How to Make Instant Pot Oatmeal

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Instant Pot oatmeal is a healthy breakfast that comes together in, well, an instant! Take the wait out of making steel-cut oats with this simple tutorial on how to make Instant Pot oatmeal.

Oatmeal for breakfast? Yes please. It’s the filling cereal that we turn to for how easy it is to make, its high fiber content, heart-healthy reputation, and because it’s a nice neutral base for all types of tasty spices and toppings.

Yet for something so simple, there are still things to know once you graduate past heating up individual envelopes in the microwave. When you’re ready to get down and cook.  

Types of Oats

The first thing is to know your ingredient and which is going to have the most appeal for your family. Let this be your go-to guide for oatmeal, and in particular, how to make it in your trusty Instant Pot. Completely hands-off and ready in minutes, it’s a breeze—but not all types of oats are suitable for a pressure cooker.

Oatmeal is made from dehusked oats. It’s that simple. From there, it gets a little more involved.  In most grocery stores, there are a few types available: whole groats, steel-cut (sometimes called Irish oats) rolled, quick-cooking and instant. They are all oats, but if you’re making Instant Pot oatmeal, you’re going to want to steer away from instant.

The least processed option is pebbly-looking, nutty-chewy groats. From there, you have steel-cut or Irish. This variety is the best option for your Instant Pot. Steel-cut oats taste a bit earthy and pair well with stronger flavors.

Next up are rolled oats, which are groats that have been steamed and flattened with a roller. Also known as old-fashioned oats, rolled oats are par-cooked during the steaming process. If the flakes are flattened further, you have instant oats.

How to Cook Oatmeal in an Instant Pot

Now that you’ve got that down, let’s talk cooking.

Peek at your beloved Instant Pot. Is there a “Porridge” button? That’s going to be a nice place to start. Here you’re going to need to look up your Instant Pot’s specific directions, but for the most part, it’s pre-programmed timing. There’s usually the option of Normal, More, and Less. Less tends to be 5 minutes and it’s what you’re going to use for steel-cut or rolled oats. You’re always going to want to use Natural Release for 10 minutes.

1. Set a heat-safe bowl on a trivet in the Instant Pot. Add one cup of cold water for a 6-quart and a ¼ cup more for each additional quart.
2. To make the oatmeal, stir together groats, steel-cut oats, or rolled oats with your choice of water or water mixed 50/50 with any milk you prefer in a heat proof bowl. I like to add a tiny dash of pink salt as well.
3. Then, place the bowl on the rack inside the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and seal the valve. Cook under high pressure for 4 minutes.
4. Let the pressure cooker sit and naturally release for 10 minutes. For groats increase the time to 15 minutes. Release any remaining pressure. If the oats haven’t absorbed the water, use the sauté function to simmer until the oatmeal reaches the right consistency.

If you want to cook directly in the Instant Pot, try toasting the oats for a minute using the sauté function for a more robust flavor.

Now you can dress up your oatmeal however you like. Try putting some chopped dried fruit in while you’re cooking, or a pat of butter, or add at the end. Try maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, or the classic raisins or bananas.

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