Is it cheaper to make your own oatmeal?
Oatmeal is one of my favorite cheap ways to make breakfast for my family. Cereal gets very boring and expensive sometimes, so I prefer to buy a big container of oats to use for every morning.
Oats don’t have to be used just for oatmeal, but it is a super quick and easy way to make breakfast ahead of time. Let’s break down the costs of making oatmeal yourself instead of buying the premade instant oatmeal packets.
How much does it cost to make your own instant oatmeal?
Homemade oatmeal can be broken down into 3 parts: the dry, the wet, and the flavor. The dry part will always be the oats themselves. The other 2 parts of the formula can be changed and adjusted as needed.
The wet part of the formula is going to be water, milk, yogurt, or any other ingredient that will mix with the oatmeal. (Other options include oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, etc).
The flavor is the super fun part! You can use lots of items already in your refrigerator or pantry. Common additions for flavor include peanut butter, dry fruits like raisins, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Let’s breakdown the costs of some instant oatmeal flavors! Each of the following breakdowns are based on 1/2 cup serving of oatmeal. This is because most packages of instant oatmeal have about 1/2 of cup of oatmeal in them.
Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
| Quaker Oats Instant Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal | Homemade Oatmeal |
| Servings: 20 packs | Servings: 30 servings of oats |
| Cost: $7.86 *Price from Walmart | Cost: $7.26 total -42oz quick oats 13.2 cents per serving -pancake syrup 3.2 cents per serving -brown sugar 2tbsp 1.5 cents per serving |
| Cost per serving: 39 cents | Cost per serving: 17.9 cents |
| Ingredients: WHOLE GRAIN OATS, SUGAR, SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR. | Ingredients: Rolled oats, Pancake syrup, brown sugar |
Now we can’t just buy 30 servings of pancake syrup and brown sugar, we have to buy these items in the sizes that they come in. The total true cost of the homemade oatmeal was $7.26 but we will have plenty of leftover pancake syrup and brown sugar for other meals and dishes.
- Great Value Quick Oats 42oz container = $3.98
- Great Value Pancake Syrup 24 oz bottle = $1.58
- Great Value 2lb bag of brown sugar= $1.70
- Total: $7.26
Cranberry Almond Oatmeal
| Quaker Select Starts Protein Instant Oatmeal Cranberry Almond | Homemade Oatmeal |
| Servings: 6 packs | Servings: 30 servings of oats |
| Cost: $4.84 *Price from Walmart | Cost: $7.56 total -42oz quick oats 13.2 cents per serving -dried cranberries 16.3 cents per serving -sliced almonds 24.7 cents per serving |
| Cost per serving: 81 cents | Cost per serving: 54.2 cents |
| Ingredients: Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Whey Protein Concentrate, Roasted Almonds, Dried Cranberries, Whey Protein Isolate, Salt, Rice Flour, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor | Ingredients: Rolled oats, sliced almonds, dried cranberries |
This version of homemade instant oatmeal won’t have a lot of leftover ingredients, but I think it sounds amazing for a crisp fall morning!
- Great Value Quick Oats 42oz container = $3.98 (1/2 cup per serving)
- Great Value 4oz bag of sliced almonds =$1.98 (1/2oz per serving)
- Great Value 6oz bag of dried cranberries= $1.96 (1/2oz per serving)
- Total: $7.92
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
| Quaker Oats Instant Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal | Homemade Oatmeal |
| Servings: 20 packs | Servings: 30 servings of oats |
| Cost: $7.86 *Price from Walmart | Cost: $6.70 total -42oz quick oats 13.2 cents per serving -cinnamon applesauce 24.7 cents per serving |
| Cost per serving: 39.3 cents | Cost per serving: 37.9 cents |
| Ingredients: Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Sugar, Dehydrated Apples Treated With Sodium Sulfite To Promote Color Retention, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Salt, Cinnamon, Calcium Carbonate, Citric Acid, Guar Gum, Malic Acid, Niacinamide, Reduced Iron, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Caramel Color One Of The B Vitamins | Ingredients: Rolled oats, cinnamon applesauce |
This version of apple cinnamon oatmeal is so simple and easy to make, and my kids love it!!!
- Great Value Quick Oats 42oz container = $3.98 (1/2 cup per serving)
- Great Value Cinnamon Applesauce 48oz jar= $2.72 (1/2 cup per serving)
- Total=$6.70
Peaches and Cream Oatmeal
| Quaker Oats Instant Peaches and Cream Oatmeal | Homemade Oatmeal |
| Servings: 8 packs | Servings: 30 servings of oats |
| Cost: $3.23 *Price from Walmart | Cost: $6.74 total -42oz quick oats 13.2 cents per serving -canned peaches 18.2 cents per serving -vanilla extract 2.9 cents per serving |
| Cost per serving: 40.3 cents | Cost per serving: 34.3 cents |
| Ingredients: Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Dried Peaches, Salt, Dried Cream, Nonfat Dry Milk, Natural Flavor, Annatto Extract (Color), Paprika Extract (Color), Tocopherols (to preserve freshness) | Ingredients: Rolled oats, sliced almonds, dried cranberries |
Peaches and Cream oatmeal is just a tiny bit more work than the apple cinnamon version, but the good news is you can do the chopping ahead of time!
I like to take my can of peach slices in 100% juice and throw it in the food processor or food chopper and give it a quick run. Now the slices are turned into tiny chunks that are easy to portion out with a spoon. This will be so much easier than trying to chop the peaches with a knife!
Leave the juice in with the peaches for the natural sweetness and you won’t need to use any additional sugar!
- Great Value Quick Oats 42oz container = $3.98 (1/2 cup per serving)
- Molina Vanilla Extract 8.3oz jar= $1.48 (1 tsp or less per serving)
- Great Value 5oz can of peaches in 100% juice= $1.28 (1/4 cup per serving)
- Total: $6.74
Banana Nut Oatmeal
| Quaker Select Starts Protein Instant Oatmeal Banana Nut | Homemade Oatmeal |
| Servings: 6 packs | Servings: 30 servings of oats |
| Cost: $4.84 *Price from Walmart | Cost: $9.72 total -42oz quick oats 13.2 cents per serving -fresh banana 11.5 cents per serving -walnuts 19.5 cents per serving -brown sugar 2tbsp 1.5 cents per serving |
| Cost per serving: 80.6 cents | Cost per serving: 45.7 cents |
| Ingredients: Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Whey Protein Concentrate, Walnuts coated with Rosemary Extract (to help protect flavor), Dried Bananas, Whey Protein Isolate, Salt, Banana Flakes, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor | Ingredients: Rolled oats, sliced almonds, dried cranberries |
I love these newer flavors that have come out recently because they are so easy to recreate yourself!
This one can be made without the brown sugar but to me it really makes it super tasty. It seemed to be missing something without the extra sweetness.
- Great Value Quick Oats 42oz container = $3.98 (1/2 cup per serving)
- Fresh Bananas= $0.92 about 0.23 each (1/2 banana per serving)
- Great Value Walnuts Halves & Pieces, 8 oz bag = $3.12 (1/2 oz per serving)
- Great Value 2lb bag of brown sugar= $1.70
- Total: $9.72
Overall, making oatmeal at home instead of buying premade instant packets can save you money if you are buying name brand. If you typically buy the store brand or generic brand of instant oatmeal, then the savings may not be much at all.
The flavor and the healthier versions of the homemade oatmeal will probably make it worth doing for your meal planning and your wallet!
Is homemade oatmeal better than instant?
I am not against premade instant oatmeal, and I have eaten a ton of it in my life. The main difference between instant oatmeal and homemade oatmeal is the flavor.
The instant oatmeal flavor always seems to taste washed out or bland. This is because the premade packet of flavored oatmeal typically uses dried fruits and flavorings.
By using ingredients that are full of flavor like fresh bananas, canned peaches, or even applesauce the taste is so much better and yummy. Most kids seem to like the homemade version versus the premade instant oatmeal too!
Even though we are not always able to use fresh fruits due to costs, using canned or dried fruits will still give you a less processed taste than the instant oatmeal version.
Is oatmeal cheaper than cereal?
In 2018, Kiplinger came out with a list of the top selling cereals, so we will use the top few from this list to determine if oatmeal is cheaper per serving than buying cereal.
In order to get the best price per serving for the cereal, we will be looking at the lowest cost per ounce package. This typically means the largest family size box of cereal. The smaller sizes will generally be more expensive per serving.
For the price of oatmeal, we will take an average cost per serving based on the 5 homemade versions we made above. The average homemade instant oatmeal cost was $0.38 per 1/2 cup serving of oatmeal.
| Cereal & Cost | Serving Size/Total in Box | Cost per Serving |
| General Mills Cheerios 21.7oz box =$5.98 | 1.5 cups/22 servings | 37.3 cents per serving |
| Kellog’s Frosted Flakes 28.5oz box = $3.98 | 1 cup/21 servings | 18.9 cents per serving |
| Post Honey Bunches of Oats 30.5oz box = $4.98 | 1 cup/ 21 servings | 23.7 cents per serving |
| General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch 29.1oz box = $5.98 | 1 cup/ 20 servings | 29.9 cents per serving |
| Kellog’s Corn Flakes 25.2 oz box= $5.98 | 1.5 cups/17 servings | 35.1 cents per serving |
For the most part it looks like these 5 cereals are generally cheaper per serving than homemade oatmeal.
But then we need to look at nutrition. In general oatmeal will be healthier than most cereals and that is due to the processing.
With homemade oatmeal you will probably feel full longer and be eating less processed foods. The flavors available for homemade oatmeal are endless and are only limited by your imagination!
Do oats taste better with milk or water?
The milk or water in oatmeal is a greatly debated topic. I have used water with my instant oatmeal for years and only recently switched to using milk.
In the summertime, I still primarily use water just because I am not a fan of eating warm milk when it is hot outside. During the wintertime, I love to make oatmeal with milk because I feel like it is more warming and heartier.
Another great way to eat oatmeal is to make overnight oats! This easy make ahead breakfast can be made with plain, vanilla, or Greek yogurt for extra flavor and protein.
Overnight oats can be eaten cold like a parfait or warmed up like traditional oatmeal. You can also use different milks too like oat milk, rice milk, almond milk, and cashew milk.
Is oatmeal a cheap breakfast?
Not only is oatmeal a super cheap it is the ultimate breakfast chameleon. Pair up oatmeal with a few flavorful ingredients that you already have or that are on sale, and you can make so many tasty bowls!
The possibilities for homemade oatmeal are truly endless and can be adapted to any allergies or food preferences for your family.
Hopefully the above 5 make at home oatmeal bowls will inspire you to start making more oatmeal yourself.
Drop me a comment with your favorite flavor combinations to make at home!
For more ways to save money, check out “Is it cheaper to make your own Peanut Butter?” and “Is it cheaper to make your own frozen vegetables?“
