break it up into smaller chunks. This helps it to heat more evenly.

The I pour a splash of almond milk (or water!) over the top. I never measure, but I would recommend about 1/4 cup. I don’t stir yet. I heat it for about a minute, and then I remove it and stir. I use the back of my spoon to break up any chunks be pressing them against the bowl.

After that, I return it to the microwave and heat another 45 seconds or so, until it gets hot enough for me. This may vary by microwave. Then stir again, and add any toppings.

I hope y’all enjoy making Instant Pot oatmeal as much as we do! Let me know if you try it.

This post may contain affiliate links, which pay a referral fee to me at no additional cost to you. My full affiliate disclosure can be seen here.

• Measuring spoons
• Dry ingredient measuring cups
• Measuring cup
• Glass bowl to use as your bowl-in-pot. The above pyrex glass measuring cup fits in our pot, FYI.

FAQ

Instant Pot Oatmeal Recipe (Pot in Pot Method)

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Note: This recipe originally appeared on A Pinch of Healthy 2/28/18. It has been updated with new photos and additional instructions.

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