Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets are a life saver in the winter or any time of the year when you crave a warm bowl of oatmeal.
It is so easy to prep your favorite flavor of oatmeal in minutes to make these ready to cook instant breakfast packets.
Homemade oatmeal packets are healthier and way cheaper to make at home than to buy store bought instant oatmeal.
You can make and customize single serve size oatmeal flavors that everyone in the family will love.
These convenient little packets of single serving healthy breakfasts are perfect for anyone who loves to meal plan, stock their pantry with food storage for emergency preparedness, or go camping and hiking.
Kids can make their own custom oatmeal flavors that they love.
It is so easy to make oatmeal packets you will wonder why it has taken you so long to make them yourself!
What flavors of homemade oatmeal packets can you make?
When you make the oatmeal flavors your family loves you will never have wasted oatmeal flavors.
Below are the flavors I made but you can add any type of oatmeal add-in that you want to make customized instant oatmeal flavors.
This is a great way to use some of those dehydrated fruits you have been making.
Any dried fruit or nut can be added to oatmeal. The oatmeal flavor combinations are endless.
- Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal
- Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal
- Apple Cinnamon
- Cinnamon Brown Sugar
You could also make fun kid friendly oatmeal flavors like banana chip and chocolate chip oatmeal.
Why make homemade instant oatmeal packets?
If you like to buy ingredients in bulk to save money you can prepare serving size oatmeal packets to have at the ready for breakfast any day of the week.
Instant oatmeal packets are very convenient to have on hand.
It makes serving breakfast for adults and children very easy for busy mornings.
And buying old fashioned oats in bulk is very inexpensive.
DIY Oatmeal Packets Ingredients
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Oatmeal Packets
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Packets
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
- ½ cup of old fashioned oats per packet
- 2 tablespoons of Dehydrated cubed apple pieces
- ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar
- pinch of salt
Apple Raisin Cinnamon Oatmeal
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried apple pieces
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
How to make instant oatmeal packets
Step 1: If making only one flavor of oatmeal packets you can mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
Once combined divide the oatmeal into individual bags or containers.
To make a combination of oatmeal flavors like I have done you can easily mix each individual serving in a small bowl.
Transfer the oatmeal to a plastic baggie, plastic food container or vacuum sealing bags, which is what I did.
Step 2: For each oatmeal flavor: Measure ½ cup of old fashioned oats, the ground spices and a pinch of salt in a small container.
Step 3: Add the dried fruit to the bowl.
Step 4: Add the brown sugar to the bowl.
Step 5: Once you have all the ingredients in the bowl place the lid on. Shake the bowl vigorously to mix the ingredients.
These food grade containers can be used to store the individual servings of oatmeal.
They do take up more storage space than baggies will but you can mix and cook the oatmeal right in the container.
How to vacuum seal individual oatmeal packets
Vacuum sealing instant oatmeal packets can extend the shelf life of instant oatmeal for years.
Mix the oatmeal ingredients in a bowl. Shake or stir to combine.
Step 1: Transfer the oatmeal ingredients to a small 5 x 8 pint size vacuum sealer bag.
Step 2: Flatten the oatmeal in the bag.
Step 3: Seal the bag with a vacuum sealer. I use the FoodSaver FM5200 2-in-1 Automatic Vacuum Sealer Machine but you can find other inexpensive vacuum sealers that will work fine.
Step 4: Label each packet with the flavor and date. Store the oatmeal packets in a cool dark pantry.
How to cook DIY instant oatmeal packs
To cook the oatmeal in microwave
- Pour one packet of instant oatmeal into a bowl.
- Add 1 cup of water and stir.
- Place the uncovered bowl into the microwave and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Occasionally pause the microwave and stir.
- Cook until the oatmeal has reached the texture you love.
To cook the instant oatmeal with boiling water/stovetop
- Pour one instant oatmeal packet into a bowl.
- Pour one cup of boiling water over the oatmeal.
- Cover the bowl. Allow oatmeal to absorbed the water and soften for 5 minutes before eating.
Recipe FAQS
Homemade instant oatmeal packets will last a very long time when properly stored in an airtight container or when vacuum sealed. Vacuum sealed oatmeal packets shelf life can be years verses oatmeal stored in a baggy.
Homemade instant oatmeal packets made with old fashioned oats is healthier than the instant store bought version which contains sugar.
Recipe Expert Tips
- old fashioned oats: I used old fashioned oats instead of instant oats because instant oats tend to get too mushy for my taste. You can use instant if you like just be careful and adjust the cooking time. Do not over cook the oatmeal.
- storing the oatmeal: If you don't want to make individual serving size oatmeal packets an alternative is to mix up a large batch of the oatmeal and store it in a large jar or air tight food container. Just scoop out the amount you need and adjust the water/milk for each serving.
- camping or hiking: pour the instant oatmeal into a thermos for mess free traveling. Add the boiling water at the camp site.
- serving size: a ½ cup of old fashioned oats will make a one cup serving of cooked oats. This is a perfect adult size serving of oatmeal.
More breakfast recipes
Check out some of my other easy breakfast recipes below.
Email questions or recipe requests to flouronmyface@gmail.com. Follow me on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets
Ingredients
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons raisins
Instructions
- In a small bowl measure the old fashioned oats.
- Add the brown sugar, raisins, ground cinnamon and salt to the bowl.
- Place a tight lid on the bowl.
- Shake the bowl to mix the ingredients.
- Transfer the flavored oatmeal to a baggy, or vacuum seal bag to store.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
- old fashioned oats: I used old fashioned oats instead of instant oats because instant oats tend to get too mushy for my taste. You can use instant if you like just be careful and adjust the cooking time. Do not over cook the oatmeal.
- storing the oatmeal: If you don't want to make individual serving size oatmeal packets an alternative is to mix up a large batch of the oatmeal and store it in a large jar or air tight food container. Just scoop out the amount you need and adjust the water/milk for each serving.
- camping or hiking: pour the instant oatmeal into a thermos for mess free traveling. Add the boiling water at the camp site.
- serving size: a ½ cup of old fashioned oats will make a one cup serving of cooked oats. this is a perfect adult size serving of oatmeal.
Other Oatmeal Flavors
Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Packets- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup of old fashioned oats per packet
- 2 tablespoons of Dehydrated cubed apple pieces
- ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried apple pieces
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- Pour one packet of instant oatmeal into a bowl.
- Add 1 cup of water and stir.
- Place the uncovered bowl into the microwave and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Occasionally pause the microwave and stir.
- Cook until the oatmeal has reached the texture you love.
- Pour one instant oatmeal packet into a bowl.
- Pour one cup of boiling water over the oatmeal.
- Cover the bowl. Allow oatmeal to absorbed the water and soften for 5 minutes before eating.
barbara spieler
thank you...so many times i cook different than others but this is great!
barbara spieler
i gave you 5 stars, it only p/u 4! i did 5 again
Michelle Bates
We do this a bit differently in our house. We have those Corning Ware mugs with the lids, and all the ingredients in a cupboard with the corresponding measurements. So the oatmeal has 1/2 scoop, brown sugar has a tablespoon, and salt has a tiny spoon. I add everything to the mug the night before, and my husband takes it to work and adds the water there. It is super easy. I like the packet ideas too, if we were traveling I would probably do that!
Arlene Mobley
Michelle
That is a great way to always have oatmeal on hand. Thanks for sharing!