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I run into this problem all the time and I find it depends largely on the recipe and the amount of oats. If you're making a bread or muffin recipe, you can probably substitute old fashioned oats without a problem, cutting the measure down a bit by 1/4 cup or so. Old fashioned oats absorb more moisture in general than quick cooking oatmeal, so you may want to observe the consistency of your dough/batter and add a bit more liquid if it looks too dry. If the recipe is based completely on oats for its grain, watch your liquid closely as there probably won't be enough if it calls for quick oats.
Cookies that use quick cooking oatmeal sometimes rely on the oats to cook with the addition of hot liquid (for example, a lot of no-bake cookies use quick cooking oats). Old fashioned oats won't work very well in these recipes because the oats won't cook fully. You can get around this by either 1) blending your old fashioned oats in the food processor for a minute or so to break them up, or 2) partially cooking the oats first and then using them. I generally opt for breaking up the old fashioned oats in the food processor, since it works better. If you don't mind things really chewy, go ahead and just use old fashioned oats in place of the quick cooking oats.
All it means is that quick cooking is rolled flatter than old fashioned. If you adjust your times between the two you can use them....if....you have nothing else to use.
Old fashioned requires longer cooking and quick cook is thinner, it requires less cooking.
It might depend on the recipe, and your preference for chewy, dense oats vs. something more likely to disappear, but I never use quick-cooking oatmeal. Old fashioned rolled oats work fine for me in cookies, quick breads, streusel topping, and my Mom's meatloaf. They will always be more dense and substantial as quick-cook, and less hydrated, but I like the chewiness they add.
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Cookies that use quick cooking oatmeal sometimes rely on the oats to cook with the addition of hot liquid (for example, a lot of no-bake cookies use quick cooking oats). Old fashioned oats won't work very well in these recipes because the oats won't cook fully. You can get around this by either 1) blending your old fashioned oats in the food processor for a minute or so to break them up, or 2) partially cooking the oats first and then using them. I generally opt for breaking up the old fashioned oats in the food processor, since it works better. If you don't mind things really chewy, go ahead and just use old fashioned oats in place of the quick cooking oats.
Old fashioned requires longer cooking and quick cook is thinner, it requires less cooking.