Easy Homemade Baby Oatmeal (4 Ways)

Learn how to cook the perfect oatmeal for baby. It's easy, fast, and loaded with vegetables! Serve as is or as a finger food, baby led weaning style!

Perhaps you saw "baby oatmeal" and were expecting to see purees or something with a smoother consistency. As a big proponent of starting with table foods, I hope this post encourages you to give these thicker oatmeals a try!

Jump to:

• Oatmeal for Babies
• Different Types of Oatmeal
• Basic ingredients you'll need
• How to Cook Oatmeal for babies (2 ways)
• Cooking oatmeal with breastmilk
• Tips for success
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Serving Suggestions
• 4 Oatmeal Variations to try!
• Other baby-friendly oat recipes
• Homemade Baby Oatmeal

Oatmeal for Babies

Different Types of Oatmeal

Head on over to my Instagram @kidfriendly.meals for more infographics like this!

You don't need to purchase a separate baby oat cereal. They are basically ground oats, which is easy to make at home with the oats you already have on hand.

You also don't have to start with serving only baby cereal or smooth purees, unless that's what you feel most comfortable doing.

I just want to reassure you that your baby can handle soft table foods once they are developmentally ready to start solids.

For these oatmeals, I recommend using either quick cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats. I prefer the latter as they’re the most versatile and have the perfect texture, not too mushy or firm.

Basic ingredients you'll need

Oats - I recommend using either quick cooking (instant oats)or old-fashioned oats (rolled oats). I prefer the latter as they’re the most versatile and have the perfect texture, not too mushy or firm.

If using instant oats, here's how you can adjust the cooking time.

Steel-cut oats are quite chewy in texture so they're best to serve to older babies (10+ months).

Milk - can use breastmilk, formula, cow's milk, or non-dairy alternatives. I especially love full-fat coconut milk for these oatmeals as it adds incredible flavor.

Here’s a super in-depth post covering the best milk for toddlers.

Chia seeds - here are the health benefits for babies.

Egg - It not only makes the oatmeal creamy and fluffy, it will also provide your baby with iron and protein! Be sure to whisk it really well before mixing it in with other ingredients. You can leave it out if there's an allergy.

Optional Toppings/Add-ins

• Vegetables - feel free to add in whatever you have on hand!
• Peanut butter or nut/seed butter if there's an allergy
• Fruits - mashed banana, fruit puree, unsweetened applesauce, etc.

Spices - Such an easy way to expose your baby to more FLAVOR!!

How to Cook Oatmeal for babies (2 ways)

I'm using the sweet potato variation (recipe below) to show how to cook it two ways:

On the Stove:

1. Heat milk and cook oats over medium heat.
2. Add oats and cook over medium heat.
3. Add in whisked egg, stirring vigorously, until light and fluffy.
4. Add in the extra ingredients (I've included suggestions below but feel free to add whatever you wish! Pictured: sweet potatoes). Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit for another 3 minutes or so until fluffy. Thin out with additional liquid as needed.

Microwave:

If you're like me with little ones who demand all my attention as soon as they wake up, This super easy and quick method is the way to go!

1. Add all the ingredients.
2. Give it a good stir.
3. Microwave for 90 seconds. Stir. Microwave for 30-45 more seconds.
4. Done!

Here are some more tips on how to make them perfectly along with four additional recipes to try on top of these veggie-loaded ones.

Cooking oatmeal with breastmilk

Heat does affect the quality and nutrient profile of breast milk. Research shows that it can break down various enzymes that aid in digestion and boost the immune system.

However, breast milk sill provides incredible nutritional value. So if you have extra milk, you can certainly use it to cook with. But if you're able to stir it into food once it's cooked and cooled, it's even better.

Tips for success

• Normally, the oatmeal to liquid ratio is 1:2, which you can use if you desire a looser consistency. However, if you want to shape into porridge fingers or balls, I recommend following the recipe as is. You can always add more liquid at the end to achieve desired consistency.
• For both cooking methods, be sure to whisk the egg prior to adding it in.
• If cooking on the stove, be sure to mix in the egg VIGOROUSLY. Otherwise it will cook unevenly and you'll end up with scrambled eggs. Not the end of the world, but just something to be aware of.
• Refrigerating oatmeal for at least 30 minutes will make it easier to shape into fingers or balls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

You can absolutely prepare oatmeal for your baby the same way you would for yourself, so don't hold back ;). You just have to be mindful of modifying the size and texture of add-ins according to your child's eating skills.

6-8 Months old

If you are starting solids and introducing oatmeal for the very first time. Keep it pretty simple with just a couple of toppings of choice. Leave out the egg until you've tested separately for any allergic reactions as it is one of the top 9 common allergens.

If you’re desiring a more pudding-like consistency, make oatmeal the way you’d eat it and then simply blend. Voila! Oat porridge.

Offer a spoon (these are THE best for this age) but chances are your baby will just dive in with their hands and that's ok! Resist the urge to interfere and continuously wipe them. Messy eating is an important part of learning to self-feed.

Alternatively, you can shape into balls or fingers to make the oatmeal easier to eat.

Be sure to pair with a source of vitamin C to baby oatmeal to help absorb the iron in oats.

9+ months old

Continue offering the spoon without any expectation that your baby will use it. With continuous exposure and opportunities to practice, things will start to click!

Start experimenting with more toppings and textures. Again, variety is the name of the game!

4 Oatmeal Variations to try!

1. Sweet Potato

You can use any variety of sweet potatoes - jewel, garnet, Japanese sweet potatoes.... My son's favorite food when he was a baby was purple sweet potatoes so they definitely have a special place in my heart. Compared to the orange ones, they are starchier but not as sweet.

I highly recommend you to give them a try! Isn't the color so gorgeous?! Simply cook and mash with a fork before combining with the rest of the ingredients.

You can also use butternut squash or pumpkin puree.

2. Zucchini and bell pepper

You truly can use whatever vegetables you have on hand for this one! You can add finely chopped cooked or finely grated raw vegetables.

3. Tahini broccoli

Broccoli + lemon + tahini. Remember this combination!! SOO good!

How to cook broccoli PERFECTLY for baby

4. Beetroot curry

Beets + spinach + ricotta + curry powder + coconut milk. Yup. It's as good as it sounds!

How to cook beets

Other baby-friendly oat recipes

• Peanut butter banana oatmeal
• Overnight oats
• Spinach Baby Pancakes
• savory baked oatmeal with vegetables
• 3 ingredient banana cookies
• Baby Muffins
• Carrot cake oatmeal smoothie bowl

Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!