Creamy Instant Pot Oatmeal

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This is the best Creamy Instant Pot Oatmeal for a family. Made with a few simple ingredients, this easy, hands-off breakfast makes endless variations based on whatever you have on hand. 

A close up picture of Instant Pot oatmeal served in a white bowl and topped with blackberries, blueberries and pecans.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is the creamiest oatmeal recipe that’s great for busy mornings or entertaining. You can customize the flavor to your liking, and it’s as simple as dump and go!

Ever since we published our single-serving Instant Pot oatmeal recipe, you all have been asking for a big-batch recipe. And we’re thrilled to share it with you today!

This is one of our favorite Instant Pot breakfast recipes because it’s hands-off, healthy, and satisfying. I love to serve it with a fruit compote (blueberry, cherry, strawberry, or whatever is in season) or with a generous amount of maple syrup and chopped nuts.

Ingredients for Instant Pot oatmeals, including rolled oats, salt, butter, brown sugar, and water.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

You only really need three ingredients to make these oats, plus a few optional extras:

  • Oats. We use old-fashioned rolled oats for the creamiest oatmeal.
  • Salt. This is key for bringing out the natural sweetness in the oats. 
  • Brown sugar. This is optional but delicious! 
  • Butter. This is also optional, but it’s great for enriching your oats so they’re super creamy and satisfying. It also helps them to foam less while pressure cooking.

How to Make Creamy Oatmeal in an Instant Pot

Making this creamy oatmeal really couldn’t be simpler! All you need to do is combine the butter (if you’re using it), water, salt, and oats in the pressure cooking pot. Then cook on high pressure for 2 minutes and let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.

After this, release any remaining pressure manually, then open the lid and give your oats a good stir. 

They’re ready to serve as-is, but if you like thicker oats, you can let them sit in the hot pressure cooking pot for a few minutes to absorb some of the liquid. Enjoy!

An overhead picture of Instant Pot oatmeal served in a white bowl and topped with blackberries, blueberries and pecans, with more oatmeal in the background.

Important Tips for Making Instant Pot Oatmeal

  • Note that this recipe is written for a 6-quart pressure cooker. If you’re cooking in an 8-quart Instant Pot, you’ll need to double the recipe or add more water. Adding more water will give you thinner oats, however. 
  • If your pressure cooker cooks at a higher wattage (such as the Instant Pot Pro or any of the air fryer models), or one that frequently gives you a burn notice, add a little more water. 
  • You can substitute the brown sugar for regular granulated sugar, or another sweetener of choice, such as maple syrup or honey. 
  • Don’t leave out the salt! It’s the key to elevating the flavor of your meal. 
  • If you like really soft oats, you can add 1 or 2 minutes to the cooking time. 
A close up picture of Instant Pot oatmeal in white bowl, topped with coconut, strawberries, chocolate chips, and sliced bananas.

Frequently Asked Questions about Instant Pot Oatmeal

Can I store leftovers?

Yes, store oatmeal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. This is a great make-ahead breakfast for meal prep. 

What toppings should I serve the oatmeal with?

We like to pour a little whole milk or cream over the oats. Or add fresh or dried fruit, a sprinkle of cinnamon, chopped nuts or granola, or your favorite sweetener. Brown or white sugar, maple syrup, or honey are all tasty. 

Can I use quick-cooking oats?

You can use quick-cooking or instant oats, but the texture may be much mushier, as these oats cook very fast!

Can I use steel-cut oats?

Here’s our complete guide on how to make Instant Pot steel cut oats. It’s one of our favorite hearty breakfasts, so we’ve made several steel cut oatmeal flavors over the years.

Since steel cut oats are much thicker than rolled, you need to use more water and cook them longer at pressure to get super soft oats, so I wouldn’t use this recipe.

A white bowl filled with oatmeal topped with blackberries, blueberries, and pecans, placed in front of an Instant Pot, with brown sugar in the background.

More Instant Pot Oats Recipes

Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Instant Pot Oatmeal for One (or Two) cooks right in the bowl you’ll eat it in, so you have one less dish to clean.

Steel Cut Oats: We love this hearty breakfast, so we’ve shared several flavor variations over the last 10 years, including Lemon Blueberry Steel Cut Oats, Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oats, Vanilla Latte Steel Cut Oats, and Cinnamon Roll Steel Cut Oats.

More Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes

Looking for recipes you can serve alongside oatmeal? Or just love making breakfast in your Instant Pot? Try one of these next:

Lemon-Cranberry-Breakfast-Farro in a white bowl

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An overhead picture of Instant Pot oatmeal served in a white bowl and topped with blackberries, blueberries and pecans, with more oatmeal in the background.

Oatmeal in an Instant Pot

Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
This is the creamiest Instant Pot Oatmeal using rolled oats, brown sugar and butter plus your favorite toppings for a warm, hands-off breakfast.
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 4 cups water*
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional Ingredients & Toppings

  • 1 tablespoon butter optional
  • 1 tablespoon to 1/2 cup brown sugar optional (1/4 cup is my preference)
  • Additional toppings milk or cream, fruit compotes, fresh or dried fruit, cinnamon, chopped nuts or granola, and your favorite sweetener—brown or white sugar, or maple syrup

Instructions

  • If using, add the butter to the pan. Add the water, salt, oats, and sugar if using. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 2 minutes** cook time.
  • When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker and allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops carefully remove the lid.
  • Stir the oats well. If you prefer thicker oats, allow them to sit for a few minutes until they reach your desired consistency.
  • Serve with your favorite oatmeal toppings. 

Video

Notes

*This oats-to-water ratio is for a 6-quart pressure cooker. If you're making this in an 8-quart or larger, you will need to double the recipe or add more water to the cooking point. If you are making this in a 3-quart, you will need to half the recipe to avoid foaming.
**Add 1-2 minutes if you like really soft oats.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 204mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g

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