Home » Nutrition » Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats – What’s the Difference?
by Hannah Magee, RD on Apr 27, 2022 30 comments »
Are you wondering what the difference is between rolled oats vs. quick oats? You’ve come to the right place! As a Registered Dietitian, I’m breaking down how they’re made, the nutritional differences between rolled oats and quick oats, and the best uses for these two types of oats.
Do you know the difference between your oats?
There are a variety of oats available, and sometimes they even go by different names. There’s rolled oats or old fashioned oats, large flake oats, quick oats, instant oats, and steel cut oats. It’s definitely a challenge to keep them straight and to understand what their differences are.
In this post, we’ll look at the differences between rolled oats vs. quick oats, including:
- how they’re processed
- how they taste
- their nutrition facts, in order to answer the question “which one is healthier?”
Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats
What Are Rolled Oats?
Rolled oats, also known as old fashioned oats, start out whole (as all oats do) with the grain and the husk in tact. The husk is the covering that encases each grain. This gets removed, and the remaining product is called the oat groats.
The groats are steamed and flattened between heavy rollers (hence the name rolled oats) then dried in a kiln. This drying process adds flavour and stabilizes the healthy oils in the oats by deactivating an enzyme that can cause the oats to go rancid.
Old fashioned oats are the most common type of oats found around the world.
What are Quick Oats?
Quick oats also start out whole with the grain and husk in tact. To produce quick-cooking oats, the same process of removing the husk followed by steaming and flattening the oat groats occurs.
In this case the groats are steamed for a longer period of time before rolling, and when they are rolled, the rollers are closer together creating a thinner oat product. These thin oat pieces are also cut up which creates more surface area for faster cooking.
Because they’re cooked longer and rolled thinner and smaller in the manufacturing process, quick oats cook more quickly (which is why they’re called quick oats) than rolled oats do.
What’s the Difference Between Rolled Oats and Quick Oats?
Rolled oats are steamed for a shorter period of time and rolled into larger, thicker flakes. Quick oats require more processing to produce, as they are steamed for a longer period of time and rolled then cut into thinner, smaller flakes.
Because of their smaller size, quick oats have a greater surface area and can absorb liquid more quickly than rolled oats, thus cooking faster when preparing dishes like oatmeal or porridge. And because rolled oats are larger and thicker, they will take a bit longer to cook and/or absorb liquids.
Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats Nutrition:
Rolled oats vs. quick oats – which is healthier?
Despite the differences in processing, there are marginal nutritional differences between rolled oats and quick oats. Plain rolled oats and plain quick oats contain similar amounts of nutrients like fat and protein, with very slight differences in carbohydrates, fibre, and calories. Quick oats do have a slightly higher glycemic index compared to rolled.
This table provides a nutritional breakdown of rolled oats vs quick oats per 1/2 cup serving:
Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats Glycemic Index
According to the International Glycemic Index Database, rolled oats have a glycemic index score of 59, while quick oats have a glycemic index of 66. Both 59 and 66 fall within the medium glycemic index range.
Because quick oats have a higher GI, they can raise your blood glucose levels slightly quicker compared to rolled oats. This is due to the smaller size of the oats.
What to Keep in Mind:
If you aren’t familiar with glycemic index, it is a scale of 0 to 100 that ranks the effects of carbohydrate-containing foods based on how much they raise your blood sugars. The higher the glycemic index, the higher a food can raise your blood sugars.
Regarding quick cooking oats, remember that individual packets of quick oats may contain added sugars and salt for flavouring, which may alter the nutrition information and glycemic index as well. Read the ingredients list, and know that the table above lists the nutrition facts for plain whole grain oats.
How to Use Rolled Oats and Quick Oats:
Can I Use Quick Oats Instead of Rolled Oats?
Generally you can use rolled oats and quick oats interchangeably in recipes like baked goods and smoothies, though there may be some slight texture differences. Same goes for your morning bowl of oatmeal, although quick oats will of course cook more quickly as they absorb liquid and soften more easily.
When it comes to recipes like overnight oats, rolled oats and quick oats are not interchangeable.
Can I use Rolled Oats for Overnight Oats?
Here at Hannah Magee RD, we share all kinds of simple and nutritious oats recipes, including overnight oats.
Because quick oats absorb more liquid than rolled oats, they are more likely to become soggy in overnight oats where the oats are sitting in liquid like milk and yogurt overnight. I have made overnight oats using quick oats before. The taste is usually good, but they do tend to be more on the soggy side.
Rolled oats are perfect for overnight oats. Due to their larger size and thickness, they tend to absorb just the right amount of liquid for a creamy but still chewy overnight oats texture.
In Summary:
Both rolled oats and quick oats are versatile, affordable and highly nutritious sources of whole grains. Rolled oats tend to be slightly higher in nutrients like fibre and protein, and have a slightly lower glycemic index compared to quick oats. This is due to the higher amounts of processing that quick oats undergo.
Rolled oats are quick oats are interchangeable in many recipes, but not so much in recipes like overnight oats. Overall, both are healthy choices, but I tend to choose rolled oats more often and save quick oats for those times when I really need something quick!
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Nutrition
published on Apr 27, 2022
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30 comments on “Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats – What’s the Difference?”
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Gordon Collis —Reply
Your nutrition chart shows rolled oats have 1 gm sugar vs quick oats have 0 gm sugar… Suspect this is an error… as the processing should not destroy nor add sugar
Miguel —Reply
Actually, I looked at the packaging, and quick oats have 1 g of sugar, while old-fashioned — none; why, I do not know. So, it looks like the author’s data is a mistake, but so is yours :).
Miguel —Reply
Judging by the packaging, it is the opposite — quick oats have 1 g of sugar, while old-fashioned — none.
Venkata Sudireddy —Reply
Which Oats is better for type 2 diabetes person for eat .
Hannah Magee —Reply
Hi Venkata, either quick or rolled oats would be suitable, however rolled oats do have a slightly lower glycemic index (resulting in a slower rise in blood sugar). Both quick and rolled oats fall under the ‘medium’ glycemic index range.
Tami —Reply
Hello Hannah,
Thank you for the wonderful article on oatmeal… I’ve never known much of anything about oatmeal, except that it’s delicious and can be used as an ingredient in so many different recipes…! Normally I wouldn’t read an article about oatmeal as it would just seem boring to do so, and truthfully I’m not a huge fan of baking…! However I do bake at times and I sincerely appreciate learning that “rolled oatmeal” & “old fashioned oatmeal” are the same thing…! I’ve seen recipes that have called for “rolled oatmeal”, and instead of looking it up on google or even asking someone I would skip it, I’d just bypass that recipe and go to the next one..!!
Anywho, I just wanted to let you know I’m thankful for you teaching me that fun little fact…!!Hannah Magee, RD —Reply
Hi Tami, I’m so glad you found this article helpful and that you learned something new! 🙂
Temidayo —Reply
I enjoyed reading this post, I am a huge lover of oats. Thank you so much Hannah,
Hannah Magee —Reply
Thanks Temidayo – I’m so happy it was helpful!
Silvia Wear —Reply
I must have missed how to actually cook rolled oats. I believe I got all the info I. Them except how to cook them.
Hannah Magee, RD —Reply
Hi Silvia, there are various ways to cook rolled oats – these are demonstrated in the recipes using rolled oats that are linked in this article! Hope that helps. 🙂
Jean Panes —Reply
Thank you so much for the information, Ms. Hannah.
I really love to eat Whole rolled oats❤️Hannah Magee, RD —Reply
As do I! Thank you Jean. 🙂
Halima —Reply
Thank you so much Hannah. I just finished eating quick oats. I want to add more weight, how will quick oats make me add more weight
Hannah Magee, RD —Reply
Hi Halima, if you are looking to gain weight I would recommend finding ways to add calories to your quick oats in a healthy way. Higher-calorie toppings like nut butter, nuts and seeds, and higher fat milk are great options!
Kate Fennessy —Reply
What about steel cut oats?
Hannah Magee, RD —Reply
With steel cut oats, the oat kernels are cut into small pieces rather than being rolled and steamed. This is why they’re more chewy in texture, and why they take longer to cook, absorb liquids, and digest. So they may keep you fuller for longer too!
James Raven —Reply
Hi Hannah,thank your for your artcle on plain oats vs Quick oats . As a type II diabetic In was looking for a food that gived good fibre. Doue ordinary plain rolled oats have more fibre than quick oats?
Hannah Magee, RD —Reply
Hi James, great question! Rolled oats have slightly more fibre than quick oats (1 gram more per 1/2 cup) and a slightly lower glycemic index (59 compared to 66), although both fall within the medium glycemic index range.
Keith Wallace —Reply
Does the extra steam time for quick oats reduce the potassium quantity per serving , making them more suitable for a low potassium diet ?
Hannah Magee, RD —Reply
Hi Keith, according to Nutrition Facts tables, it doesn’t appear to make a difference in potassium content. Both rolled oats and quick oats have 150mg of potassium (2% DV) per 1/2 cup dry oats. That being said, this is considered a low potassium food and may be suitable for a low potassium diet. I’d recommend consulting with your own RD or healthcare provider on this to confirm!
Seamus —Reply
Thank you for this article… It answers questions I have sought for a long time.
Side note: ‘intact’ is one word.
Hannah Magee, RD —Reply
Thanks!
Carm Mclean —Reply
I like eating raw rolled oats with milk. Do the oats lose any value this way. I eat them to help lower my cholesterol.
Hannah Magee, RD —Reply
That’s perfectly fine, they wouldn’t lose any nutritional value eating them this way!
Brian —Reply
Hi Hannah
Thanks for the information.
I am wondering if instant oats are the same as Quick Oats as far as how they effect blood sugar and where they are on the a GI
ThanksHannah Magee, RD —Reply
Hi Brian, instant oats and quick oats do differ in some ways. Instant oats cook even quicker than quick oats and have been steamed/rolled even further. This is why they take even less time to cook. From a fibre/protein standpoint, they are about the same per equal serving. Keep in mind that instant oats may have sugars/flavours added and this could impact blood sugars differently compared to plain quick cooking oats. Hope that helps!
Brian —Reply
Thanks for the information.
I am wondering if instant oats are the same as Quick Oats as far as how they affect blood sugar and where they are on the a GI? I got a message saying that this had been answered but I don’t see it when I go to see replyPlateau731 —Reply
Great information, Thanks
I do have one question. Are rolled oak and Hojuelas de Avena (Spanish) the same? Or not.Hannah Magee, RD —Reply
Hi there, I am not 100% sure as I’m not familiar with the Spanish language, but from a quick Google search it looks to me like Hojuelas de Avena would be closer to quick oats than rolled oats.
