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Homemade Instant Oatmeal is always a hit in our house! They are so easy to make that the kids are able to help me assemble and label them. I originally made these for a friend who has kiddos with a lot of allergies. Making Instant Oatmeal Packs homemade allowed me to control the ingredients that went into them, and it is just as easy as a store-bought pack to cook (and a fraction of the price).

How To Make Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packs

Gather Your Ingredients

Gather the ingredients for the base recipe, and whatever add-ins you want to flavor your Instant Oatmeal Packs.

Base Recipe

⅓ cup instant oats
pinch salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
snack size ziplock bags

Fruit Add-Ins – 2 tbsp

Dried fruits make a great addition to oatmeal. Freeze-dried fruit is simply that, just fruit. You can find it at your local grocery store, Trader Joe’s or even on Amazon. It rehydrates instantly in water, and although it is a little bit pricer than the dehydrated variety, it works best in oatmeal. The big difference between the two is that dehydrated fruits can have additives and do not rehydrate as well as freeze-dried. Whatever variety of dried fruit you choose, your oatmeal will be delicious. Add 2 tbsp of your freeze dried fruit of choice to each oatmeal packet.

Healthy Additives – 1-2 tbsp

You can add 1-2 tbsp of ground flax seed, chia seed, hemp seeds, wheat bran, wheat germ or oat bran to your oatmeal packets to boost the nutritional value.  

Extra Protein – 2 tbsp

Add extra protein to oatmeal packets by adding 2 tbsp of protein powder or peanut butter powder to each packet.  

Cream – 1 tbsp

Turn any oatmeal packet into the cream variety by adding 1 tbsp of powdered milk to each oatmeal packet.  You can also substitute the powdered milk for powdered coffee creamer, it’s not as healthy, but it adds sweetness, creaminess and flavor. I like French Vanilla Instant Coffee Creamer.

Flavor Varieties

Mix the base recipe with these add-ins to make to make these popular flavors:

Maple Brown Sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar + 1 tbsp maple sugar
Cinnamon Raisin
1/4 tsp cinnamon + 2 tbsp raisins
Banana Nut
2 tbsp dehydrated bananas, crushed + 2 tbsp sliced almonds
Cinnamon Roll
1 tbsp brown sugar + 1/4 tsp cinnamon + 1 tsp powdered milk
Strawberries & Cream
1 tsp powdered milk + 3 tbsp freeze-dried strawberries
Cranberry Almond
2 tbsp craisins + 2 tbsp sliced almonds
Peaches & Cream
3 tbsp dehydrated peaches + 1 tsp powdered milk
Apple Cinnamon
1/4 tsp cinnamon + 3 tbsp dehydrated apples
Pumpkin Spice Latte
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice + 1 tsp powdered milk
Chocolate Chip
2 tbsp mini chocolate chips + 1 tsp powdered milk

Assembling The Packets

The easiest way to make the oatmeal packets is assembly line style.  This is what I have found works best and is most efficient.  This is a great job for kids to help with.

1. Label ziplock bags with oatmeal flavor and cooking instructions. 
2. Pour a 16 oz container or larger of quick oats into a big bowl with a ½ cup measuring cup.
3. Pour salt into a small bowl and pour brown sugar into a medium bowl with a 1 tbsp measuring spoon.
4. Pour any add-ins into small bowls with a measuring spoon, and take the lids off of any spices to make it easy to measure.
5. Scoop ⅓ cup oats, 1 tbsp brown sugar and a pinch of salt into each ziplock bag, and then add any add-ins.  

How To Make The Oatmeal

You can either boil water on the stove or in a kettle and add it to the oats, or dump the packet and water into a bowl and microwave.  This is the safer option for kids who are making the oatmeal themselves for breakfast.

Directions

1. Pour packet into bowl.
2. Add 2/3 cup water and stir.
3. Microwave 1 minute 30 seconds.
4. Remove from microwave and stir.