5-Ingredient Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Instant Pot Oatmeal (pot in pot) recipe - Fab Everyday (2024)

I still can’t believe that Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Beginners is officially on sale now! Today I’m sharing one of the recipes from my cookbook so you can see an example of the quick, easy, and delicious recipes in store for you when you get your copy. Oatmeal is actually one of my favorite things to make in the Instant Pot because it’s foolproof, hands-off, and can be customized a number of different ways. This version of Instant Pot oatmeal is a pot-in-pot 5-ingredient Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Oatmeal. If you haven’t ordered your copy of Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Beginners yet, it includes 75 easy and delicious recipes like this one for the Instant Pot and other electric and stovetop pressure cookers, but it’s so much more than just a cookbook! The book is a guide book to help pressure cooking newcomers to feel more confident using their devices, and is full of practical tips and lots of ideas to help you get the most out of these revolutionary kitchen gadgets. Learn more and order Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Beginners on Amazon here!

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The recipe I’m sharing today is a hands-off, pot-in-pot Instant Pot oatmeal recipe that’s a great breakfast for busy mornings. My youngest son is such a big fan of this oatmeal that he asks for it every chance he can get. It’s very easy to make, and the foolproof pot-in-pot cooking method cooks the oats evenly and gently. If you like, serve the oatmeal topped with Fresh Berry Compote (like the one in Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Beginners) or sliced fresh fruit, or stir in some cream. Not a fan of cinnamon and brown sugar? Skip those two ingredients and make the recipe exactly as stated otherwise, then customize the flavors to your liking when it’s done cooking.

I’ve got the full 5-Ingredient Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Instant Pot Oatmeal recipe at the bottom of this post (Jump to Recipe), but first I’ll share some step-by-step instructions and pictures, including some recommended tools, to help you get the most out of this easy Instant Pot breakfast recipe. Looking for more recipes like this? Try my Peaches and Cream Instant Pot Oatmeal recipe next!

Tools needed for this Instant Pot pot-in-pot oatmeal recipe

Electric or stovetop pressure cooker. I own the Instant Pot DUO Plus 6-Quart 9-in-1 pot, which works out great for my family of four.

Heat-safe bowl that fits inside your pressure cooker’s inner pot. I have this 7-cup glass dish, which fits inside 6 or 8-quart pots nicely. Probably my favorite Instant Pot accessory, this heat-safe glass Pyrex dish is perfect for making pot-in-pot recipes (like today’s recipe) in your pressure cooker. “Pot in pot” (sometimes abbreviated in pressure cooker recipes as “PIP”) refers to a method by which a smaller pot or bowl of food is placed inside the pressure cooker pot. This is a gentler cooking method and is common for foods that you can’t cook directly in liquid, such as breads or desserts.

Optional: Bakeware sling. This is my second favorite Instant Pot accessory, and it gets used almost daily. While your pot likely came with a steamer rack trivet, this sling acts as both a trivet and a convenient way to lower and raise food into and out of the pot. This comes in handy for every pot-in-pot Instant Pot recipe I make.

Want more Instant Pot tips? See all my must-have accessories for the Instant Pot in this post.

How to make pot-in-pot oatmeal in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker

This Instant Pot oatmeal recipe is a pot-in-pot recipe. “Pot in pot” (sometimes abbreviated in pressure cooker recipes as “PIP”) refers to a method by which a smaller pot or bowl of food is placed inside the pressure cooker pot. This is a gentler cooking method. It is common for pressure cooker recipes that you can’t cook directly in liquid (such as breads or desserts) or for when you want to cook more gently than when cooking food directly in the pot to avoid burns (like today’s recipe). You will find some Instant Pot oatmeal recipes that cook directly in your pressure cooker pot, but I have personally always preferred the pot-in-pot method when I’m making oatmeal in my Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker.

The prep for this Instant Pot oatmeal recipe is really quick (about 5 minutes), because you mix all the ingredients together in a heat-safe bowl (I use a 7-cup glass bowl) – the same one you’re going to cook it in inside the pressure cooker.

Stir together oats, water, milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl.

Pour a cup of water into the pressure cooker pot and place a steamer rack trivet in the bottom, then place the bowl on the trivet. Or, if you have a bakeware sling, you can use that to lower the bowl into the pressure cooker, and it also doubles as the trivet. If not, you can create your own sling by placing a long strip of aluminum foil under the bowl and folding the ends up above the bowl as makeshift handles, then place the bowl with foil on top of the steamer rack trivet that came with your pressure cooker. Either method will make it easier to remove the bowl from the pot after cooking.

Close and lock the pressure cooker lid, make sure the pressure/steam-release switch is set to sealing, and set the cooking time to 6 minutes at high/normal pressure* (if using an electric pressure cooker; for stovetop pressure cookers, heat over a burner on high heat, set a timer for 6 minutes after the pot has reached pressure, then reduce the heat to low). It will take 7 to 8 minutes for the pot to come to pressure with an electric pressure cooker and 4 to 5 minutes to come to pressure with a stovetop pressure cooker before the cooking time begins.

*Note: This recipe will yield oatmeal with a firm texture. For softer, mushier oatmeal, increase the pressure cook time by 2 minutes.

After the pressure cooking time ends, electric pressure cookers will automatically turn off their heat (stovetop pressure cookers must be removed from the heat). Allow the pressure to release from the pot naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure using the manufacturer’s quick-release method.

Remove the bowl from the pressure cooker and stir. The oatmeal will thicken as it cools.

You can enjoy this Instant Pot pot-in-pot oatmeal on it’s own, or if you like, serve it topped with Fresh Berry Compote (like the recipe I have in Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Beginners) or sliced fresh fruit, or stir in some cream.

For more easy Instant Pot breakfast recipes like this (plus recipes for all other courses), you’ll love my cookbook, Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Beginners! Get your copy now!