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Making instant oatmeal packets at home has never been easier! Follow this simple recipe to make this convenient breakfast.

Start with the classic brown cinnamon sugar recipe or make one of the popular oatmeal packet flavors by swapping some of the ingredients listed.

An oat canister with homemade instant oatmeal packets

Making Instant Oatmeal Packs at Home

While my family loves recipes like baked oatmeal and overnight oats, instant oatmeal is one of those breakfast household staples I always keep on hand. Those little packets, usually 10 to a box, are very convenient for rushed mornings.

If you have kids (especially big ones) who love instant oatmeal, you know they can go through two or three packets in one sitting! By Thursday, I am nearly out of oatmeal, which leads me to make oatmeal and then add a little milk and sugar on my own.

I love making my own packets because they’re cost-effective, I can reduce the amount of sugar, and I can customize the packets to the flavors we like. More on this below.

What to Put in DIY Oatmeal Packets

The ingredients are simple, and if you follow this recipe, you’ll be able to make up to 20 to 24 packets in one batch really quickly. You’ll find the measurements at the end of the post, but first, check the simple ingredient list:

Instant oats: the base of these packets.
Powdered milk: you can omit it and use any milk instead of water to make your bowl of oatmeal.
Brown sugar: a classic! You can omit it for the original instant oatmeal flavor.
Salt: to make it tastier.
Cinnamon: optional. You’ll find more variety of flavors below!

And in case you only have old-fashioned rolled oats at the moment, I have a ton of recipes to use those oats up! Everything from apple pie overnights oats to savory oats and muffins!

How Long to Store Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packs

Homemade instant oatmeal packets can be stored in the pantry for up to 2 months, making them a super convenient breakfast you can pre-measure fast and enjoy for a long time!

Storage tip: when making these DIY Instant Oatmeal Packets, I put most of them back inside my larger quick oats canister for storage, but any container will work.

Instant Oatmeal Packet Recipes

There are plenty of instant oatmeal recipes and flavors you can make and store to enjoy a variety of breakfasts with no need to buy separate boxes for different flavors. Here are some tasty options:

Original: omit the cinnamon and brown sugar.
Apples & cinnamon: add 1 cup chopped dried apples to the bowl.
Chocolate: add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the bowl, use white sugar.
Cookies & cream: crumble 4 Oreo cookies into the bowl, omit the cinnamon, and use white sugar.
Banana nut: add ½ cup finely chopped walnuts to the bowl and top with ½ banana after cooking the oats.
Cranberry almond: add ½ dried cranberries to the bowl and ¼ cup finely chopped almonds.

How to Make Instant Oatmeal

Now that you have epic homemade instant oatmeal packets, you simply grab one, empty it into a bowl, and add 1 cup of hot water. Then, stir to combine and microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Once it’s warm enough, add your favorite toppings and voilá! Breakfast is ready!

Toppings for Instant Oatmeal

A creamy bowl of oatmeal is amazing, but I’m all about the topping! Here’s when you can add more flavor, nutrition, and texture and, basically, turn your breakfast into a morning feast! Some of my favorite oatmeal toppings are berries, sliced fresh fruit, and seeds.

And who can resist chocolate chips on the top? YUM! I also love adding raisins, honey, and granola. If you make the original flavor, you can even turn this breakfast into savory oatmeal by adding bacon or a fried egg. I’m drooling!

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets

Servings: 20 packets

Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 10

Making instant oatmeal packets at home has never been easier! Follow this simple recipe to make this convenient breakfast.

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Ingredients

For the Instant Oats Packets:

10 cups instant oats, divided
1 cup powdered milk*
½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon , optional

For Serving:

⅔ cup water*

Instructions

Make the oatmeal mix:

In a large bowl, add 6 cups of instant oats, powdered milk, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
Put 4 cups of oats in a blender and blend until they're powdery, stopping a few times to shake (if needed). Transfer the oats from the blender to a large bowl and mix with the oats and other ingredients.
Measure ½ cup of the oatmeal mixture and place it inside a zip bag. Repeat the process with the remaining mixture to fill all 20 bags.

Storage:

Store the pre-measured oatmeal packets in the pantry for up to 2 months.

To make oatmeal:

Empty an instant oatmeal packet into a bowl and add 1 cup of hot water. Stir to combine and microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Notes

You can omit the powdered milk from the oatmeal packet mix and use any milk instead of water to make your bowl of oatmeal.

Variety of Flavors:

Original: omit the cinnamon and brown sugar.
Apples & cinnamon: add 1 cup chopped dried apples to the bowl.
Chocolate: add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the bowl, use white sugar.
Cookies & cream: crumble 4 Oreo cookies into the bowl, omit the cinnamon, and use white sugar.
Banana nut: add ½ cup finely chopped walnuts to the bowl and top with ½ banana after cooking the oats.
Cranberry almond: add ½ dried cranberries to the bowl and ¼ cup finely chopped almonds.

Other add-ins:

Chia seeds: ½ teaspoon per packet.
Flax meal: 1 teaspoon per packet.
Hemp seeds: 1 teaspoon per packet.
Protein powder: 2 tablespoons per packet, add additional water if adding more.