Uncooked rolled oats you see in the grocery store are not the same as raw oats. Raw oats come straight from the field with the whole oat plant still intact--kernels, hulls, and stalks. Rolled oats, on the other hand, have gone through processing, which includes pre-steam and heat treatments to kill potentially harmful pathogens. [5] So yes, you can eat rolled oats without cooking. This recipe calls for rolled oats, either quick-cooking (instant) or regular (old-fashioned) and both have undergone processing.