Costco Oatmeal: 4 Oats Reviewed & Scored (Sprouted, Steel Cut, Old Fashioned & Instant)

By CostcoFan | Updated July 2026

I’ve eaten oatmeal almost every single day for the last 10–15 years — no exaggeration, the only mornings I skip it are on vacation. Over that time I’ve worked through just about every oat Costco carries, so this is my honest, scored review of the four main Costco oatmeal options: One Degree sprouted rolled oats, Bob’s Red Mill steel cut, Quaker Old Fashioned, and the Quaker instant variety pack. Each one gets a score out of 10 based on taste, texture, nutrition, and value — and I’ll tell you exactly which is in my bowl every morning and why. I’ll keep adding to this guide as Costco brings in new oats (overnight oats, I’m watching for you).

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Quick Nutrition Comparison

Here’s how the four stack up. Note the serving sizes differ — steel cut is measured at ¼ cup dry (it expands more), the rolled oats at ½ cup, and the instant per packet:

Oat	Serving	Protein	Fiber	Sugar	Fat	Score
One Degree Sprouted	½ cup	7g	6g	0g	3.5g	10/10
Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut	¼ cup	4g	4g	0g	2.5g	9/10
Quaker Old Fashioned	½ cup	5g	4g	0g	3g	7/10
Quaker Instant Variety	1 packet	3–4g	3g	8–9g	1.5–2.5g	5/10

The story in one line: the three plain oats have zero sugar, while the instant packets carry 8–9g of added sugar each. That single fact drives most of the scoring.

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One Degree Organic Sprouted Rolled Oats — 10/10

Item #1380620 · 80 oz for $9.59 · Our daily staple

This is the one in my bowl every morning, and it earns a perfect score. One Degree’s sprouted rolled oats are organic and sprouted, which is supposed to make them easier to digest — and in my experience that’s real. Digestion is amazing with these, they’re a great carb to start the day, and the texture and creaminess edge out everything else here by just a touch. They’re also quick-cooking.

The only downside: they’re not available everywhere, and they go out of stock at Costco every once in a while. We’ve gotten so hooked that we’ll buy them on Amazon when Costco’s out — and when we do see them at the warehouse, we grab 3–4 bags at a time.

• One Degree Organic Foods Sprouted Rolled Oats, USDA Organic on Amazon -> SPROUTED SUPERPOWERS: Whole oats are packed with fiber, essential vitamins like zinc, iron, potassium, and magnesium, and antioxidants. We sprout our organic rolled oats, to help break through the oat kernel’s natural defenses so you get more of the nutrition stored inside.

How I cook them: 1 cup oats to 1.5 cups water. The box says to add oats to boiling water, but I just put them in cold water and boil for about 10 minutes. That’s it — shorter cook time than steel cut.

My exact daily breakfast (this is the real thing, every single day):

• ¾ cup dry oats + ~1.25 cups water, cooked ~7–10 minutes starting from cold
• Pour it over ~½ cup frozen blueberries (this cools it down perfectly)
• A healthy splash of almond milk + a scoop of chocolate protein powder, mixed in — chocolate-blueberry goodness
• Sprinkle Anthony’s cocoa nibs over the top
• Crushed walnuts on one side, crushed pecans on the other
• A little Anthony’s coconut flakes over the whole thing

It’s the most amazing breakfast ever (after my egg scramble, of course).

My 7-year-old eats these almost every day too — I mash a whole banana into about ½ cup of oats with cinnamon, and he crushes it. The banana does the sweetening. On weekends he gets a dash of coconut sugar to make it extra sweet.

We also use these for baking — healthy chocolate muffins — and blended into flourless pancakes. These are the oats our household runs on.

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Bob’s Red Mill Organic Steel Cut Oats — 9/10

Item #731962 · 7 lbs (112 oz) for $12.49 · The always-in-stock workhorse

Bob’s Red Mill was our household staple for a good 4–5 years before we switched to the sprouted, and I still rate it a 9. We love the Bob’s Red Mill brand across the board — their polenta, their brownie baking mix, their gluten-free flours are all fantastic. Their stuff is pricey but genuinely high quality, which is exactly why we loved these steel cut oats.

At $12.49 for 7 pounds, this is the best bang-for-your-buck oat at Costco. (For price history: it was $8.39 back in August 2019, so it’s climbed over the years like everything else, but still a strong value.)

Steel cut is a different eating experience — chewier, more texture, less creamy than the sprouted rolled oats. That’s the nature of steel cut, and some people prefer exactly that. For me, after years of these, I lean toward the creamier One Degree — but it’s close, and I still love these.

Two honest knocks that keep it at 9 instead of 10:

1. Longer cook time — steel cut takes a few minutes longer than all the other oats here
2. Less creamy than the One Degree

The one place it genuinely beats the sprouted: these are always in stock. While the One Degree disappears from shelves periodically, the Bob’s is reliably there. So it’s our go-to backup, and honestly a co-staple.

How I cook them: 2 cups water to 1 cup oats (2:1), longer simmer than the rolled oats. Same great digestion.

• Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, 54oz (4 Pack) on Amazon -> A brand we trust across their whole lineup — available shipped if your Costco is out.

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Quaker Old Fashioned Oats — 7/10

Item #446586 · 10 lbs (160 oz) for $7.89 · The value champion

These take me straight back to childhood. They were a staple growing up — plain, so I didn’t love them as a kid (no sugar), but my parents always kept them stocked because they were cheap, easy, and “healthy.” I remember my parents using them in meatloaf, cookies, and baked goods, and those were always good.

At 10 pounds for $7.89, the price is genuinely hard to beat — it’s the cheapest oat here by far. They’re as easy as it gets to make, and they’re a solid 7. The only reason they’re not higher: they’re not organic, and we’ve since moved to the sprouted One Degree. But there’s a reason these have been around forever — they’re a reliable, dirt-cheap oat, and I’ll happily eat them if the others aren’t available.

How I cook them (lots of options on the box):

• Stir oats into briskly boiling salted water, cook ~5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then cover and remove from heat
• Or start them in cold water and bring to a boil for a creamier texture
• Or microwave on high 2½–3 minutes
• Or even pour boiling water from an electric kettle over them — they’ll cook

To dress them up: almonds, sometimes raisins, a little granola, some Ceylon cinnamon, a pour of milk, or blueberries with a drizzle of honey or brown sugar.

A fun one: these have come in handy on vacation for feeding ducks and fish — the kids love it, and so do the ducks. Cheap bulk oats have their uses beyond breakfast.

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Quaker Instant Oatmeal Variety Pack — 5/10

Item #1365486 · 52 packets for $10.99 · The convenient (and nostalgic) one

These hold a place near and dear to my heart — I ate them ALL the time as a kid. Both my parents worked full time, so this was the quick-ish, easy-ish, healthy-ish meal we could make ourselves. I still remember my brother and I fighting over the peaches and cream flavor. (Sadly, peaches and cream doesn’t come in the Costco variety pack — but Maple & Brown Sugar is a close second.)

The Costco 52-pack breakdown: 27 Maple & Brown Sugar, 15 Apples & Cinnamon, 10 Cinnamon & Spice. If I’m ranking the flavors: Maple & Brown Sugar #1, Apples & Cinnamon #2, Cinnamon & Spice #3. All three are genuinely tasty.

So why only a 5? Health, purely. Each packet has 8–9 grams of sugar — which we try to limit in the morning — plus natural flavors, which we also try to steer away from these days. I’d rather get my sweetness from real fruit, honey, or cinnamon. That said, these are still much healthier than a bowl of sugary cereal, so if those are your two options, this is the way to go. And they’re great for travel or when someone else has them — our kid loves them too.

Two tips from a lifelong eater: always 2 packets — one is never enough (even as a kid I doubled up). And don’t be afraid to mix flavors — Maple & Brown Sugar with Apples & Cinnamon? Sure, why not. It all tastes good.

Check out these variety packs where you can actually get PEACHES & CREAM…….

• Quaker Instant Oatmeal Fruit & Cream Variety Pack, Single Serve Packets, (44 Pack) on Amazon -> Includes 44 Quaker Instant Oatmeal packets: 6 Peachs & Cream, 21 Strawberries & Cream, 12 Blueberries & Cream, 5 Bananas & Cream

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Which Costco Oat Should You Buy?

• Best overall / what I actually eat: One Degree Sprouted (10/10) — creamiest, best digestion, highest protein and fiber. Worth hunting down.
• Best value + always available: Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut (9/10) — if you like a chewier texture and want it reliably in stock.
• Cheapest / most versatile: Quaker Old Fashioned (7/10) — unbeatable price, great for baking, fine for everyday.
• Most convenient: Quaker Instant Variety (5/10) — fast and tasty, but watch the added sugar. Best for travel.

For me, it’s One Degree every morning, with Bob’s as the backup when the sprouted is out of stock.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What oatmeal does Costco sell?

Costco carries several oats: One Degree Organic Sprouted Rolled Oats (item 1380620, $9.59), Bob’s Red Mill Organic Steel Cut Oats (item 731962, $12.49), Quaker Old Fashioned Oats (item 446586, $7.89), and the Quaker Instant Oatmeal Variety Pack (item 1365486, $10.99). Availability varies by warehouse.

What’s the healthiest oatmeal at Costco?

The plain oats — One Degree sprouted, Bob’s steel cut, and Quaker Old Fashioned — all have zero added sugar. The One Degree sprouted has the most protein (7g) and fiber (6g) per serving. The instant packets are tasty but carry 8–9g of added sugar each.

How much is oatmeal at Costco?

Prices range from $7.89 for 10 lbs of Quaker Old Fashioned (the cheapest per ounce) up to $12.49 for 7 lbs of Bob’s steel cut and $10.99 for the 52-pack of instant.

What’s the difference between steel cut and rolled oats?

Steel cut oats (Bob’s) are chewier, take longer to cook, and have more texture. Rolled oats (One Degree, Quaker) are creamier and cook faster. Instant oats are pre-cooked and dried for the fastest prep. It comes down to texture and time.

How do you cook Costco oats?

Rolled oats: about 1 cup oats to 1.5 cups water, ~5–10 minutes (or microwave 2–3 minutes). Steel cut: 2:1 water to oats, simmered a few minutes longer. Instant: just add hot water to the packet. Starting rolled oats in cold water and bringing to a boil makes them creamier.

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