Blessing on oatmeal
Question
What bracha is made on oatmeal cereal before and after eating it?
Answer
Shalom,
The general rule for cereals (including oatmeal) is that if they are not mashed, they blessing before eating them is Boreh p'ri ha-adamah, and the blessing after eating is Boreh nefashot .
If they are mashed or cooked until they become very soft, the blessings are, respectively, Boreh minei mezonot and Al ha-michyah .
So with regard to your question, if you cook porridge, the blessings are Mezonot and Al ha-michyah . The same is true for instant oatmeal (Quacker), since the milk that you add really softens its texture.
However, if you eat oatmeal in its original form (adding sugar, for example), without softening or mashing it, the blessings are Boreh p'ri ha-adamah and Boreh nefashot .