Homemade instant oatmeal
I was sent a breakfast hamper a few weeks ago, and in it (amongst other things) there were some of those sachets of instant oatmeal – the kind you just add water to. They were absolutely delicious and I loved being able to have a nice hot breakfast with barely any effort – much more satisfying than my usual bowl of cold cereal. But, when I looked at buying some more, I realised how expensive the sachets are, and how much cheaper it would be to make my own…
So, I did!
The shop-bought sachets cost around 25p each, whereas my homemade version is more like 7p per portion. I like it when my breakfasts are less than a third of the price!
Homemade instant oatmeal – just put some of the mixture in a bowl, add some hot water, and leave it for a few minutes.
At first, it will look like you’ve added far too much water…
But after a few minutes, the oats will have absorbed most of the excess liquid, and you’ll be left with a perfectly hot and creamy porridge.
The creaminess comes from the milk powder that’s included in the mix. You’d think that using fresh milk would be superior, and it probably is in certain ways, but I actually find I can’t tell the difference between oatmeal made with fresh milk, and my own instant version made with powdered milk.
Plus it’s much easier – I hate trying to heat milk in the microwave (it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine, oh wait it’s bubbled all over the place and made a big mess), and I don’t like the idea of having a pan to wash up before I’ve even fully woken up.
So, powdered milk it is.
I also added a bit of sugar to my instant oatmeal mix – you can use whatever sweetener you like (if any!), but I found that a bit of good old caster sugar worked just fine.
If you want, you can also add some mix-ins straight into the jar of instant oatmeal – dried fruit or nuts would work really well. I leave mine plain though, so I can choose what to add on a day-to-day basis – fruit, nuts, a drizzle of honey, a spoonful of chocolate spread (<– favourite!!), or even a dollop of jam.
I’ve made about three batches of this so far this month – each batch only makes around 7 portions, so feel free to double or triple the recipe if you know you’ll be using it often!
Homemade instant oatmeal
Ingredients
- 300 g rolled oats ~ 3 cups
- 60 g skimmed milk powder ~ 1/2 cup
- 85 g caster sugar ~ 1/4 cup, or brown sugar
- Optional mix-ins: dried fruit nuts, chocolate chips, seeds, etc.
- Optional toppings: dried fruit nuts, chocolate spread, jam, honey
Instructions
- Add the rolled oats, skimmed milk powder and caster sugar, along with your choice of mix-ins, to a large bowl, and mix well. Transfer to an air-tight container to store for up to 6 weeks in a cool, dry area.
- To serve, scoop about 70g (~ 1/2 cup) of the mixture into a bowl. Add 125ml (~1/2 cup) of boiling water (or however much you find you need to get to your desired consistency), and mix well. Leave for a few minutes, then eat with your choice of toppings.
Love porridge? Try it topped with cinnamon plums!
Hi, jm really loving this idea(knowing what’s gone into it etc) but I was wondering if you could substitute coconut milk powder for something different…..
To be honest I’m not sure, you need the milk powder to help make it nice and creamy. It’s not coconut milk powder though, just regular skimmed milk powder!
This is a very clever idea! My sister spends a fortune on instant oatmeal so I shall be sending this over to her to try out! Thanks for sharing :D
You’re welcome, I hope your sister enjoys it :)
I’ve tried to make oatmeal myself few times but it wasn’t so good as I expected. I’ll have to try using your recipe, hopefully it will be much better.
Clever. I have to admit, I don’t love powdered milk, but this would be handy to have ready for when I’m in a hurry.
I’m always astounded by how expensive those instant porridge sachets are, this is much more affordable.
Would be great to make and take to work.
Can’t beat a nice healthy breakfast and love it’s so cheap too.
What a fantastic idea, and super cheap too :)
Now this is a new one I was like whaaat, homemade *and* instant?! But it’s true. I eat oatmeal every day so I will have to pass this recipe onto my husband the chef.
Great idea! And much less hidden junk as well. I am sharing on Twitter :)
I got a bit hooked on instant oatmeal sachets last year after I broke my leg – they were the easiest thing for hubby to make me before he left for work – but as you say they are unnecessarily expensive. Now I just mix plain rolled oats with semi-skimmed milk, leave it to stand while I make tea & feed the cats, then microwave it in 3 x 1 minute bursts and voila – deliciousness! I add a pinch of salt to mine too, then top with blueberries (and a knob of butter if I am feeling indulgent!)
But it’s so very easy to make porridge from scratch – you just put oats, water and a pinch of salt into your bowl, stir, microwave for 3 minutes, and it’s done. It’s about 250 ml of water to 3 tbs oats, which again, looks far too much but comes out well.
This way is even easier!
What a wonderful recipe! So simple and easy. My boys all love the instant oatmeal sachets but they are so expensive that I only buy them as a treat. Not to mention they have a lot of unnecessary ingredients. I never would have thought to add skim milk powder. Now we’ll be able to have an easy, healthy hot breakfast anytime we want. Thank you. Do you use instant or quick oats, or just regular rolled oats?
The ones I used were just called rolled oats – they were the super cheap own brand ones so I don’t think there were many different varieties ;)
Lovely and sooooo easy! My version of this for summer is to mix porridge oats and plain yoghurt (or fruit) and leave overnight in the fridge. The next morning the oats will have absorbed all the liquid and you get a lovely soft creamy-ish bowl of oats ready for mixing with dried fruit, fresh or whatever. I think it’s official title is ‘Bircher muesli’!
Ooh yes, I’ve heard it called overnight oats :) I keep meaning to try that!! This recipe is great for a last minute hot breakfast though, if you’re not organised enough to plan ahead ;)
I enjoy porridge for breakfast. My way is to spoon oats into a bowl, add water and micro-wave for 2 and 1/2 minutes.
Then add milk and stevia. Your way sounds much simpler and as I always like trying new things I shall try your recipie.
Thank you for posting.
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This is awesome Becca!!! What a brilliant idea using the powdered milk!
I found this post really interesting especially as I am far too lazy to make porridge early in the mornings and because it sticks like glue to pans and so forth. I’m going to make a batch up and see if we can start eating porridge in the morning once again.
Yeah it really does stick doesn’t it!! I hate washing a porridgey pan. This version is made straight in the bowl, so just rinse the bowl quickly once you’re finished and it’s easy to wash later on :)
What an amazing idea! I always struggle to fit in breakfast before I leave for work so end up eating rubbish at my desk because its cheaper than a pot of instant porridge. This is going to revolutionise my mornings!
Aw I hope you like it Hannah! Definitely better than eating rubbish at your desk :)
Such a fab idea, I always soak my porridge over night in milk so it’s halfway to ready but when I was off to work everyday this would have been much better
Cinnamon plums! They look gorgeous :D
I recently received some little sachets that were fabulously yummy, and very easy to pop some water into and go – but further research showed they would cost £1 a morning. Too much for me Im afraid….. I hadnt thought of milk powder, what a great idea :) must set about making my own. Now I just need to hunt down some of those freeze dried berries….
Cor £1 a portion!! That’s madness. Definitely make your own 7p version!! :)
i love oatmeal but its been a while since i ate those..thanks for the reminder :)
I love this! Always trying to eat healthier in the mornings! :)
Jen x