This is one of our base recipes. Healthy baked oatmeal cups are easy to make and are a great breakfast item to grab on the run!
Three Must-Know Cooking Skills
For recipe success, learn how to:
Culinary Tips for Healthy Oatmeal Cups
When you mix all of the ingredients together, some liquid will pool at the bottom of the bowl. Try to evenly distribute it when portioning. You might scoop the oats and then pour any remaining liquid on top of the cups.
Depending on the puree and mix-ins you select, you might not need added sweetener, so experiment with leaving the honey or maple syrup out of the recipe.
Toast the nuts for a more complex flavor.
If you add a lot of mix-ins, you might end up with more than 12 baked oatmeal cups. Sounds like a good problem to us! Save the rest of the mixture for overnight oats, or cook in silicon muffin cups.
The darker the muffin pan, the quicker the baked oatmeal cups will cook.
Serve warm or cold.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Oats: use old fashioned, rolled, or quick oats. We don’t recommend using steel cut oats in this recipe.
- Milk or milk alternative: use any milk or milk alternative of your choice. We have used cow’s milk, cashew milk, soy milk, and almond milk, and all yielded great results. We recommend plain varieties to reduce added sugars.
- Fruit or vegetable puree: use any puree of your choice. For vegetables, we recommend starchy sweet kinds, like sweet potato or pumpkin. You can also mix and match!
- Sweetener: use honey, maple syrup, agave, cane sugar, or brown sugar.
- Cinnamon: substitute pumpkin pie or apple pie spice.
- Vanilla extract: use almond, coconut, orange or any other natural extract, but reduce the amount.
We love buying our spices from The Spice House. Click on the picture below to view & try out hundreds of flavorful spices and herbs!
Base Recipe Variations
Remember that this is a base recipe, so the goal is for you to customize it to your taste!
If you want to make a banana variation, use a very ripe banana for better texture and sweetness. Mash the banana in the bowl before adding the other ingredients rather than using two bowls for one less dish to clean! If your bananas are still greenish yellow and you really want to make this recipe, try roasting them!
Want some more spice in your life? Add some nutmeg, cloves, allspice, or cardamom. Any sweet spice would be a nice addition.
Want to make your baked oatmeal cups vegan? Use a milk alternative, vegan chocolate chips, and maple syrup instead of honey.
Trying to reduce added sugars? Use a really ripe banana, forgo the chocolate chips and honey, and/or use unsweetened dried fruit.
Need some baked oatmeal cup recipe ideas?
Use these recipe variations for inspiration, then have fun exploring other flavors, ingredients, and textures!
Equipment Recommendations
Use these kitchen tools for recipe success!
- Mixing Bowl
- Dry Measuring Cups & Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Muffin Pan
- 1/4 cup Portion Scoop
- Spatula
- Silicone Baking Cups
Are Baked Oatmeal Cups Healthy?
Yes! Baked oatmeal cups are a great way to start your morning or provide a healthy snack. This recipe features oats, milk or milk alternative, and a fruit or vegetable puree.
Oats
Oats of any variety are a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. Fiber is important for digestion, satiety, stable blood sugar, good cholesterol, and healthy gut bacteria. Carbohydrates are important for energy and focus.
Milk or Milk Alternative
Whether you choose to use cow’s milk or a plant based alternative, you are sure to get some nutritional benefit. Cow’s milk is a great source of protein, calcium, vitamins A & D, and more. There are so many plant-based milk alternatives that it’s hard to generalize their benefits, so be sure to read the nutrition label. Soy milk is the most comparable to cow’s milk.
For more on this subject, check out our plant-based milk vs cow’s milk article!
Fruit or Vegetable Puree
Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Together, these nutrients help reduce inflammation and prevent chronic disease.
Baked Oatmeal Cups Serving Suggestions
Healthy baked oatmeal cups are a great on-the-go breakfast. Pair with nut butter, a smoothie, Greek yogurt, or eggs for an added protein boost. Oatmeal cups are also a great addition to a packed lunch, a satisfying treat, or an energizing pre- or post-workout snack.
How to Store Baked Oatmeal Cups
These healthy baked oatmeal cups will store in an airtight bag or container for 7 days in the refrigerator.
We love wrapping them individually in plastic wrap, dropping in a freezer bag, and storing in the freezer (for up to three months) for busy mornings. Thaw overnight or defrost in the microwave.
Looking for More Oat Recipes?
Try out these base recipes, then have fun customizing them to your taste!
Healthy Baked Oatmeal Cups Base Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk or milk alternative
- 1 cup fruit or vegetable puree (banana, pumpkin, applesauce, etc.)
- 2 Tablespoons – ¼ cup natural sweetener
- ½-1 teaspoon flavor extract and/or
- ½-1 teaspoon spices (cinnamon, pumpkin spice, apple pie spice, etc.)
- Dash salt
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
Optional Mix-Ins
- ¼-½ cup dark chocolate chips, dried or fresh fruit, and/or toasted nuts or seeds
- ½ cup nut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or muffin liners.
- In a large bowl combine milk or milk alternative, fruit or vegetable puree, sweetener, flavor extract and/or spices, and salt. Mix well.
- Add oats and optional mix-ins. Stir to combine.
- Using a ¼ cup measure or portion scoop, place a heaping scoop into each cup. Bake 18-20 minutes or until oat cups are set and edges are slightly brown.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Enjoy!
