Make a healthy, hearty morning meal a total breeze with this freezer-friendly recipe for Baked Oatmeal Cups.
Goodbye 2017, hello 2018! Can you believe another year has come and gone? With so many ways to kick off January 1, I thought a healthy, make-ahead and freezer-friendly breakfast was in order. New Year’s resolutions, meet your morning match: Baked Oatmeal Cups!
Your classic bowl of oatmeal has been reimagined into a handheld baked breakfast with endless opportunities for customization. The base of this recipe uses mashed bananas for moisture, but you can easily swap in equal amounts of applesauce, pumpkin purée or any other fruit purée for the same effect.
Chopped nuts, dried fruit and even toasted coconut are also welcome additions in each cup before the muffin pan is popped into the oven. A few minutes later, Baked Oatmeal Cups emerge eager and ready for topping.
I’ve opted for fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup, but feel free to pile on any preferred oatmeal toppings.
Not ready to dig in just yet? To freeze the muffins, let them cool completely then wrap each securely in plastic wrap and pop them into a sealable plastic bag. Then when you’re flying out the door or in need of a hearty pick-me-up, unwrap each muffin and microwave it for 1 minute. A healthy, filling and fiber-packed breakfast is now only 60 seconds away!
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Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup mashed banana (See Kelly's Notes)
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Fruit, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a muffin tin generously with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon and light brown sugar.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Divide the mixture among the muffin cups, filling them full.
- Bake the oatmeal cups for 25 to 30 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. Remove them from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
- Top the cooled oatmeal cups with your choice of fresh or dried fruit, chopped nuts, toasted coconut or maple syrup.
Kelly's Notes:
- You can replace the mashed banana with any other type of mashed fruit, such as applesauce or pumpkin purée.
- Any variety of milk works well, including all dairy versions (whole, reduced fat or nonfat), as well as almond milk or other dairy-free alternatives.
- To freeze the Baked Oatmeal Cups, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in a sealable plastic bag. When ready to serve, remove them from the bag, unwrap the plastic wrap and heat them in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds until warmed through.
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Recipe adapted from The Kitchn.
Quick and easy!
This has become a regular breakfast snack. I like how you can customize and experiment with it, but the original recipe is awesome too . Good in all ways, can’t find fault with it, and it’s healthy too!
Love reading this, Sophia! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
Great for my hubby and kids I’ve added cooked apples, peanut butter, coconut and most recently blueberries all with great success.
I’m so thrilled your family has been enjoying the recipe, Katherine!
We love these muffins for quick grab and go meals! I have made several different varieties by adding diced apples and apple pie spice, swapping the banana for pumpkin (and adding a few mini chocolate chips on top), adding diced pineapple, dried cranberries… The options are endless! I have never frozen any because they don’t last long enough!
Love reading this, Jes, and I love all of your different variations! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe :)
Kids home from Uni and everyone stuck at home. These have become the go to breakfast and snack food for the kids and me. So easy to make and strangely filling with a drink, just doubled the cinnamon but that’s personal taste.
another personal thing ! You’re an American site but the rest of the world weighs ingredients and uses centigrade. I have cup measures (40 years a chef) but they are a pain. When I worked in New Jersey I kicked the oven every day for not having centigrade. I have weighing scales in Scotland.
I’m so glad you and your family are enjoying the oatmeal cups, Neil! :)
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made this as a “less messy than actual oats” breakfast option for my 11 month old. I used ancient grains instead of oats, left out the sugar (don’t want baby to go into overdrive!!) and used lactose free milk. Baby loved them (and so did I).
I got 24 mini-muffins and 3 mommy-sized muffins out of it. I reduced the baking time for the mini-muffins, but they still turned out a bit drier than the larger muffins – will have to experiment a bit!
Yay! So thrilled you and your 11 month old enjoyed the recipe, Kerstin!
so excited to try this recipe as I do not like smoothies and needed variety for breakfast the most important meal
Enjoy!
These baked oatmeal muffins are delicious and filling! I tweaked the recipe, using lactose-free skim milk for regular milk to accommodate my intolerance for dairy. I also use egg whites only instead of whole eggs and replace the 2 T. of butter with 1/4 c. of apple sauce to reduce the overall fat, while retaining moisture in the muffin. I like the original, but love my rendition!
Great swaps, Kim! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
I am very eager to try this recipe. I am trying to come up with a morning snack for myself and my mom (she is diabetic). However, she does not like bananas. Can you recommend something to replace the banana? I’m assuming it’s for moisture? I will eliminate the sugar or replace it with a small amount of Stevia for her. Thanks in advance!
Applesauce or pumpkin would work great!
I have made these several times. I added craisins, coconut and chopped almonds into the batter before baking. They turned out delicious. I wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze. I grab one and it is ready to eat at work when I have my morning break.
I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Michelle!
I’m curious if this would work without the brown sugar. I’m on an almost sugar free diet & that matters to me. I understand it wouldn’t be as sweet but other than that is there a reason for it to be there?
Hi Sherry – That should work, however, the texture (and the taste, as you mentioned) might be slightly different. Looking forward to hearing your results!
Can you taste the banana?
Nope! Just acts a binder :)
are these more like muffins or stiff oatmeal?
These muffins are tender and moist!
For the Baked Oatmeal Cups, you can use the following substitution.
For 1 egg substitute, 1 Tbsp ground golden flax seed plus 3 Tbsp water.
This is from the package of Premium Gold Golden Omega Raw Organic Flaxseed True Cold-milled, that I use.
Thanks so much for the tip, Karen!
This recipe is the best. I used almond milk and then half rolled oats and half quick cooking steel cut oats. It definitely affects the texture. I microwave them with fruit and a bit of maple syrup.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Lindsay!