Oatmeal for One (Single Serving)
Make ultra-creamy and simple Instant Pot Oatmeal for One for a fast breakfast with any of your favorite toppings, no stirring or microwaving necessary. (And it’s easy to double if you’re cooking for two!)
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This oatmeal recipe is super simple, and the best part is that you can eat it right out of the bowl you cook it in!
We’re Instant Pot experts and love a simple breakfast on busy mornings, so you can bet that we’ve tested this single-serving oatmeal countless times so it comes out perfectly.
I like to start it in the morning, go shower, then eat my oatmeal while my hair dries. By using the pressure cooker, this oatmeal will still be hot whenever you’re ready to eat!
You can’t beat this simple oatmeal recipe! It’s one of the best Instant Pot breakfast recipes for busy mornings.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
Really, this is almost a single-ingredient recipe. Here’s what you need to make oatmeal for one in an Instant Pot:
- Oats. We use old-fashioned oats, which cook up thick and creamy. Don’t use quick-cooking oats in this recipe. The timing is for old-fashioned oats.
- Water. Make sure you add some to the cooking pot as well as to the bowl you’re cooking the oats in.
- Salt. Don’t worry, your oatmeal won’t taste salty, this is just a subtle flavor enhancer.
How to Make Oatmeal in an Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
It couldn’t be easier to make this oatmeal recipe. Start with a heatproof serving bowl. Simply stir together the oats, water, and salt. Then place a trivet in the bottom of the pressure cooking pot. Pour a cup of water into the pot, then carefully place the bowl of oats on your trivet.
Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes, wait 5 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. Remove the lid when the valve drops, use a hot pad or mini mitt to get the bowl out of the cooking pot, add your toppings, and enjoy!
Important Tips for Making Instant Pot Oatmeal
The most important thing when making oatmeal for one is to use a large enough bowl. The oats may rise up and expand as they cook, so leave plenty of headroom at the top of the bowl to prevent any overflow.
And don’t forget to add water to your Instant Pot. This creates hot steam under pressure to cook your oats. Otherwise, you’ll get a burn notice on the pressure cooker.
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You can use the trivet that came with your Instant Pot, and a heat-proof serving bowl to make this oatmeal. We have an old ramekin set we’ve been using since our wedding, but this ramekin set is similar.
Frequently Asked Questions about Instant Pot Oatmeal for One
Yes. To make more than one serving, repeat the recipe in a second bowl. Then stack the bowls using a second trivet. There’s no need to change the cook time.
While they may foam a little in the bowl you cook them in, they shouldn’t foam enough to come out of the pressure release valve. (Another benefit of pot-in-pot cooking.)
Unlike making oatmeal in the microwave or on the stovetop, this is a very forgiving recipe with no chance of a mess on your counter. So you can set it up, then walk away. And if you take a little longer than expected, since it’s such a small portion, the pressure will release fairly quickly so the cooking will stop on its own.
Flavor Suggestions for Oatmeal
My favorite oatmeal topping is frozen berries! When you stir frozen berries into your oats, they flavor your breakfast *and* cool it off so you can eat sooner.
We also love serving oatmeal with a fresh homemade fruit compote. Try it with Instant Pot Fresh Berry Compote or Lemon Curd. We also love to top it with fresh-cut strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. (I nearly always make homemade whipped cream for desserts, but I keep a can in the fridge for quick breakfasts.)
But there are so many other ways to add flavor and texture to your oatmeal! Try a drizzle of maple syrup or a sprinkle of brown sugar for sweetness. My kids feel extra fancy when I add chocolate chips to their oatmeal. (I prefer the mini kind so they don’t eat as many chocolate chips per bite.)
For crunch, top your oatmeal with chopped nuts, seeds, or granola. You also can’t go wrong with a spoonful of nut butter.
More Instant Pot Oats Recipes
Try these other healthy and easy breakfast recipes next:
- Savory Instant Pot Mushroom Thyme Oatmeal has an unexpected savory flavor with fresh veggies and herbs.
- Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats taste like fall and are perfect for a before-school meal.
- How to Make Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot is our go-to recipe for hearty oats, and our how-to guide will teach you to make it with any number of flavorings and toppings.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Oatmeal for One | Instant Pot recipe
This is the easiest breakfast of Instant Pot Oatmeal for One with old-fashioned oats and your favorite toppings. Best of all, you cook it pot-in-pot in the bowl you'll eat it in.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup water
- Pinch salt
- Desired toppings, such as berries, brown sugar,
Instructions
- In a small, deep, ovenproof bowl with at least a 2-cup capacity, stir together the oats, water, and salt. Put a trivet in the pressure cooking pot and add 1 cup water. Place the bowl on the trivet. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 2 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Stir the oatmeal and serve hot with your choice of toppings.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 10gSugar: 12gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
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Came out great. I use thick cut oats, so increased pressure time to 3 minutes, I like them soft.
My oatmeal was done fine, though I needed more water–I like a soft oatmeal. The water in the pot had boiled off. So next time I’ll try it with a lil more water for both. Pot in pot newb, less to clean up is nice.
Glad you enjoyed the oatmeal. I would run a water test to make sure you’re pot is sealing properly. https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/instant-pot-water-test/ You shouldn’t see any steam coming out around the sides of the lid while it’s coming to pressure. For the pot to boil dry with a 2 minute cook time and 1 cup of water is unusual.
I made “oatmeal for one” this morning and it turned out very creamy and yummy. Best of all, easy cleanup! I did change the amounts to 1/3 cup oatmeal and 2/3 cup water as I knew it would be very filling. I will be putting this in my rotation for breakfast and the ramekins are fun (another use for them!). Thanks for another easy and yummy recipe!
I make oatmeal quite often in my 8 qt instant pot. Your recipe does not work for me. Perhaps I have a “bad pot”. I cook on hi-pressure for eleven minutes. Release natural. Still a bit runny but tender and flavorful.
What are you’re thoughts on my pot?
Hi Larry – if the oats were tender, then I don’t think you have a bad pot. Did you remember to use a 5 minute natural pressure release before releasing the pressure? You could increase the natural release time to 10 minutes or use a little less water for thicker oats.
How would you tweak this for steel cut oats?
Hi Katrina – steel cut oats need a longer cook time and more water. Increase the water to 1 1/2 cups and increase the cook time to 10 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release.
As always the instructions are excellent, and I can see why you advise using the old-fashioned rolled oats rather than quick oats for this instant pot method of cooking them: quick oats do cook more quickly. However, please don’t perpetuate the myth that “quick oats” aren’t as healthy as the old-fashioned cut! They have the same nutritional value as old-fashioned oats because they’re processed the same way (they’re both “rolled oats”) but are cut more finely, so that they cook faster.
For those who like their oats as “porridge,” the quick oats are great and just as nutritious. I simply cover my morning quick oats with water, add a pinch of salt, and cook in a microwave for 2 minutes. Old-fashioned oats take a wee bit longer to cook in the microwave and result in a chewier oatmeal — also delicious, but not more nutritious.
Admittedly, the term “quick oats” is easily confused with “instant oats,” which are usually precooked and often contain added sugar and flavourings. That’s where to differences in nutritional value may be found.
Can this be made with milk?
Hi Judith – I haven’t tried it with milk, but since it’s made pot in pot and won’t’ scorch, I think it should work well. Let me know if you try it.
I wondered about making it with milk too. How did it turn out?
Could this be doubled for (2) servings?
Hi Mary Beth – Yes. To make more than one serving, repeat the recipe in a second bowl. Then stack the bowls using a second trivet. There’s no need to change the cook time.