Instant Pot Oatmeal Fool Proof

Today I’ll show you both methods and walk you through the process step-by-step! If you prefer to watch a video demonstration, I’ve got you covered with all of my tips and tricks for perfect Instant Pot Oatmeal below. The oatmeal won’t turn out too runny this way, and you can always add extra milk or water later, to loosen up the texture.

Method #1: Cooking Oats Directly in the Pot

To cook the oatmeal in the bottom of your Instant Pot, you’ll add the oats and water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Don’t use less than 1 cup of oats and 1.5 cups of water for this method, or you might not have enough liquid to bring the pot to pressure. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Cook at high pressure for zero minutes. Yes, zero minutes is a real setting! When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. When the screen reads L0:10, you can move the steam release valve to Venting, to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve in the lid drops, it’s safe to remove the lid. The oatmeal should be perfectly cooked, and it won’t be stuck to the bottom of your Instant Pot, because you didn’t have the heat on for too long. The longer you let the oatmeal sit there on the “keep warm” setting, however, the more likely it will be to eventually start to stick.

Method #2: Cooking the Oatmeal in a Separate Bowl

Cooking your oatmeal in a separate bowl is a fool-proof way to make sure you don’t get a burn error during the cooking cycle, and it’s perfect when you want to cook a single serving of oats. With this method, you’ll start by pouring 1 cup of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot. Set a trivet on top of that. (I use the one that came with my machine, but others are also available online.) This will keep your bowl of oatmeal lifted up and out of the water, and the water on the bottom is what will boil and bring your machine to pressure. You will use the same ratio of oats to water with this cooking method (1:1.5) but you can make a smaller portion, using only 1/2 cup of oats with 3/4 cup water, if you want to. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Cook at high pressure for 1 minute, then let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. That means you don’t have to do anything to your Instant Pot until the screen reads L0:10. Move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve drops, it’s safe to open the lid. Use oven mitts to remove the bowl of oatmeal from your pressure cooker, as it will be very hot to the touch! I like to transfer the oats to a separate bowl for serving, so I don’t have to hold a hot bowl.

What kind of bowl can you use in the Instant Pot?

If you are using a 6-quart Instant Pot, it needs to be 7-inches or less in diameter. If you have an 8-quart Instant pot, you can use a bowl that is up to 8-inches in diameter, but I still use a 7-inch bowl in that size, too. That way there’s still room around the bowl when it’s placed in your Instant Pot for steam to build up against the lid. Don’t use a bowl that fits snugly in your Instant Pot, or it could be dangerous, with pressure building up under the bowl. The bowl you use also needs to be oven-safe. I’ve used porcelain, tempered glass, and metal cake pans in my machine with success, and I’ve never had anything shatter on me. (I’ve literally used this method hundreds of times while writing my healthy Instant Pot cookbook, so I’m pretty confident in my experiments at this point.)

Troubleshooting Burn Errors

If you see a “burn” error on your Instant Pot screen (sometimes it will say “hot” instead), there are 3 common reasons this happens. I hope this tutorial will help you have perfect Instant Pot Oatmeal every time!

How to Make Larger Servings

If you need to double or triple this recipe, I recommend using Method #1, as long as you don’t fill the pot more than halfway full with oats and water. Cooking starchy foods, like oats, can create a lot of foam in the pot as it comes to pressure, and you don’t want that starchy water to clog anything in the lid. When you increase the recipe, you do NOT have to change the cooking time. It will take longer for the pot to pressurize, so the overall time that the oats are in the Instant pot will be longer, but you don’t need to add any additional minutes.