The school season is upon us. Some students have already started and several more will start soon. We are enjoying our last couple weeks of Summer and preparing to head back into the routine of the school year.
One of our struggles during the school year, is having a quick breakfast before heading out the door. And starting their day (or yours) with a good breakfast is important. There’s nothing like a steamy bowl of hot oatmeal filled with fruit, nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon to start the day.
By spending just 10 minutes or so, you can make up these Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets and save time in the morning and money in your pocket.
For the next couple weeks, we will be sharing recipes that are quick – easy – and kid friendly for Back to School. This week we are focusing on Breakfast. So stay tuned while we help get you ready for the school year!
I have to confess, I’m a fan of the instant oatmeal you can buy at the store. We all like the fruit flavored variety, and although it’s just a few dollars, that can add up. Especially if you are looking to trim your grocery budget and eat healthy.
I’m pretty sure those oatmeal packets are good for you, but there is just something about knowing what ingredients you are eating makes all the difference.
We started with a recipe from Andrea Dekker, and changed it to suit our taste. The basic recipe has oatmeal, instant dry milk powder, brown sugar and cinnamon. Then we added dried fruit – a combination of plums, cranberries, cherries and blueberries, chopped pecans and raisins.
We started with a recipe from Andrea Dekker, and changed it to suit our taste. The basic recipe has oatmeal, instant dry milk powder, brown sugar and cinnamon. Then we added dried fruit – a combination of plums, cranberries, cherries and blueberries, chopped pecans and raisins.Mix all in ingredients together in a large bowl.
And then add a heaping 1/2 cup of the mixture into resealable bags.
Now the Oatmeal Packets are ready for a quick breakfast! Here are a few tips we found helpful…
- Mix all the fruit and nuts into the oatmeal mixture, or if you prefer you can leave them out and add them when you cook the oatmeal. We found mixing them in to be much quicker.
- This batch made 9 servings, depending on how heaping you make your measuring cup, you could stretch it out to 10 possibly.
- You can either add milk or water and cook in the microwave, or if you prefer your oatmeal soft and cooked a bit more (like I do), you can heat the milk or water on the stovetop to boiling and then add the packet of oatmeal, cook about 1-2 minutes or until thick.
To serve, add more fruit and milk if you like.
Print
Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets
- Total Time: 12 minutes
Description
Super quick and healthy breakfast. Recipe on PocketChangeGourmet.com
Ingredients
- 5 cup oats, quick cooking
- 1/3 cup instant dry milk powder
- 2/3 cups brown sugar, packed firmly
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 cup dried fruit – we used plums, cranberries, cherries and blueberries
- 1/2 cup nut, chopped – we used pecans
- 1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir to combine all ingredients *see notes
- Add a heaping 1/2 cup of mixture to resealable bag
Cooking
- Add 3/4 – 1 cup milk or water to a small saucepan and heat to boiling on stove
- Add oatmeal packet and cook 1-2 minutes or until thick
Microwave
- Add oatmeal packet to microwave safe bowl
- Add 3/4 – 1 cup milk or water to oatmeal and stir
- Heat 1-2 minutes on high
Serve
- Enjoy with additional dried fruit or nuts and milk to taste
Notes
You can add the fruit and nuts into the mixture or leave them out and add just be serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
Follow along as we share Back to School Recipes to make your life easier!
Linking to…Gooseberry Patch
11 Comments
What a great idea! I rely on the store-bought packets but this seems so much more economical. Thanks!
Thanks so much for stopping by Melanie!
Do you know how long the packets usually last for?
Hi Jessica, We usually use ours up pretty quickly. But I would think in an airtight bag and/or container they should last at least a month.
Why the dry milk? The rest sounds awesome. I can usually stuff the homemade packets back into the jug we got our oatmeal in for easy storage.
I was thrilled to find your recipe yesterday! You have made camping trips yummier. I changed it up a bit to accomodate what I had in the pantry, and I love how much cinnamon you put in there. Thanks!
Hi Stacy, so glad you like the oatmeal packets. Using them for camping is a great idea!
~Liz
Hi! All I have on hand is non-instant buttermilk blend-will that work as a sub for the dry milk? Thanks!
Hi Cory, if it’s dry milk than yes it will work. Sorry I’m not familiar with non-instant buttermilk blend.
~Liz
Looking for a quick opinion, since I’m NOT a smart food storage person! I’m going to Africa for 1 year and plan to bring oatmeal with me. I thought of doing pre-mixed oatmeal and putting it in vacuum seal bags. Do you think this would keep, or would all of the ingredients together spoil over time?
Hi Rebecca, I am not an expert either. I always tend to stay on the safe side of food storage, so I would suggest not packing it.
~Liz