Here is my go-to basic homemade instant oatmeal mix plus ideas to personalize your own. Make it in a few minutes on Sunday night and have easy weekday mornings.
My love for a good hot breakfast bowl began young. One story my mom loves to tell involves my mispronunciation of “cream of wheat” as a toddler. She finds it cute and endearing. I find it…a little mortifying, in part because I don’t like cream of wheat anymore. But I do love oatmeal, which is complete 180 from my childhood preference. Go figure. I’ve previously shared my apple cinnamon baked oatmeal that I often meal-prep with in order to get that filling, hearty, warmth I crave on weekday mornings. This is a fantastic way to get my hot breakfast fix but, as the late, great Marvin Gaye said, ain’t nothing like the real thing. Sometimes, I just want a steaming bowl of oatmeal that I can stir up and add a splash of milk to, ya know? Here’s how you can get it any day of the week.
I eat breakfast at my desk during the work week and share an office fridge with about twenty other people so I had to think strategically about how best to achieve homemade oatmeal Mondays through Fridays. Yes, there are instant oatmeal bowls available at the grocery store and I tried them out but was not impressed. I mean, they were OK but there wasn’t one that was just right for me. There’s nothing currently on the shelf called “Jazzmine’s Mix” so I made my own homemade oatmeal mix and it was perfect. 🙂 About a week ago, I threw a week’s worth of oats and my favorite dry mix-ins into a gallon-sized zip top bag, shook it up, and ate like a queen each morning. It was truly glorious. Plus, no artificial ingredients. Speaking of the ingredients, here’s my basic combination.
Homemade Instant Oatmeal Mix Ingredients
- Old fashioned or steel cut oats
- Apple, cut into cubes
- Walnut halves
- Raisins or golden raisins
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Sea salt
If this doesn’t do it for you, keep scrolling for a few more combination ideas (there’s chocolate involved).
The prep process takes about five minutes upfront then less than two minutes each morning! You have two minutes. You do. Speaking of time, a blogger I follow named Katey McFarlan often talks about that feeling of time-compression being a thief of joy. I agree. Through Dash of Jazz, I try to share ways you can make time for something very important to me: quality, delicious, nurturing food. Just as I find it important to make time for our physical nourishment, I believe incorporating time for spiritual nourishment and growth in Christ is paramount. I encourage everyone to find the time to feed your bodies and spirits well. Everything else will fall into place.
Homemade Oatmeal Mix-In Ideas
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Mix
- 1 cup apple chips
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup walnut halves
Banana Nut Oatmeal Mix
- 1 cup dried banana chips
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Cherry Almond Oatmeal Mix
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup sliced almonds
Chocolate Treat Oatmeal Mix
- 1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup pretzel pieces
I hope this homemade oatmeal mix gets you right for the workweek, school week or whatever you’ve got going on. Check out this protein overnight oatmeal and these blueberry oatmeal muffins, too.Thanks for reading!
Easy instant oatmeal mix made with all natural ingredients at home
- 6 cups old fashioned or steel cut oats
- 1 large apple cut into cubes (I typically use Honeycrisp apples)
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- 1 cup raisins or golden raisins
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 dash of ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
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Add all ingredients to a gallon-sized zipper bag or a large food storage container and seal.
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Shake and toss the bag until ingredients are well mixed. Keep this refrigerated if using fresh fruit.
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To serve, just add enough hot liquid to achieve your desired consistency, stir, and eat.
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