Skip the baby cereal and make baby a nutritious bowl of baby oatmeal using regular rolled oats or quick oats! This easy 5 minute oatmeal cooked on the stove or using the hot water method is perfect for baby led weaning as young as 6 months, as well as the whole family, so you don't have to make a separate breakfast for baby.
If you're looking for homemade baby oatmeal for spoon feeding, here is my recipe for Baby Oatmeal Using Rolled Oats.
This post has been written and medically reviewed by Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist).
Jump to:
- When Can Babies Eat Oatmeal?
- Is Oatmeal Healthy For Babies?
- How To Make Quick Oatmeal For Babies (6 months +)
- How To Make Rolled Oatmeal for Babies (6 months +)
- Ways To Flavor Baby Oatmeal
- How To Thicken Oatmeal
- Ways To Serve Oatmeal For Baby Led Weaning
- Storage
- Can Babies Have Steel Cut Oatmeal?
- Can I Use Cow's Milk or Breastmilk for Baby Oatmeal?
- More Baby Led Weaning Friendly Recipes Using Oats
- Baby Oatmeal: How To Make Oatmeal for Babies Using Regular Oats (6 months +)
When Can Babies Eat Oatmeal?
Babies can eat oatmeal as soon as they are developmentally ready for solids, around 6 months of age. If you're using a baby led weaning approach, oatmeal for breakfast is super easy, because you can feed babies the oatmeal you're eating from the very beginning. (Just avoid oatmeal with added sugars of any kind!) If you're using a traditional spoon feeding method, you'll need to alter the texture of the oats before cooking.
Here's how to make baby oatmeal cereal for spoon feeding.
Is Oatmeal Healthy For Babies?
Oatmeal is a great choice for babies of all ages. Oats are loaded with nutrients, including protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds, which make oats a functional food with health benefits for all ages.
Oatmeal is also rich in fiber, both soluble and insoluble, including a special type called beta-glucan, making it a great food for relieving constipation in babies! This special fiber is good for baby's gut health and anti-inflammatory, too.
Beneficial Nutrients In Oatmeal:
- Protein
- Healthy Fat
- Fiber, including powerful beta-glucan
- Zinc
- Iron
- Manganese
- B-vitamins
- Phenolic compounds
How To Make Quick Oatmeal For Babies (6 months +)
Here is a quick how-to for making quick-cooking oats (plain instant oats can also be used) for baby led weaning babies. The full recipes can be found at the bottom of the post.
My favorite is the hot water or milk method because it doesn't require any extra dishes, and was alway easy for me when I already had a kettle on to boil for my morning French Press. I don't recommend the microwave method. It results in mushy, gummy oatmeal. (Would you want to eat that? Baby probably won't want to either.) But I added it here as another option.
Quick Oats - Hot Water or Milk Method
- Add ¼ cup quick or instant oats to a bowl.
- Heat ⅓ cup water, milk, or breastmilk to a boil or near-boil. Pour over oats in the bowl.
- Cover the bowl and let stand until the oats absorb the liquid, about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir and adjust consistency with more milk, etc. as needed.
Quick Oats - Stovetop Method
- Bring ½ cup water, milk, or breastmilk to a simmer in a small saucepan.
- Add ¼ cup quick or instant oats and stir.
- Simmer until oats have absorbed all the liquid, about 1-3 minutes, adding more liquid if needed.
Quick Oats - Microwave Method
- Add ¼ cup oats and ⅓ cup water, milk or breastmilk to a microwave-safe bowl. Stir.
- Microwave for 1 minute. Let oatmeal stand to cool before transferring to a cool dish and serving to baby.
How To Make Rolled Oatmeal for Babies (6 months +)
I used rolled oats for my babies most often because that's what I was eating. You just cook it how you would normally make oatmeal. This is the amount for one baby serving, but you can increase the amount as needed to feed more bellies, or to have leftovers for another morning.
For baby led weaning, I like to keep oatmeal nice and thick so that baby can more easily pick it up with hands and/or have a better shot at using a spoon.
Rolled Oats - Stovetop Method
- Bring ½ cup water, milk or breastmilk to a simmer in a small saucepan.
- Stir in ¼ cup rolled oats. Simmer gently until oats have absorbed all of the liquid, about 3-5 minutes, adding more liquid as necessary.
Ways To Flavor Baby Oatmeal
Don't just serve baby plain ol' oatmeal! I always think about what I serve my baby in this context - would I want to eat that? I want baby to enjoy delicious flavors at each meal just like I'd want to! Oatmeal is so great because it's a blank canvas for nutrient-dense mix-ins and new flavor combinations. Just make sure that anything you add falls within BLW safety and nutritional guidelines (no added sugar, no choking hazards, etc). You can also use oatmeal as a way to increase allergen exposure with mix-ins like nut butter, egg, or yogurt. Here are a few ideas of things to mix into baby oatmeal for added nutrition and flavor. Mix and match your favorites!
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Smooth peanut butter or other nut butter, or peanut butter powder
- Beaten egg or egg white (stir into piping hot oats after cooking)
- Seeds - Chia seeds, ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, sesame seeds
- Finely ground nuts - walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.
- Prune puree or pear puree - great for helping with constipation!
- Mashed banana or applesauce
- No sugar berry compote
- Pumpkin or butternut squash puree
- Grated apple or carrot (add when cooking)
- Spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, etc.
Read More: Sugar Free Spreads To Sweeten Baby's Food
How To Thicken Oatmeal
For BLW, it is helpful to have super thick oatmeal so that baby can pick it up or scoop it up more easily (less messy for you!). This is especially true if you're going to be stirring in yogurt or a puree of some kind which will thin the oatmeal out.
If you find that your oatmeal is too thin, you can thicken it with a few different mix-ins:
- Peanut butter powder
- Chia seeds - will need to sit for a little while to absorb the liquid
- More quick/instant oats - will need to sit for a little while to absorb the liquid
- More rolled oats - you'll need to cook the mixture for a bit longer
Ways To Serve Oatmeal For Baby Led Weaning
To serve oatmeal to baby led weaning babies, you have a few options. Keep in mind, the thicker the better!
- Pre-load a spoon with oatmeal and set it on baby's tray or hand the spoon to him.
- Give oatmeal to baby in a bowl or rimmed plate (suction dishes help!) and let baby scoop it up with his hands or try to use a spoon. Yes, it's messy. Embrace the mess!
- Form cooled oatmeal into 'fingers' or balls he can pick up (works best with thick-cooked rolled oats).
Storage
Store leftover oatmeal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I love glass baby blocks for small portions. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove. Add more liquid to thin as needed when reheating, as it will thicken when cooled.
To freeze oatmeal, I like to portion it out into silicone freezer blocks or silicone muffin cups. Once solid, you can pop them out and store in a freezer bag so that you can take out portions as needed.
Can Babies Have Steel Cut Oatmeal?
Yes, if you're using a baby led weaning approach, you can give your baby steel cut oats from the beginning (about 6 months). If that's what you're already making for yourself, go for it! Just follow the directions on the package for cooking.
Traditionally spoon-fed babies will probably not be able to progress to steel cut oatmeal until later on, when you are comfortable giving mixed textures or finger foods.
Can I Use Cow's Milk or Breastmilk for Baby Oatmeal?
Yes, both cow's milk and breastmilk are nutritious options for baby oatmeal! If you have extra breastmilk, cooking oatmeal with it is a great way to use it. If you're making oatmeal for the whole family, cooking oatmeal with cow's milk or a 50/50 mix of milk and water is a nutritious (and delicious) option.
Read More: Can Babies Have Cow's Milk?
More Baby Led Weaning Friendly Recipes Using Oats
- Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats for Babies & Toddlers
- Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Baby + Toddler Banana Baked Oatmeal Muffins
- Banana Oatmeal Pancakes for Baby Led Weaning
- Applesauce Overnight Oats for Baby
- Baby Led Weaning Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
- No Added Sugar Cherry Chocolate Baked Oatmeal
- ABC Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies for Baby and Toddler
- Healthy Zucchini Banana Breakfast Cookies
Track your baby's journey through starting solids! Get my 100 First Foods Checklist and Allergen Checklist Bundle today!
Baby Oatmeal: How To Make Oatmeal for Babies Using Regular Oats (6 months +)
Skip the baby cereal and make baby a nutritious bowl of baby oatmeal using regular rolled oats or quick oats! This easy 5 minute oatmeal cooked on the stove or using the hot water method is perfect for baby led weaning as young as 6 months, as well as the whole family.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 1 baby serving 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Stovetop method:
- ½ cup water, milk or breastmilk (or a mix of water and milk)
- ¼ cup rolled oats or quick oats
Hot water or milk method:
- ¼ cup quick or instant oats
- ⅓ cup water, milk or breastmilk (or a mix of water and milk)
Instructions
Stovetop method:
- In a small saucepan, bring water or milk to a gentle simmer.
- Stir in oats.
- Simmer until oats have absorbed the liquid stirring occasionally. Add more liquid if needed. This should take 1-3 minutes for quick oats and 3-5 minutes for rolled oats.
- Cool to an appropriate temperature before serving to baby.
Hot water or milk method:
- Add quick or instant oats to a bowl.
- Heat water or milk to a boil, or near boil. Pour over oats and cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel.
- Let stand until oats have absorbed all the liquid, about 3-5 minutes.
- Thin with more liquid if needed. Let cool to an appropriate temperature before serving to baby.
Notes
- Recipes can be doubled or increased as necessary to feed more bellies or for leftovers. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Completely cooled cooked oatmeal can be formed into 'fingers' or balls for baby to pick up. This works best with rolled oats.
- See post above for how to serve oatmeal for baby led weaning, and for nutritious, flavorful mix-in ideas!
Jamie says
Have you tried freezing this? I’d love to freeze so I have oatmeal ready - I just haven’t frozen oatmeal before.
Kaleigh says
Yes! Oatmeal freezes great. Freezing in silicone muffin cups or cubes is helpful for freezing individual portions.