With an Instant Pot and 20 minutes, you can make PERFECT, creamy oats every time! Let us show you how.
Instant Pot Oats
Cooking rolled oats in the Instant Pot is quick, easy, and yields perfectly creamy oats!
Here’s what you need to know:
- Ratio = 1 part rolled oats : 2 – 2 ½ parts liquid (water and/or dairy-free milk)
- Cook Time = 2 minutes
- Release = 10 minute natural release, then release any remaining pressure
Oats make a delicious porridge, especially topped with fresh or frozen fruit, nuts and/or seeds, nut butter, brown sugar or maple syrup, cacao nibs, cinnamon, or your favorite toppings!
This recipe uses rolled oats, but steel cut oats also work in the Instant Pot. You can find instructions here.
Benefits of Instant Pot Oats
20 minutes may not sound like a major reduction in cook time compared to stovetop, and you’re right! That’s because the instant pot takes ~8 minutes to pressurize, 2 minutes to cook, and a 10 minute natural release is recommended.
The real benefits?
- Hands-Free – the Instant Pot allows for set it and forget it. No stirring, no worries about burning oats. Perfect for busy mornings!
- Meal Prep – It’s perfect for batch cooking. Make a large batch of oats and store little jars in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week.
- Big Batch – The Instant Pot has a large capacity, so you can cook oats for a crowd and then keep them on “warm” until serving (no burning, no drying out). Perfect for hosting and feeding a house full of guests!
Did you find this helpful? If so, be sure to check out our Instant Pot Cooking Times Guide for perfectly cooked grains and beans every time!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Instant Pot Oats (Fast, Creamy Oatmeal!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats (ensure gluten-free, if needed)
- 2-2 ½ cups water (or sub half with dairy-free milk for more flavor)
TOPPINGS optional
- Fresh or frozen fruit
- Nuts/seeds
- Nut butter
- Sweetener (such as coconut sugar or maple syrup)
- Cinnamon
- Cacao nibs
Instructions
- Add rolled oats and water and/or dairy-free milk to the Instant Pot and stir to prevent sticking (use the lesser amount of liquid for more textured oats and the greater amount for more porridgy). Pressure cook on high for 2 minutes (it will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins).
- Once the timer goes off, allow to naturally release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove lid once steam has fully escaped.
- Enjoy immediately with toppings of choice. Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop, stirring frequently and adding more liquid, if needed, to thin.
Jo says
I love this recipe! It’s quick and easy. For the liquid, I use 2/3 almond milk to 1/3 water. After it’s done cooking, I stir in some mashed bananas, drizzle it with honey, and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top.
My whole family loves this recipe!
Yum, sounds amazing, Jo! Thank you for sharing! xo
Mary Noonan says
When you’re waiting for the natural release time to pass, do you turn the Instant Pot off at the wall or keep it on Warm mode?
Hi Mary, We’ve done both! It doesn’t seem to make a difference.
Gina says
Hello! I like making my oats with milk, is it okay to do 2 cups water and 2.5 cups milk (for the larger batch cooking)?
Hi Gina, if you are doubling the batch, that should work!
Terri Kemp says
Such an easy way! I love making several servings at a time and put it in the fridge for quick, warm breakfast ♥️
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Terri!
Carolyn Lepiscopo says
This was so easy and yielded the fluffiest, creamiest oatmeal. I will never make stove-top old fashioned oatmeal again! :) We like to use canned coconut milk and water as our liquid. Used 2.5 cups of liquid and it was definitely porridgy, which we prefer. Thank you for the great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Carolyn. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Alisha says
I’m curious maybe silly question…if you are cooking 3 cups of rolled oats do you do 3×2 min cook time ?
Best. Alisha
Hi Alisha, keep the cook time the same, but use 3x the oats and water. Hope that helps!
Anya says
I am out of all milks right now, but was thinking I might try adding richness to this recipe by adding a few dollops of milk to the water mixture before adding everything to the Instant Pot. Will that work as well?
Thank you,
Hi Anya, we’re not sure what you mean by dollops of milk?
Anya Gous says
I made this recipe using Gluten-free rolled oats and 2 and a half cups liquid (1 cup almond milk and 1.5 cups water). It came out perfect ito consistency. Just needs salt which you can add to taste. Thank you for this recipe, will definitely use again.
Thanks for the review, Anya!
Rick Mullins says
Can you add apples to the recipe?
Hi Rick, we haven’t tested that, but another reader mentioned adding chopped apples with success. Let us know how it goes!
Joanne Robertson says
We made this in a 3QT Instant pot and had oatmeal coming out of the vent after a 10 minute natural release. Second time we increased the natural release to 20 minutes and it was absolutely perfect. We added diced apples and cinnamon and topped with some chopped walnuts 😋
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Joanne. Thanks so much for the tips and the lovely review! xo
Susan says
After running out of steel-cut oats, I’ve made this several times and it always turns out great. I like it with two cups water and 1/2 cup soy milk.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Susan!
Laura says
I did the 1 cup of oats to 2 cups of whole milk but I got a burn warning (I saw in the comments that someone had doubled the recipe just fine so I was hoping that by doing the regular recipe but going down to the 3 quart sized instant pot I would be ok but that may have been the reason I got the burn warning?). Even with the burn warning, it seemed to turn out ok. I really liked the texture as it was bumpy but still creamy— just like the picture! Next time I might try using Pam spray prior to cooking because it was a newer pot and it’s really caked on horribly now… not going to be fun to clean. 😅
Hi Laura, thanks for sharing your experience! We’d suggest trying 1 cup water and 1 cup milk next time. When using all milk, it can be too thick and cause a burn warning.
Janet L Stewart says
I used 1 cup of oats, 1 cup of almond milk and 1 cup of water and also got the burn warning. I’m wondering if a lower heat setting would work better.
Thanks for the feedback, Janet! Was it homemade or store-bought almond milk?
Janet says
Store bought, Kirkland Brand from Costco.
Thanks! We wouldn’t think that would cause an issue, but perhaps if it’s particularly thick/rich in gums. We’ll add it to our list to troubleshoot.
Abi P says
I usually make your steel cut oats recipe but had ran out, and discovered some jumbo porridge oats in the cupboard so decided to use this recipe instead. I made two portions and followed your recipe using just oats and water. My dad always tells me to put a pinch of salt into porridge so that was my only addition – he says it’s the traditional Scottish way but I don’t know if that’s accurate or not! It turned out lovely. I loosened it a little after cooking with some more boiled water as I like my porridge quite thin. And topped with Greek yogurt, fresh berries, tahini, sunflower and sesame seeds, with a quick instant pot seasonal fruit compote. It was delicious and very filling. I love all of the instant pot recipes you’ve created and shared! Thank you 🥰
Yum! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Abi! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Michelle says
What is up with all the dairy-free options? Is it because people are cutting dairy from their diet or because dairy cannot be used in the recipe? Just want to clarify.
Hi Michelle, we used dairy-free milk in this recipe because many of our readers are intolerant to dairy or choose not to use it. However you could definitely use dairy milk in this recipe! Hope this helps!
Alex V says
If we substituted the water partially or fully for milk, how would that change how long it keeps?
Hi Alex, that shouldn’t impact how long it keeps, but may cause a burn warning.
Terry says
I made this with one cup of rolled oats and 2.25 cups water. I coated the Instant Pot with a few sprays of oil and also added a few shakes of salt. It turned out fine and didn’t burn and the oil kept the bottom from sticking. It’s creamy … just like the picture. Looking forward to doubling the recipe.
Sarah Irlam says
Amazing recipe!! Works like a charm. Thank you
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Sarah! xo
Karen Harris says
This recipe is awesome! Love it! Thanks for sharing!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Karen! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Nicolle says
Made this recipe with 2.5 cups liquid because I wanted more porridge style. Recipe and instant pot steps were on point and easy to follow, experienced no problems, came out great, will make again. Thank you kindly.
Great! Thank you for sharing your experience, Nicolle! xo
Angie says
Just got done making this for breakfast this morning!
I used quick oats
almond milk
added frozen blueberries
and doubled the recipe. It turned out amazing!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Angie!
Bob says
Just wanted to thank you for this amazing recipe! I made it this morning using Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk, and 1.5 cups of water. I did the pot-in-pot method, used the same cook times, and it came out just awesome!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Bob! Thank you for sharing!
Gloria says
Hi
I measured the remaining clear water that I placed in the pot earlier remains at 1 cup. Why no change?
Hi Gloria, Not sure I’m understanding your question, but maybe you’re saying not much water evaporated? It’s likely because the Instant Pot seals in moisture.
Sharon says
I had overnight guests last weekend so needed a simple recipe that could feed a bigger crowd. I followed this recipe and the oatmeal was creamy and delicious! I doubled your recipe and used water. It was so easy. For cleanup, I filled the empty pot with water to loosen any remaining bits of
oatmeal while I did the rest dishes. It cleaned easily. Thank you for this recipe!!
We’re so glad it worked well! Thank you for sharing your experience, Sharon! xo
John says
My first instant pot mini meal. It came out really tasty. In fact, we have porridge every morning, have done for years, and this was the nicest yet. BUT! It made a very badly burnt mess on the bottom of the pot. So I’m going to look into pot in pot in future. For pot in pot, do you think I’m going to need to adjust the cooking times? Or perhaps NR for longer?
Hi John, we haven’t tried pot in pot, but some other readers have talked about it in the comments and mentioned using the same timing. Hope that helps!
Amy says
I made this and it turned out really well. I used an immersion blender and turned a batch into baby food as well. My question is, can you prepare this overnight for breakfast using the delay start? Thanks!
Amazing! Love that, Amy! Hmm, we haven’t tested that, but it might be okay? We’re not sure about food safety on leaving the oats in there overnight.
alicia says
I added raisins and raw sliced almonds and the oats came out amazing! Thank you for the recipe.
Yay! Thanks, Alicia!
Krinio says
I really really wanted to love this, as I’m fighting a stomach infection and a promise of a quick, easy, creamy oatmeal was everything I needed. I have made and LOVED many of your recipes so your name is kinda like a guarantee for me.
Well, it was a disaster and I ended up unscrewing the bottom of my IP to get it clean!
I doubled the recipe but kept the ratio! I used only water.
I switched the valve to secure.
When it had preheated and before starting countdown it informed me my food was burned, so I cancelled the program
Upon releasing the steam all hell broke loose, gooey liquid everywhere (it had also filled up the condensation collector, I saw that today when I did the deep cleaning, it was a solidified pudding!)
I honestly don’t know what went wrong. One advice I’ve read before (and I don’t know whether that’s true) is to not stir starchy food so it doesn’t stick to the bottom, *unless specified in the recipe* – which it is here.
Pretty sad with this :/
Hi Krinio, we’re so sorry that was your experience! We haven’t tested this recipe as a double batch and doubling it is likely the issue. That would cause it to spill over into the condensation collector. Also, if you did a manual release instead of natural release, we could see that causing gooey liquid to go everywhere. We hope you have a better experience next time and hope you’re feeling better soon!
Andrea says
Worked completely fine for me. Easy to prep for breakfast for the week.
Yay! Thanks, Andrea!
Sayaka says
Burn notice here too! Instant pot 6qt with non stick insert pot. 1 cup water and 1 cup oat milk. I stirred the rolled oats but still got the burn notice near the very end of preheat. I very carefully did a manual release to resolve the burn notice and when I stirred the bottom they had definitely got stuck. Still tasted creamy and good though!
I wonder if it’s the oat milk?
That could be the issue since it’s thicker. You could try thinning out the oat milk with more water. Hope that helps for next time!
Sayaka says
I tried water alone and had the same issue with my ultra and the burn notice. The ultimate fix was doing pot in pot as others suggested!
Thanks for sharing, Sayaka!
Lewis says
At about the 2 minute mark, the pot began spouting steam out of the release valve (it closes automatically so I know it was not open)
I did a manual release and it spouted more liquid all over the counter
Do you know what happened?
Strange! Is it possible the valve wasn’t on there securely?
Heather says
I always thought I was not an oatmeal person. But recently I decided to try to get onboard since I am FREEZING! (also for the many health benefits). I am an instant pot fiend, so was so happy to find this recipe. It worked like a charm. I made it in advance for a breakfast to heat up at work. I used water and added a small amount of soy milk after reheating. But the oats were really so creamy that the extra milk wasn’t really necessary, although it was nice. I added maple syrup, frozen blueberries, and cinnamon after the instant pot and before reheating.
Whoop! We’re so glad you gave it a try and enjoyed it, Heather! xoxo
Christian says
The recipe worked fine for me. I paid attention to the comments and used half water and stirred thoroughly before sealing up the pot. I used low temp. I added a handful of currents before cooking along with a pat of butter and a tiny pinch of salt.
I did one BIG change from the directions. I used a pot in the pot for the oats. This eliminates the danger of burning. Otherwise the same timing.
Thanks for sharing, Christian!
lewis says
With pot in pot, how much water did you put in big pot?
Christian says
A cup. Maybe a heaping cup. The stainless steel bowl, uncovered, I used for the oatmeal was on a rack above the water.
As written the recipe is just fine, and I used the measurements and the timing. Cleanup of the big pot can be avoided by using a pot in pot.
Traci says
We love it! I made it with 4 cups of unsweetened almond milk, one cup of Premier Protein vanilla drink, 2 cups of Quaker old fashioned oats, 2 tablespoons vanilla, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt. Delicious!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Traci! xo
Kiera says
One to avoid. This doesn’t work at all and burns every time. Far better to use the steam setting for lovely oats.
Oh no! We’re so sorry that’s been your experience, Kiera! Is it possible you’re using milk in place of the water? That’s caused issues with burning for other readers.
CHERYL says
Turned out Great!! So easy ;)
Yay! Thanks so much, Cheryl!
Judy says
Thank you for posting this – it prompted me to get my never-used Instant Pot out of the pantry in order to try this! Two weekends ago I tried a slow-cooker recipe overnight and it wasn’t good. Last weekend I made oatmeal on the stove-top, stirring, stirring, stirring! It was good, but annoying to make and the oats weren’t creamy enough. Google led me here and this morning I tried this simple recipe; delicious, creamy, and easy! I used half skim milk and half water…no burning whatsoever. This is my new go-to for making oatmeal for my family…thank you!
We’re so glad this recipe was a success for you, Judy! Yay for hands-off oats! Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
Allison says
Thanks so much. Im trying this recipe per my usual setting and your recommendation — manual / high pressure. When do you use other settings, in this case, ‘porridge’?
Hi Allison, we almost always use the manual settings vs. the presets! But our understanding is that it can be used for rice pudding or longer cooking grains.
BG says
I used the 4 person portion and followed the instruction but the oatmeal burned and caused the instant pot to stop with Burnt message. How to prevent that?
RP says
I’m so glad I stumbled on this. I love oatmeal, but hate standing around stirring and keeping an eye on it. It’s makes the easiest, creamiest oatmeal. I sometimes do the next day oats cold with greek yogurt and fresh berries. Thanks for the tips.
Woohoo! We’re so glad it’s helpful =) Thank you for sharing!
julia says
I only had quick oats and it still turned out awesome!!!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Julia!
Judy says
Is there a reason to use only non-dairy milk? I typically do not have a non-dairy in the house and thought I would do it with standard dairy milk.
Oh dairy milk will work, fine!
Gem says
Sad times, I’ve tried doing porridge in jam jars before and they turned out okay. Trying this way with half almond milk and half water for the liquids and straight in the bottom of the IP and mixed thoroughly, ended up with the burn message and sure enough the oats were stuck to the pot. Anyone know what could have gone wrong? Did 1 Cup oats to 2 & 1/2 liquids. Quite new to this & thought it was nifty if you could get away with not doing pot in pot.
Hmm, did you give it a stir before cooking? Not sure why you’d be getting a burn message with that ratio of dry to wet ingredients.
Donna says
This happened to me too. I used 3 cups of oats and 7 cups of rice milk. I got a food burn message even before the pressure cooking began. I might try again with different settings and report back. The thought of hands-free oats for a family of 6 is very appealing :)
Thank you for all your recipes. They are all so delicious. xx
Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Donna. We’re not sure what would be causing that, but will do some experimenting on our end as well. Let us know if you figure it out!
Mandy says
Try sautéing your oats first.
Hi Donna, we did some more experimenting and couldn’t replicate the issue. Are you using old-fashioned rolled oats? Did you make sure to stir before cooking?
Donna says
Hi, I am in Ireland (Happy St Patricks Day!) and I’m using Jumbo Oats. The description on the pack says its a ‘whole uncut oat that is rolled’. I am definitely stirring before cooking and also tried the instant pot on lower temp and got the same message. I was thinking maybe they are too heavy and are ‘sinking’ to the bottom of the IP and burning.
I’ve used only rice milk and wondering if half water/ half DF milk would work better. I did make a lovely mess with the overflow in the instant pot and haven’t gotten around to more experimenting yet :)
Let me know if you have any insight.
Thanks so much for your help
Donna.
Thanks for this additional info! We’d definitely suggest only using half water. Hope that helps!
Lexie says
This also happens to me. I’ve tried it multiple times and looooove how the not burned part comes out. But I hate having to clean up all of the mess from the burn every time, so if you figure it out please let me know! So good :)
Hi Lexie, are you using half water and half dairy-free milk? Or only dairy-free milk? What type of milk?
Lexie says
After reading your comment it gave me one more idea so I tried it and it worked! I had been using 1 part oats 2.5 parts milk, but I tried substituting the milk for half milk and half water. Also I used the pressure cooker on level low. Not sure which one did it, but it worked! Yay!!! I assumed I could do whole part with actual milk… I’m trying to get it into my little ones diet in any sneaky way I can. But maybe that doesn’t work?
We’re so glad it worked better! Thanks for the update! Based on other readers who have had this issue, it does sound like using all milk causes problems.
Ella says
I seriously did not know oatmeal could be this good. I have made it every single morning on the stove for years, but I tried this recipe today and it was PERFECT! The creamiest, most delicious oats I have ever had. I used 1 cup of rolled oats and 2 cups of cashew milk, and I was able to prepare my toppings while it cooked instead of constantly stirring and adjusting the heat. Total game changer! Thank you for this recipe, Dana!!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ella =) Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Alycia says
I love the texture of the oatmeal and how hands off it is! Made it with 3 cups of oats and 7 cups unsweetened almond milk. Thanks for all the instant pot recipes!
You’re so welcome! We’re glad you enjoy them! Thanks for sharing, Alycia!
Chuck says
Are these oats, as reheated via a microwave? Any recommendations to keep them tasting great, creamy, and not to thick/thin using a microwave as a reheating method?
Definitely, reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a bit more dairy-free milk as needed to rehydrate.
Linda says
Hi Dana Thanks for the recipe. I want to make 4 cups of oats with 10 cups of almond milk. Do I change the cooking time from 2 minutes ? If so, what would be the best time to set the IP ?
Hi Linda, there’s no need to change the cook time. The only thing you need to be careful about is whether it will fit in your Instant Pot. For foods that expand, Instant Pot recommends not filling past the 1/2 line. Hope that helps!
Lisa says
I really dislike this website! The recipes are great, but all of the ads make my computer so slow!! I get so frustrated that I don’t actually end up making anything.
Sorry for the inconvenience, Lisa! We always try to optimize for user experience, while also having ads to keep the content free. We’ll give it a look to see if we can make any improvements!
Evie Harris says
Hello! I just wanted to say that I love your recipes. I made this recipe this morning, and it worked really well! It produced filling, soft, creamy oats that my family loved. I used 1.75 cups of old-fashioned oats, 1.5 cups of flax milk, and 1.5 cups of water. I served it with chia seeds.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Evie!!