How to Make Oatmeal in the Microwave

If you’re in a time crunch, making oatmeal in the microwave is quick and easy. Here are my tips for how to make oatmeal in the microwave!

Back in the early days of blogging, I made slow-cooked stove-top oatmeal nearly every morning. It was a ritual that I loved from start to finish: the stirring, the creaminess, the toppings. These days, mornings are a bit different, and with kids to get out the door and then a limited number of school-day hours to get my work, workout, and household tasks complete, I am more about the quick breakfast! Most days, Thomas and I share a super efficient green smoothie. But sometimes I make oatmeal – in the microwave!

And guess what happens to be Birch’s favorite breakfast? Microwave oats, plain and simple style (banana chunks would freak him out!).

Check out all of my creative oatmeal recipes here!

Can You Make Oatmeal in the Microwave?

While cooking steel cut oats in the microwave might prove difficult, a few factors lead to an easy process for quick cooking oats. There are a few science-y things to take into consideration.

You’ll want to make sure oats get to a high enough temperature for gelatinization
- Oats contain starch that absorbs water and gelatinizes when heated. As the temperature rises, starch granules swell, absorb water, and thicken the mixture. Microwaving rapidly heats the liquid (milk or water), causing faster gelatinization. If you’re looking for the creamiest bowl of oatmeal ever, try this recipe: how to make creamy oatmeal.
Cook in a few time blocks and stir in between
- Microwaves heat food through dielectric heating, where water molecules oscillate and generate heat. Oats absorb microwaves unevenly, so stirring is necessary to distribute heat and ensure even cooking.
Use a big enough bowl that it won’t overflow
- As starch gelatinizes, it increases in viscosity. If the bowl is too small or the microwave power is too high, the oatmeal may overflow as steam bubbles rise through the thickening mixture.
Use a medium power setting
- Think lower and slower vs. super fast heat. My microwave has a power level dial that I put on about 60-70% power.
Container Shape and Material:
- A wide, shallow container allows for more even cooking and reduces the risk of overflow. Microwave-safe materials like glass or ceramic distribute heat more evenly than plastic. Plus you probably don’t want to put plastic in your microwave anyways!
Allow to cool
- The oats will thicken a little as they cool, so allow to sit a few minutes after cooking is done.

Which oats are best for the microwave?

While stove-top oatmeal is often made with steel cut or old fashioned rolled oats, quick oats are my go-to for microwave oatmeal because they cook the fastest. Why is this? An increase in surface area (because they’ve been cut and rolled).

All of the different types of oats have the same nutrition but the surface area and cooking time is what varies.

Steel cut oats = cut only
Quick steel cut oats = cut and steamed
Old fashioned rolled oats = cut and rolled
Quick cooking oats = cut, rolled, and steamed
Instant oatmeal packets = often the quickest cooking and often with lots of sugar if flavored.

How Do You Cook Oatmeal in the Microwave

You can make easy microwave oatmeal with water or milk. Use just water, half water/half milk, or all milk. The cooking times may vary slightly depending on which combination you use. Because I generally am not adding as many mix-ins to oatmeal made in the microwave, I tend to keep the base more simple and do all my adding and toppings at the end. Feel free to use non-dairy milk alternatives like soy milk or oat milk, too, but keep in mind the fat content may slightly change the cooking time as well.

Ingredients

1/2 cup quick oats
1 scant cup whole milk
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Step 1: Scoop oats into microwave safe bowl

Step 2: Add liquids

Step 3: Microwave at 60-70% power for 1 minute; then stir

Step 4: Microwave for another minute at 60-70% power, stir again

Step 5: Continue until desired consistency is reached

Depending on your microwave and volume, you might have to do a few rounds. I take mine out a little before it gets too thick and allow to cool slightly. It will thicken in 1-2 minutes outside of the microwave to the perfect consistency!

Jazz up oatmeal with toppings and protein:

I have a specific Protein Oatmeal Recipe if you’d like to go heavy on the protein! Other favorites are cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and protein powder stirred in.