A Complete Guide to Reheating Oatmeal (Plus recipe ideas!)

Can you reheat oatmeal? Yes, in a few ways! Read this detailed guide on the easiest ways to reheat your oatmeal.

I say this a lot, but oatmeal is one of the healthiest breakfasts you can eat. It only takes a few minutes to make a bowl of oatmeal, and all the toppings can give you energy to last the morning.

A lot of us are super busy though, and don’t always have enough time in our morning schedule to make oatmeal. So we make some up ahead of time to make sure we still get a nutritious breakfast in us.

Can you reheat oatmeal? Yes, you can definitely reheat oatmeal! The fastest way is the microwave, but the stovetop is the best method for heating oatmeal completely and keeping its texture.

Keep reading for more information! In this blog post, I’m covering ways to prep oatmeal and how to store and reheat.

How to make a simple bowl of oatmeal

Honestly, I struggled with the right ratios of oats to liquid. Now I’ve got it down to a science. Here’s how I make an individual serving of oatmeal:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (Also known as rolled oats)
• 1 cup of water or milk

I put it in the microwave and cook for 1 minute 45 seconds. Yours may take 2-3 minutes. Now I’ve got the perfect bowl of warm oatmeal that I can add all sorts of toppings for a healthy breakfast!

Can you make a large batch of oatmeal for the week?

If you like having breakfast ready to go in the mornings, then meal prep is your best option! In fact, oats are one of my most popular breakfast recipes during my weekly sessions.

These are my top 3 ways to meal prep oatmeal:

• Baked oatmeal, using rolled oats
• Overnight oats, using rolled oats
• Slow cooker hot oatmeal, using steel-cut oats

Rolled oats are best with baking and overnight oats, although quick oats could be used instead. Steel cut oats take a long time to cook so the slow cooker is best for that.

Whichever you decide, you can store them in individual containers or Mason jars so all you have to do in the mornings is heat and eat.

Related post: Oatmeal Meal Prep Ideas

How to store oatmeal

I use a few different storage methods for oatmeal, depending on how it’s cooked and how easily I want to prepare it the next morning.

• Small individual containers for individual portions of oatmeal
• Large deep containers for an entire recipe of oatmeal
• Large meal prep containers for baked oatmeal. I can fit 3 pieces in here to save space
• Mason jars for overnight cold oatmeal

All of these containers should be stored in the fridge. The shelf life of oatmeal once it’s been refrigerated is about 5-7 days.

Is it safe to reheat oatmeal after it’s cooled?

Yes! If you don’t plan on finishing the oatmeal right away, place it in the fridge in an airtight container after it’s cooled to room temperature. The longer you keep it out, the bigger risk of your oatmeal developing bacteria.

Can you reheat a plain bowl of oatmeal?

I’ve done this before and it does work. Usually at this point, the oats have absorbed all of the liquid. You may need to a splash of milk or water to loosen it up before you reheat it the next day. This will also help the oatmeal keep its creamy texture.

I also wait until after I heat the oatmeal before adding my favorite toppings:

• Fresh fruit
• Maple syrup or brown sugar
• Peanuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Peanut butter

Can you reheat baked oatmeal?

Baked oatmeal is easy to reheat! You can typically reheat it without having to do anything extra to it like adding liquid. Baked oatmeal is cake-like in texture and it keeps that texture whether it’s cold or reheated.

To make baked oatmeal, you typically mix oats, milk, eggs, baking powder, and other favorite ingredients and bake in the oven. It starts out liquidous, but the texture changes during the cooking process and it becomes almost like a cake.

It’s a healthy meal that can be served alongside a favorite protein for a complete meal. My favorite baked oatmeal recipe is this Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal!

Easiest way to reheat oatmeal

Here are the top 3 ways I recommend reheating your leftover oatmeal. I give instructions for both a regular bowl of oatmeal and baked oatmeal.

Microwave oven

This is the easiest method to reheat oatmeal! The only disadvantage is that the microwave doesn’t always heat food evenly. The outsides may be hot, but the middle may still be cold.

Bowl of oatmeal: Add a splash of water or milk to loosen it up, if desired. Place in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish and heat in 30-second increments. Stir and check to see if you need to heat it more.

Baked oatmeal: Place on a microwave-safe dish and heat for 40-45 seconds until completely heated through.

Stovetop

This method takes second-longest, but is more reliable when it comes to heating your food thoroughly. I recommend only heating regular oatmeal this way, not baked oatmeal.

Oatmeal: Place into a small pot and pour 1-2 tablespoons liquid to loosen up if necessary. Heat the oatmeal on low heat for 5-7 minutes until the oatmeal is completely heated through.

Oven

This method takes the longest because you have to wait a few minutes for the oven to heat up. But it’s also reliable in heating your oatmeal completely.

Bowl of oatmeal: Place in an oven-safe dish and heat at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes until completely heated through.

Baked oatmeal: Place on a small cookie sheet and heat at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes until completely heated through.

Whether you’re actively prepping oatmeal for the week or simply made too much oatmeal, these tips should help you store and reheat it properly!