Baked Oatmeal Cups (GF)

By Nicole Hunn | Published: August 30, 2024 | Posted In: Breakfast & Brunch, Muffins, Snacks

stack of 3 oatmeal cups on small round gray plate with top one broken

5 from 9 votes

Prep Time : 10

Cook Time : 15

These healthy baked oatmeal cups have very little added sugar and plenty of whole grains. Naturally gluten free, too!

These healthy baked oatmeal cups have very little added sugar and plenty of whole grains. They're a kid-approved easy make-ahead breakfast!

vertical stack of 3 baked oatmeal cups on gray plate

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Why I love these baked oatmeal cups
Oatmeal cups ingredients & substitution suggestions
How to make baked oatmeal cups
Recipe tips & tricks
Storage & refreshing
Frequently Asked Questions

Why I love these baked oatmeal cups

Healthy & satisfying: Each cup has 5 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber. They'll keep you going all morning long!
Very adaptable recipe: You can replace all of the mix-ins, like dried fruit and coconut chips, with your favorites. Or just make them really plain with more oats.
Quick & easy: I provide plenty of instructions on how to make the recipe, but really it's just combine dry ingredients, mix in wet, transfer the raw batter to a greased muffin tin and bake.
Little to no added sugar: I like to add 1/4 cup of brown sugar, but you can use unrefined coconut sugar, or leave it out entirely without sacrificing any texture at all.

baked oatmeal cups ingredients in small bowls

Oatmeal cups ingredients & substitution suggestions

These baked oatmeal cups are super adaptable. Here are the key ingredients you'll need, plus info on how to substitute some if you need or want to:

Rolled oats: Whole grain old fashioned rolled oats are the basis for these oatmeal cups, of course. You can use them as is, but I prefer to pulse them in a blender or food processor to make them more like quick-cooking oats for a softer textured oatmeal cup. There are oatmeal alternatives like quinoa flakes or coconut chips that might work to make these oat-free.
Coconut flakes: I don't like baking with shredded coconut, since it doesn't taste anything like coconut to me. Go for the big, flat coconut flakes. If you can't find them or just don't like them, you can just use more oats in the same amount, by weight.
Salt: Brightens the flavors and balances the sweetness.
Ground cinnamon: Adds some depth and aroma. Totally optional, though!
Sugar: I like to add a bit of coconut palm sugar or light brown sugar for some more sweetness and a bit more flavor, but you can leave it out if you don't want any added sugar.
Small dried fruit: I really like dried cranberries here, but I've also used diced dried apricots, raisins, or even chocolate chips. Pick your favorite, or a combination.
Butter: You can easily swap butter for an equal amount, by weight, of virgin coconut oil. The recipe also works with vegetable shortening, but you'll get the most flavor with butter.
Bananas: Bananas give the muffins sweetness and structure. I have made these with half applesauce, half bananas, and it works well. You might also be able to use pumpkin puree.
Eggs: There are 4 eggs in this recipe, and that's a lot to replace successfully. If you're really experienced at replacing eggs, you can try replacing each with your favorite substitute, but I really can't promise results.

How to make baked oatmeal cups

These step by step photos are meant to give you an idea of what it's like to make this recipe in your own home. For full instructions including precise ingredient amounts and a printable recipe, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Make the raw batter

In mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (oats, coconut, salt, cinnamon, sugar, and dried fruit).
Add the wet (beaten eggs, melted butter, mashed bananas).
Mix to combine.

dried cranberries, oats, coconut flakes, and brown sugar in metal mixing bowl

mixed dry ingredients for baked oatmeal cups in metal mixing bowl

Transfer to a muffin tin and bake

Divide the batter evenly among the greased wells of a standard muffin tin.
Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes.
If you want them to rise a bit higher, bake for 5 minutes first at 400°F, then lower the temperature to 350°F.

raw batter for baked oatmeal cups in metal 12 cup standard muffin tin

12 baked oatmeal cups on wire rack on wood table

Let cool briefly & serve

Once the muffins are fully baked, let them cool in the tin for only about 5 minutes.
Try using a butter knife or offset spatula to pop them out of the wells.

pile of baked oatmeal cups on wire rack with one cup broken

Recipe tips & tricks

Process the oats a bit

I had always made these muffins with old fashioned rolled oats, full stop. But more recently I've started pulsing the oats a bit in a blender or food processor so they resemble quick-cooking oats. The oatmeal cups have a more tender texture that way that I really like.

Try a combination of mix-ins

I usually make these with dried cranberries instead of raisins (raisins often seem disappointing to me in baked goods, like they should have been something more interesting), but you can use any small dried fruit you like. Or try chocolate chips, miniature chocolate chips, chopped pecans, chopped walnuts, or more coconut flakes.

How to have bananas on hand for baking

When your bananas are ripe but you don't want to bake with them or eat them, freeze them! Peel them, chop them into 1-inch chunks and freeze them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Then pile them into a freezer bag and freeze until you need them. Then, thaw at room temperature or in the microwave, and mash to bake!

pile of baked oatmeal cups in gray tart pan

Storage & refreshing

These oatmeal cups are absolutely perfect for making ahead of time. They stay fresh for up to 3 days if you wrap them tightly and keep them on the countertop. For longer storage, I suggest freezing them.

How to freeze baked oatmeal cups

Since these are not fragile at all, once they're cool, you can pile them right into a freezer-safe ziptop bag and freeze them. Try to squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag so they don't get freezer burned. They'll keep for up to 2 months or so that way.

How to refresh stored muffin cups

If you've stored them at room temperature but want them to taste like they were just made, sprinkle them lightly with lukewarm water and put in the toaster oven at 300°F until warm. If they were frozen, defrost at room temperature or microwave at 60% power for about 45 seconds. Refresh in the toaster.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are baked oatmeal cups gluten free?

Yes, they're gluten free if you use gluten free rolled oats.

Can I use quick-cooking oats in place of rolled oats?

Yes! I recommend pulsing your rolled oats a few times in a blender or food processor so they're the texture of quick oats for a more tender muffin. But you can always just start out with quick-cooking oats. Just be sure to measure out 275 grams, though, since the same amount of quick oats will measure less than 2 3/4 cups of rolled oats.

Can I replace the bananas?

Yes, well, sort of! I haven't had a lot of success using 300 grams of applesauce in place of bananas entirely. The muffins are kind of heavy. But half mashed bananas and half applesauce works. I plan to try using 250 grams of applesauce in place of 300 grams of mashed bananas, and I think that might work. Pumpkin puree might work too!

Why are my baked oatmeal cups gummy?

They may have not baked long enough if the inside seems gummy. Or, you may have overmixed the raw batter, but most likely, it's underbaked.

Can I make these dairy free?

Yes! Use coconut oil or shortening in place of butter, and they'll be dairy free.

Do they taste a lot like bananas?

No! They don't taste strongly of the bananas. But if you're at all concerned, try using half mashed bananas (150 grams) and half smooth applesauce (150 grams) and you'll barely detect the banana flavor at all.

one broken baked oatmeal cup on gray plate on light blue cloth

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Baked Oatmeal Cups (GF)

These healthy baked oatmeal cups have very little added sugar and plenty of whole grains. Naturally gluten free, too!

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Yield: 12 oatmeal cups

Author: Nicole Hunn

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups (275 g) old-fashioned rolled oats gluten free, if necessary
⅝ cup (50 g) unsweetened coconut flakes
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup (40 g) coconut palm sugar or light brown sugar in an equal amount by weight (optional)
⅝ cup (100 g) small dried fruit (I have used dried cranberries, raisins, and diced dried apricots)
5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled (or virgin coconut oil or vegetable shortening)
3 (300 g) peeled ripe bananas mashed
4 (200 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease the wells of a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set it aside.
I prefer to pulse the rolled oats in a food processor or blender a couple of times to make them the size of quick-cooking oats. This is an optional step, but it makes for softer baked goods.
In a large bowl, place the oats, coconut flakes, salt, cinnamon, optional sugar and dried fruit, and mix to combine well.
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter or coconut oil, mashed bananas, and eggs, and mix to combine. The batter should be thick, but soft.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared wells of the muffin tin, and smooth the tops with a wet spoon or spatula.
Place the tin in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the muffins feel firm when pressed gently in the center (about 20 minutes).
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. A toothpick or small offset spatula can be useful in removing the muffins from the wells.
Serve immediately or wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for longer storage.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature before serving.

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate, per oatmeal cup, made using an online nutritional calculator. It assumes that you use the stated ingredients and not one of the alternatives, and it should not be relied upon.