8 Single-Serve Oatmeals, Tasted & Ranked

After a lazier summer lifestyle, fall means back to business, whether it's a return to the office with the dreaded commute or rushed back-to-school mornings. With time ticking to get everything done in the morning, sometimes convenience is key. Instant oatmeal is an easy solution.

The healthy high-fiber cereal is nothing new, of course, but single-serve oatmeal cups have really taken off in recent years. They're not only pre-portioned but they also come in their own vessel that's easy to take on-the-go for those extra crazy mornings. What you gain in convenience, however, you sometimes suffer in nutrition. Not every brand is entirely healthy, especially when you start adding in high-sugar flavorings.

For this taste test, I simply focused on the taste (and appearance) of what's out there. To level the playing field, I stuck to one of the more commonly found oatmeal varieties: apple cinnamon. I tasted eight different brands in this same flavor to see which widely available, single-serve oatmeal fared best.

Here's how every brand ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the overall best.

McCann's Apple Cinnamon Microwave Cup

McCann's is known for its Irish oats and the company prides itself on using grains that are grown on family farms in a very popular and ideal oat-growing region. The brand specifically uses steel-cut oats, which are generally higher in fiber than the regular kind. On the flip side, I was surprise how much sugar it contained: a whopping 21 grams! The prep was a little more than some of the others. It required one minute and 15 seconds in the microwave, following by a steep time of three to five minutes.

The look: Slightly more watery when compared to some of the other brands. Flecks of cinnamon and small apple chunks were visible throughout.

The taste: Overly cinnamony—and not in a good way. I love actual cinnamon, but this tasted almost like a cinnamon simple syrup. The apple chunks were nice and soft, and the oats had a good bite, but I had a hard time getting past the weird, unnatural aftertaste from the cinnamon.

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The GFB Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

I was very intrigued by this paper bowl that looked like a bag of popcorn waiting to inflate. It didn't actually inflate, of course, but it did turn into enough of a bowl to make it easy to eat from. As the GFB (Gluten Free Brothers) name suggests, the oatmeal is gluten-free as well as plant-based, non-GMO, kosher, and soy free. It's also full of natural ingredients like hemp seed hearts, sunflower seeds, date sugar, and flax seed.

The look: The oatmeal itself was a very dark color, possibly because of the dates and date sugar listed among the ingredients. The packaging looked funky, but proved to be perfectly serviceable.

The taste: I wanted to love this one for its clean ingredients, but the oatmeal had a really unpleasant aftertaste. The listed ingredients notably included fava bean protein, so perhaps that's the culprit. Otherwise, it contained good-tasting apple chunks and cinnamon. I just couldn't get over that strange aftertaste that overshadowed all the other flavors.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Wella Grain Free Cereal Apple Cinnamon Cup

This one isn't technically oatmeal since it's grain free, but it fits within the broader hot cereal category and came in the same apple cinnamon flavor as the others. I wanted to give it a whirl as an equal opportunity option since the brand describes itself as "oatmeal but better."  The cup is made with chia, coconut, flaxseed, and almonds. It's a gluten-free and paleo option. There are no microwave instructions. Just fill with the appropriate amount of hot water, stir, and let it sit for two minutes.

The look: This was one of the darkest in color, looking almost like chocolate, with nice chunks throughout. However, it seemed a little thin in the porridge department, probably because it contains no real grains.

The taste: I liked the crunchy chunks of nuts and coconut, which gave the cereal some much needed texture, but the oatmeal-like substance itself was rather mealy. It tasted like eating ground up oatmeal. I could see this being better as an overnight oats-style situation (the packaging offers instructions for that, as well) but as a hot cereal, it wasn't easy to love.

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Essential Everyday Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cup

I always thought the Essential Everyday brand was the private label of my local grocery store until I found it at an entirely different supermarket. It does act in a similar way though, providing a generally less expensive option of a common good (though, in fairness, most oatmeal cups are pretty inexpensive). There's a good chance that one of the major brands may make this oatmeal. It felt most similar to the Quaker version. This one called for a quick 60-second spin in the microwave, and then you let it sit for two minutes.

The look: A very thin, watery looking oatmeal bearing an almost caramel brown color, mixed with pale chunks of apple.

The taste: Very sweet—the sweetest oatmeal I tried, and simply too sweet for me for breakfast. Though it was so sugary, it left no offensive aftertaste, which instantly catapulted it ahead of several other brands. The apple pieces were nice, soft, and enjoyable to eat.

Quaker Apple & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal Cup

Quaker's apple cinnamon oatmeal has a special place in my nostalgic brain. I remember making it on summer camp mornings with hot water from the spout when I didn't want to eat anything else. It would also occasionally show up in my childhood home. It is one of the easier-to-find oatmeal cups and likely one of the most popular.

The look: Light brown in color and slightly watery looking—not as thick as some of the chunkier versions, but not as thin as the marshiest ones, either.

The taste: The cinnamon flavor was strong and the apple pieces added brightness. My trusty 9-year-old, oatmeal-loving sidekick loved this one, wanting to rank it number three. He is likely the target audience, but I didn't love it. It just tasted a little watery and uninspiring to me. Childhood memories shattered.

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Kodiak Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cup

Kodiak is known for its high-protein breakfast options and this oatmeal cup packs a total of 14 grams from a variety of sources: pea, milk, and whey. Cane sugar is the second listed ingredient, though, suggesting it would not skimp on sweetness.

The look: The consistency looked good and thick, with lots of noticeable chunks and oats.  But the portion size seemed really small. Although I didn't take it out and weigh it, the oatmeal appeared to fill far less of the cup than other brands.

The taste: I'd almost describe this oatmeal as a little crunchy. I don't know if some of the sugar bits didn't break up in the 30-45 second microwave. The flavor tasted more like maple than cinnamon, with slightly thinner apples than some of the other varieties. It wasn't overly sweet though and the thick consistency made it feel like real oatmeal.

Purely Elizabeth Apple Cinnamon Pecan Superfood Oatmeal Cup

Purely Elizabeth is known for its healthier oatmeal options and this one follows suit with one of the lowest sugar totals across every brand we tested. The "superfood" part of this oatmeal cup comes from the addition of quinoa, amaranth, chia, and flax. It also has a higher amount of fiber than most of the other cups.

The look: On the darker side, color-wise, this oatmeal appears to be much thicker than most varieties, with evident chunks of apple and pecan throughout.

The taste: Of all the oatmeals, this was the least sweet. It tasted more like plain oatmeal with a nice hearty texture. The pecans were nice and crunchy, but the apples lacked a bit in flavor. I like healthier oatmeals so I would eat this and maybe doctor it up with more fruit or cinnamon, but sugar-loving kids are likely not the target audience.

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Bob's Red Mill Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cup

This gluten-free oatmeal is another one that tries to pack a nutritious punch with the addition of flaxseed and chia seeds. I have tried other Bob's Red Mill products and everything has been very high quality. I was hoping the same for this oatmeal and it delivered. Just 60 seconds in the microwave and 60 seconds resting until this cup was ready.

The look: This oatmeal had a nice thick texture, with visible flecks of cinnamon and conspicuous chunks of apple, too.

The taste: Not overly sweet with just enough cinnamon to taste it, but not too overpowering. This one tasted healthy and hearty but not bland with its bright apple chunks. This was the favorite by far for both my child and myself. I'd certainly grab this one for a morning on-the-go on any day.