Stop buying oatmeal packets and make your own homemade instant oatmeal! As easy as combining oats with your favorite nuts, dried fruit and spices.
Raise your hand if you secretly love maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal. (Raises hand.) Raise your hand if you are hungry 30 minutes after consuming said packet of instant oatmeal. (Raises hand.)
Making your own instant oatmeal is as easy as combining oats with your favorite dried fruit, nuts, brown sugar and spices.
Here are a few tricks to making it extra special so that your family will gobble it up:
Secrets to adding flavor to oatmeal:
1) Toast The Nuts: By popping the chopped walnuts and almonds in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, the natural oils are released and the end result is a warm, nutty and toasted flavor that you wouldn’t get using raw nuts.
2) Add Fruit. I love raisins, don’t get me wrong. But why not give a shout out to your other favorite dried fruits? Apricots, cranberries, cherries, dates, figs… go crazy with your dried-fruit-loving self.
3) Sneak in Nutrition: Flax seed meal and toasted wheat germ does a body good and I guarantee your children will not notice it’s in there. I do guarantee their bodies will appreciate the omega-3’s, zinc, protein, B vitamins, fiber and other goodies.
Make Your Own Homemade Instant Oatmeal Mix
Ingredients
- 8 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 cups dried fruit chopped - I used raisins and dried apricots
- 2 cups nuts chopped - I used walnuts and almonds
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup flax seed meal
- 1/4 cup cinnamon
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon nutmeg
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spread chopped nuts in an even layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast nuts for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combing all ingredients including toasted nuts. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.
- To serve: scoop out 1 cup of the oatmeal mixture and place in a bowl with 1/2 cup water or milk. Microwave for 90 seconds or until liquid is absorbed.
Video
Recipe Notes:
This is the perfect thing, now that it has become too cold for overnight oats. I added 1/4c chia seeds, and reduced the salt a hair, but not by much. The aroma while it’s cooking is heavenly, also! Thanks for making my workday breakfasts so easy and delicious.
I’m so glad you like it!!
This great! I am an older endurance athlete and I have been paying a fortune for Umpqua instant oatmeal. This way I can customize it to suit me. This recipe is a great base to build what you want.
Dried apricots and cardamom instead of other spices.
Want it savory? Use sage, golden raisins, less sugar, and perhaps buttery toasted pinon nuts. Look at Middle Eastern and Moroccan style spices mixtures for savory sweet.
There are just a ton of ways to customize this.
Salt? I think anyone with any sort of intelligence to follow a recipe should know a recipe is, for the most part, a general road map you can customize. A short run for me is 10 miles, in New Mexico heat. I NEED that extra bit of salt. But if it is an issue, be smart, don’t add it, or adjust to suit you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this!!!!
This recipe was….okay. I’m about to make it again, cut the salt in half, double the sugar, and don’t include cloves and nutmeg. I also microwave it with 1 cup of oats to 1 cup of water for 90 seconds.
You should try it sometime with blueberries mixed in and drizzled with peanut butter!
Wondering what type of salt people are using and if that’s making the “salty difference”? I’m not sure why people can’t tell beforehand if salt or cinnamon levels are going to be too much. If you’re sensitive to it, wouldn’t you know and adjust accordingly up front?
I’m not sure either to be honest. I use Kosher salt. :)
Oh my god the salt. You really should edit this recipe for future users. I wasted all those ingredients, and I can see from the comments section many folks felt the same. This was the worst recipe I’ve ever made from online.
Hi Anon, I am going to politely agree to disagree. The salt balances out the sweetness of the sugar and dried fruit. That said, you’re welcome to make it your own and leave it out!
I just made a batch of this last night and tried it myself today. It is SO SALTY!! I can’t even taste any other flavors! Is there a way to fix this batch, other than making another with NO salt to add to it? My kids might not even eat this and I have already wasted all these ingredients. I’m so bummed-this looked like a keeper ????.
Hi Julie Ann, We make this all the time so i Just want to make sure: did you use four teaspoons? Not tablespoons, right? Just making sure. In general, 4 teaspoons works well with 1/4 cup cinnamon, 8 cups of oats, 2 cups dried fruit, 2 cups nuts and 1/2 cup brown sugar. That said, you can just add more oats and cinnamon and that should fix it!
Home made granola and yogurt or Oatmeal!
How awesome is this!!!
I just made this and the cinnamon is way overpowering. Next time I will use only 1/2 of the cinnamon called for. As is, I cannot taste the fruit or nuts bacause of the cinnamon.
Hi Melissa – I’m sorry the cinnamon flavor was too strong! I’ve made it for several friends and family with less and they always ask for more. I guess everyone prefers it a bit differently but regardless I’m hopeful you will try it again and make it your own way next time with less cinnamon! I also love using different fruits and nuts depending on what I have on hand. Very customizable! Enjoy!
I recently discovered your website and I’m enjoying trying out your recipes in an effort to be healthier. I love the taste of the roasted nuts in this oatmeal, but I find it really salty. I think I would leave out the salt altogether if I make this recipe again.
Aren’t roasted nuts the best? Feel free to adjust salt in any of my recipes – it is all up to personal preference. Enjoy!!
Smells delicious, but has too much salt. Otherwise I’m certain it much be wonderful. Guess I’ll be making a double batch and not add anymore salt. Next week for breakfast hopefully….
Sophia: Please make it your own and skip the salt!! The great thing about making your own instant oatmeal is that you don’t have to have ingredients found in the packets (like sodium.) :-) Enjoy and please let me know how it turns out!!
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My easiest breakfast (besides oatmeal) is homemade whole-grain toast and yogurt. I use plain yogurt and mix in fresh fruit, toasted walnuts, wheat germ, and a touch of honey and cinnamon!
I like making different varieties (strawberry banana, peach coconut, aplle cinnemon, etc) of refrigerated overnight oatmeal in cute little 8oz mason jars. It’s so easy for the kids to grab one and eat. I also enjoy them about 10 am at work for a late morning snack.
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white eggs on whole toast