Instant Pot Oatmeal Recipe made in just four minutes of cook time using Old-Fashioned (rolled oats). This creamy oatmeal can be easily dressed up with your favorite toppings and sweeteners.

Oatmeal is a breakfast staple at our house because it is something that everyone likes. On busy mornings we make a big batch of plain oatmeal and then let everyone choose their own toppings.

These frozen waffles and small batch chocolate chip muffins are also quick breakfast favorites!

cooked oatmeal in an Instant Pot with a wooden spoon

How to Make Oatmeal in the Instant Pot

Oats are quick breakfast any way you cook them, but I prefer the hands-off method of using a pressure cooker. (It’s also my favorite way to cook sticky rice and hard-boiled eggs.) To make this Instant Pot oatmeal recipe you will need:

2 cups of Old-Fashioned (rolled) oats
5 cups of water
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

The salt is optional but I highly recommend it. The point of the salt is not to make the dish salty, but to enhance the flavors. (Similar to why you still need to add salt to homemade guacamole even if you plan to eat it with salty chips.)

Old Fashioned vs Quick vs Steel Cut Oats

It’s important to use old-fashioned, rolled oats in this Instant Pot oatmeal recipe. (The kind you would cook for 5 minutes on the stovetop.) Old-fashioned are flat and flaky; they’re what you want for cookies and homemade granola.

Steel cut are tiny, tough, and take much longer to cook. Quick cook do just that (cook in about 1 minute) and instant oats are usually in individual packets for microwave cooking.

Pressure Cooker Oatmeal Toppings

While everyone in my house can agree that this creamy oatmeal is delicious, our topping choices are all very different! (I personally love this Pumpkin Oatmeal!) A few of our favorites are:

Brown sugar (my favorite)
Honey or maple syrup
Peanut butter (my husband’s favorite)
Cinnamon
Pumpkin Puree
Shredded coconut flakes
Nuts (like pecans or walnuts)
Fresh or frozen berries
Dried fruits (like raisins or apricots)
Heavy cream

Tips for Making Creamy Oatmeal

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when making this Instant Pot oatmeal recipe. First, I don’t recommend using milk instead of water in this recipe because it might burn in the pressure cooker. I find it creamy enough by just using water with this cooking method; you can always add a splash of cream after cooking.

If you’re worried about oatmeal sticking to the bottom of the stainless steel pot, you can also try this non-stick inner pot instead.

Second, foamy foods (like potatoes or thick soups) can cause a messier splatter during the quick release depressurization. Others have recommended putting a paper towel over the valve during this process.

Finally, and most importantly, make sure to use a different sealing ring for sweet and savory! This is crucial or your oatmeal will taste like it was cooked with chicken broth. This is the 2-pack of sealing rings I bought; I use the blue for sweet and the red for savory.

white bowl with oatmeal topped with pecans and blueberries

More Instant Pot Recipes

bowl of oatmeal with blueberries scattered around it

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