Homemade Instant Oatmeal |Cooking With Amanda

My kids are weird kids because they will only ever eat oatmeal from a packet. Is this exclusive to my children? I'd feel better if it wasn't. But it might be an affliction that extends to all sorts of people, because we have a little cafe here that offers oatmeal as a side with breakfast -- one packet or two.

I swear I can't make this stuff up.

Anyway. Before this school year started back in August I put together a recipe for homemade fluffy pancake mix. It's one of our favorite pantry staples to keep on hand -- you just stir up a cup of mix, an egg, and a cup of milk for the biggest fattest pancakes ever. I decided to extend this homemade pantry staple principle to maple and brown sugar oatmeal, which has been my favorite since I was a kid.

I had two goals in mind with this recipe: first, that my kids would actually eat homemade oatmeal, and second, that my homemade oatmeal would rival those magic little packets that are apparently so amazing that they wiggle their way onto restaurant menus.

The first thing you'll need is quick oats. I actually never ever have quick oats on hand; I only ever buy old fashioned oats. If old fashioned oats are what's hanging around your house, do not fret. A quick pulse in a food processor or blender will turn your old fashioned oats into quick oats in less than a minute.

This homemade instant oatmeal with maple and brown sugar takes less than 5 minutes to make, including the time it took me to pulse those old fashioned oats.

To serve, you just add hot water -- close to boiling, but that's not entirely necessary. I'm one of those weirdos with no microwave, so my water usually boils on the stove before I pour it.

Your quick reference is: 1 cup mix + 1 cup hot water + 1 tablespoon maple syrup = OATMEAL

You can use more or less maple syrup according to taste.

For oatmeal on the go, I love these oatmeal berry crumb bars. If you find yourself in a rush, this apple cider oatmeal or these oatmeal smoothies might do the trick.

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Homemade Instant Oatmeal Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Instant Oatmeal Mix:

6 cups quick oats
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional

To Make the Oatmeal:

1/2 cup hot water, heated to at least a slight simmer
1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the quick oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
Store in an airtight container.
To make the oatmeal, mix 1/2 cup of the oatmeal mix with 1/2 cup hot water. Drizzle the maple syrup over the top, and stir until the oats are all moist and cooked through.

Notes

If you do not have quick oats on hand, you can pulse old fashioned oats in a blender or food processor. It won't take much -- just enough to cut the whole oats down a little bit.
I like mine with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, but 1 ½ teaspoons tastes a little more similar to what's sold in instant oat packets.