Quick cooking oats are a staple in my pantry, but not just for oatmeal. Turns out, those thin, fine flakes that cook up in minutes on busy mornings also make the perfect protein balls, blend easily into smoothies, and bake into soft, tender oatmeal cookies.
But after my recent experiment with different brands of rolled oats, I wondered if there was that much of a difference between the various brands of quick oats, too. Or if they’re all just the same.
I set out to find the best quick oats brand out there, so I put four brands of popular quick oats to the test. As much as I would like to say I was completely unbiased during testing, I kind of had a favorite in mind before I even opened the containers. And there was one brand I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like. But…I was wrong on both counts.
The Brands I Tested
Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute Oats
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
365 Whole Foods Market Organic Rolled Quick Oats
At a Glance
Best Overall: Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
Best Overall Runner Up: 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Rolled Quick Oats
Best Budget Pick: Millville Quick Oats
Best for Oatmeal (Tie): Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute Oats for texture; Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats for flavor
Best for Protein Balls: 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Rolled Quick Oats
Best for Smoothies: Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
Best for Oatmeal Cookies: Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
What to Look For When Buying Quick Oats
Processing
There was a surprising difference in how the raw oats looked, felt and even smelled. At first glance, they all seemed the same, then I noticed that some brands were made up of very small oat pieces, while others had larger flakes that were simply rolled thinner. Some felt firm between my fingers, while others were almost powdery. Even the aroma varied, from fresh and nutty to barely anything at all.
Many of these differences can be explained by how oats are processed. Bob’s Red Mill shares in this video that its quick-cooking oats start as steel-cut oat groats, which are cut into smaller pieces, rolled thin and kiln-dried for a toasted oat flavor. And Quaker says its quick oats are cut into smaller pieces so they cook faster. Unfortunately, Millville (Aldi) and Whole Foods don’t share many details about their processing methods.
From what I observed, those processing differences weren’t just noticeable in the raw oats—they carried through to the finished recipes, too.
Certifications
If certifications matter to you, there are plenty of options. Depending on the brand, you may find labels such as USDA Organic, Certified Gluten Free, Non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher or Certified Vegan.
These certifications may not necessarily affect the flavor or texture, but they can help you choose a product that fits your personal preferences.
Price
Price-wise, there was a pretty big spread between the brands I tested, from about $0.10 to $0.21 per ounce. But I didn’t find a strong connection between price and performance. In fact, I had a hard time distinguishing the least expensive oats from the priciest ones in many of my tests.
Best Use
You may also choose a brand of quick cooking oats based on how you plan to use them. During my testing, I found the biggest differences in the cooked oatmeal, where texture and flavor were most noticeable. In protein balls, smoothies and cookies, the differences were more nuanced because the oats were blended with other ingredients.
And this is exactly why I conducted this experiment in the first place: to help you find the best quick oats for the way you use them most often.
How I Tested Quick Oats: A Peek Into My Test Kitchen
I thought the best way to really put these different brands of quick oats through the paces was to compare them side by side in oatmeal, as well as recipes I actually use all the time: protein balls, smoothies and oatmeal cookies.
Oatmeal
For the oatmeal test, I followed the microwave directions on the back of each container. Most called for a 2:1 ratio of water or milk to oats, a pinch of salt, and 1½ to 2½ minutes in the microwave. I didn’t stir them until after they’d sat for a minute or two to keep them from getting too mushy or gluey.
What I was looking for: Fast and easy to make, with a soft, creamy texture and natural oat flavor.
Oatmeal Protein Balls
I prefer quick oats over old-fashioned oats for oatmeal protein balls because their finer texture absorbs moisture more quickly, creating a softer dough that holds together well.
This is the recipe I used: ¾ cup quick oats, 2 tablespoons peanut powder, ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter, ¼ cup pure maple syrup and 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips. Then I rolled them into balls and chilled them for 30-60 minutes until firm.
What I was looking for: Soft, moist and chewy; hold their shape without crumbling.
Oat Smoothies
Quick oats are perfect for smoothies because they blend in so easily. I tested them in my go-to recipe for Berries & Oats Smoothies, using all blueberries, and peanut powder instead of almond protein powder, since that’s what I had on hand.
What I was looking for: Thick, smooth and velvety with no grittiness or chalkiness.
Spoiler alert: the differences between the smoothies were so minor, I might not have been able to tell them apart in a blind taste test.
Oatmeal Cookies
If you’ve never made oatmeal cookies with quick oats, this is your sign to give them a try. Because the oats absorb moisture from the dough, they have a softer, more uniform texture with fewer oat pieces. And, in my experience, they tend to be thicker and spread less. I used this oatmeal cookie recipe and chilled the dough overnight for the best flavor and texture.
What I was looking for: Thick and chewy; uniformly soft and slightly dense inside, with golden-brown edges.
Drumroll Please…The Results
Quaker 1-Minute Oats
🏆Award: Best for Oatmeal (tie)
Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute Oats is one of the brands I reach for most often, so I expected it to sail through all the tests. It’s affordable, easy to find in just about any grocery store and comes in both regular and gluten-free varieties. The oats are also Non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher and certified by the American Heart Association. Of all the brands I tested, these raw flakes felt the firmest, and that heartier texture carried through into several of the recipes.
Oatmeal
This was my favorite bowl of oatmeal, texture-wise. It was soft and creamy with a slight wheaty flavor, and it had a nice chewy texture—more so than any of the other brands.
Protein Balls
And on the flip side, these were my least favorite protein balls—at least right away. The oats were firmer than I prefer, and the balls didn’t hold together as well. The next day, however, after the oats had absorbed some moisture, they held together better and had a more pleasant texture.
Smoothies
The oats blended easily, but at first sip, I detected a bit more texture from the oats. After a little time in the fridge, however, they softened up nicely. By the next day, it was just as smooth as the others.
Cookies
The oatmeal cookies with Quaker Quick 1-Minute Oats spread the most of any of the brands, which makes sense. The firmer texture of the oats means they absorb less moisture, causing the dough to spread more. But it also gave the cookies more oat texture, which I enjoyed.
Overall: The oatmeal was the clear winner of this test, and I loved the little bits of oat texture in the cookies. The firmer texture of the oats was noticeable right away in the protein balls and smoothies, so if you prefer a softer texture, as I do, I recommend letting both sit in the fridge for 24 hours to soften.
Best Uses: Oatmeal, oatmeal cookies
Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
🏆 Awards: Best Overall, Best for Oatmeal (tie), Best for Smoothies, Best for Oatmeal Cookies
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats is a top-rated brand, with fans raving about its consistency, quality and fresh oat flavor. While they come at a premium price, they weren’t the most expensive of the brands I tried. These oats are USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and Kosher, and they’re also available in a gluten-free version.
As soon as I opened the bag, I could smell a fresh, baked-bread aroma. The oats themselves felt soft and pliable, and those first impressions carried through in the finished recipes.
Oatmeal
In the flavor test, Bob’s Red Mill oatmeal was a hands-down winner. The texture was smooth and creamy, without much texture, which I expected from quick-cooking oats. But it was the fresh, nutty oat flavor that made them stand out. Some of the other brands, including the one I’ve been eating all my life, had little flavor. Whenever I eat Bob’s Red Mill oats, I’m always reminded, “Oh yeah, oats are supposed to taste like something.”
Protein Balls
The Bob’s Red Mill oatmeal balls were among my favorites. They were soft and moist without any crunchy oat texture and held together well.
Smoothies
This was the best smoothie I had. The oats blended easily into the smoothie, and the texture was softer and thicker than any of the others.
Cookies
The oatmeal cookies were soft, moist and dense, with little oat texture. While the buttery brown sugar flavors were prominent, I tasted the oats the most in these cookies.
Overall: If I could only buy one brand of quick oats, it would be Bob’s Red Mill. Even though I preferred the texture of Quaker oatmeal, no other brand could compete with the flavor of Bob’s Red Mill. The protein balls were soft and chewy, the smoothies were thick and creamy and the cookies baked up perfectly soft.
Best Uses: Oatmeal, protein balls, smoothies, oatmeal cookies
Millville Quick Oats
🏆 Award: Best Budget Pick
Millville Quick Oats are Aldi’s store brand and the most budget-friendly option I tested. The packaging doesn’t list any certifications, and I wasn’t able to find organic or gluten-free versions. The oats themselves are rolled thin with a dry, almost powdery texture, but they smell fresh and oaty. And, to be fully transparent, I didn’t expect these to do as well as they did.
Oatmeal
I’m a big fan of buying store brands if the quality is the same, or even close, as premium brands, but I just couldn’t love this bowl of oatmeal. It was so soft it was mushy, and the flavor was very bland. Thankfully, Millville redeemed itself in the remaining tests.
Protein Balls
Millville Quick Oats are a good option for protein balls. Because of their thin texture, they softened well in the dough, and the balls held together nicely.
Smoothies
This smoothie was hard to distinguish from the others. It was smooth and creamy with a velvety mouthfeel and held up well overnight in the fridge.
Cookies
These cookies spread the least of any of the brands and baked up soft and thick, with the oats softening smoothly into the batter. I would have preferred a little more oat flavor, but the cookies were still delicious because the rich butter and brown sugar flavors came through so well.
Overall: Millville quick oats performed really well in all of the recipes, except the oatmeal, which was mushy and bland. The protein balls were soft and dense, the smoothies were creamy and the oatmeal cookies were thick and dense with minimal spread.
Best uses: Protein balls, smoothies, oatmeal cookies
Whole Foods 365 Organic Quick Oats
🏆 Award: Best Overall Runner Up, Best for Protein Balls
365 Whole Foods Market Organic Rolled Quick Oats were the most expensive oats I tested. They’re Certified Organic and Kosher, and I couldn’t find a gluten-free version. The oats themselves felt thin and powdery. When I opened the package, I expected a fresh oat aroma, but all I could smell was…cardboard.
Oatmeal
The Whole Foods oatmeal was very soft with very little oat texture, like most of the others, but the flavor was mildly oaty. So, I’d pick this as my second-favorite bowl of oatmeal for flavor.
Protein Balls
These were my favorite protein balls. The oats were thin enough to soften completely, creating a soft, chewy texture that reminded me of cookie dough.
Smoothies
These oats did really well in the smoothie test, too, blending easily into a thick, smooth, creamy texture. Overnight, they seemed to thicken a little more than the others, which I enjoyed.
Cookies
Given the powdery fine texture of the oats, I wasn’t surprised that these cookies were among those that spread the least. The cookies baked up soft and thick, and the oats blended smoothly into the dough.
Overall: The Whole Foods Quick Oats did well across the board, but Bob’s Red Mill still edged them out. They didn’t quite measure up flavor-wise, and were the most expensive of them all. Still, if price isn’t an issue, I’d easily recommend these for all of the uses I tested.
Best uses: Oatmeal, protein balls, smoothies, oatmeal cookies
The Bottom Line
After testing these four brands of quick oats side by side, I came away more impressed by all of them than I expected. None were bad across the board, and each one had at least one area where it really stood out.
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats earned my pick for Best Overall because they delivered the most consistent results, their fresh oat flavor was unmatched and they made the best protein balls, smoothies and oatmeal cookies, while tying with Quaker for my favorite bowl of oatmeal.
365 Whole Foods Market Organic Rolled Quick Oats finished as my runner-up. Although they were the most expensive, they performed well in every test, producing soft protein balls, creamy smoothies, thick cookies and a flavorful bowl of oatmeal.
Quaker Quick 1-Minute Oats was one of my favorites for oatmeal because of its heartier texture. They also baked into cookies with the most noticeable oat texture, making them a great choice if you like your oatmeal cookies a little less uniform.
Millville Quick Oats proved that you don’t have to spend a lot to get good results. While the oatmeal was too mushy for my taste, these budget-friendly oats were great in protein balls, smoothies and oatmeal cookies.
In the end, the best quick oats really depend on how you use them. If you’re looking for one brand that excels in just about everything, I’d reach for Bob’s Red Mill. If you mostly make oatmeal, Quaker is hard to beat. And if you’re baking, blending smoothies or making protein balls, all four brands performed well enough that you can confidently choose the one that best fits your budget and shopping preferences.
