Healthy baked oatmeal cups are the easiest way to make a hearty breakfast for the week ahead! They’re dairy-free, gluten-free, and nutrient-dense and one of my favorite oatmeal recipes, along with high protein overnight oats, tropical overnight oats with coconut milk, and baked oatmeal.
What you’ll love about this recipe
Ingredients Needed
To make these oat cups, you’ll need wholesome ingredients that you’ll find at any grocery store. You probably already have all the ingredients already stocked in your pantry.
- 3 cups old fashioned oats (I like sprouted oats for easier digestion)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk of choice: whole milk, unsweetened plain almond milk, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, unsweetened coconut milk, oat milk, cashew milk, etc.
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup add-ins: chocolate chips, fresh berries, frozen blueberries, shredded coconut, nuts, etc. (Use 1 mix-in, or combine a 2-3 options to total 1 cup)
Add Protein: Add 1 serving of your favorite vanilla or chocolate protein powder with the dry ingredients. Add 2 tablespoons of extra milk to the batter. This will add 21 grams of extra protein, divided between the 12 cups. I love this protein powder chocolate or vanilla.
Equipment Needed
- Standard 12-cavity muffin pan for baking the oat cups
- Muffin liners or cooking spray for lining or greasing the muffin pan
- Large bowl for mixing dry ingredients
- Medium bowl for mixing wet ingredients
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Instead of cinnamon, use pumpkin pie spice. Delicious in the fall season when you want a pumpkin-spiced baked good and a pumpkin spice latte.
- Pumpkin Puree: Instead of applesauce, use pumpkin puree.
- Mashed Bananas: Instead of applesauce, use ripe mashed bananas.
9 Unique Baked Oatmeal Cup Flavors
The best part about this recipe is you can customize the mix-ins to create different flavors. Here are a few of my favorite mix-ins combinations to add during step 3 (when you combine the dry and wet ingredients).
FLAVOR COMBOS
- 1 cup chocolate chips (milk or dark chocolate chips)
- 2 Tablespoons peanut butter + 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes + 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes + 1/2 cup chopped dried mango
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans + 1/2 cup chopped fresh apples
- 1 cup chopped nuts or seeds: pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup dried fruit: apples, mangoes, cranberries
- 1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries (avoid watery berries like strawberries or raspberries)
How to Make, Step By Step Instructions
First, preheat the oven to 375F. Grease (I like avocado oil spray) or line a 12-cavity muffin pan with muffin liners.
Step 1: Combine Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: old-fashioned oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
Step 2: Combine Wet Ingredients
In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: milk, applesauce, honey, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil.
Step 3: Combine ALL Ingredients & Add Mix-Ins
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in up to 1 cup of mix-ins of choice (see “9 Unique Flavors” below for ideas).
Step 4: Bake for 20-25 Minutes
Divide the oatmeal mixture evenly among the muffin pan. I use an ice cream scooper and gently press the mixture down in the muffin cups with my fingers.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the centers are firm to the touch.
Step 5: Remove from Oven & Cool for 15 Minutes
Let the pan cool, preferably on a wire rack, for at least 15 minutes. The oatmeal cups will firm up as they cool and shouldn’t be removed from the pan too quickly. This will prevent the oat cups from crumbling when warm.
Enjoy the oat cups as-is or top with your favorite peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower butter before enjoying for healthy fats. I also love adding a few banana slices on top. Delicious!
How to Store & Reheat
This is the perfect make-ahead breakfast as the oatmeal cups.
- In the Fridge: Store the oatmeal cups in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 7 days.
- In the Freezer: Store the oatmeal cups in a freezer-safe ziplock bag for up to 3 months.
- To enjoy from the fridge, remove and eat. No need to reheat. If you want a warmer breakfast, reheat in the microwave for a few seconds.
- To enjoy from the freezer, defrost in the fridge overnight or on the counter.
What to Serve With Healthy Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Cups
Pair the oatmeal cups with a protein for a macro-friendly breakfast (carbs, fiber, protein, and healthy fats). Here are a few pairings that work well with this recipe.
- Chocolate Protein Yogurt
- Scrambled Eggs
- Instant Pot Hardboiled Eggs
- Spinach Feta Omelet
- Ham and Cheese Omelet
- Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole
- Bacon, Kale, Potato Frittata
- Sunny Side Up Eggs
Or add a homemade drink on the side…
What Readers Say
“Love this recipe. It’s great when the hubby wants to bring oatmeal to work. I freeze them. He puts them in his bag frozen and by the time he’s ready to eat at work they have defrosted. Sometimes he warms them in the microwave. I add protein powder. It gives the oatmeal muffins extra protein.”
–Marixi
If you love easy baked oatmeal cups, you’ll also love these oat recipes: high protein overnight oats, chocolate peanut butter oats, baked oatmeal with blueberries, overnight oats with frozen fruit, oatmeal pancakes, banana-oat breakfast cookies, and almond-oat pancakes.
Baked Oatmeal Cups (Basic Recipe & 9 Variations)
Equipment
- 1 12-cavity muffin pan for baking the oat cups
- 12 muffin liners or cooking spray to grease or line the muffin pan
- 1 large bowl for mixing the dry ingredients
- 1 medium bowl for mixing the wet ingredients
Ingredients
Basic Oatmeal Cups Recipe:
- 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (260g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk of choice (200g) whole milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc.
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (212g)
- 1/3 cup honey (100g)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil melted (44g before melting)
- 1 cup add-ins (see note below for options)
9 Variation Ideas. Add up to 1 cup total of your favorite mix-ins to create different variations. 9 Favorite Options:
- 1 cup chocolate chips (milk or dark chocolate chips)
- 1 cup chopped nuts or seeds such as: pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup dried fruit such as: apples, mangoes, cranberries
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes + 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes + 1/2 cup chopped dried mango
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans + 1/2 cup chopped fresh apples
- 2 Tablespoons peanut butter + 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease (I like avocado oil spray) or line a 12-cavity muffin pan with muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: milk, applesauce, honey, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Now, fold in up to 1 cup of mix-ins of choice (see favorite options above).
- Divide the oatmeal mixture evenly among the muffin cups. I use an ice cream scooper and gently press the mixture down in the muffin cup with my fingers.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the centers are firm to the touch.
- Let the pan cool, preferably on a wire rack, for at least 15 minutes. The oatmeal cups will firm up as they cool and shouldn’t be removed from the pan too quickly.
- Enjoy the oat cups as-is or top with your favorite peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower butter before enjoying for healthy fats. I also love adding a few banana slices on top. Delicious!
Notes
Nutrition
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