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These healthy baked oatmeal cups have very little added sugar and plenty of whole grains. They're a kid-approved easy make-ahead breakfast!
Why I love this recipe
- Healthy & satisfying: Each cup has 5 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber. They'll keep you going all morning long!
- Very adaptable: 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.
Ingredients and 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.
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.
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.
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.
Freeze ripe bananas for later use
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!
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
Yes, they're gluten free if you use gluten free 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.
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! For a similar recipe that is made without banana, try our oatmeal breakfast cookies.
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.
Yes! Use coconut oil or shortening in place of butter, and they'll be dairy free.
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.
Baked Oatmeal Cups (GF)
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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Nicole I absolutely hate banana’s, can I substitute with applesauce or something?
I’m afraid not, Juanita! Applesauce will not serve the same function as mashed bananas.
Ooh I also love a good breakfast muffin! Making these ASAP as in now :)
I’m going upstairs and make them now .. Have you ever used fresh fruit in them like maybe diced apples??? How about blueberries ??? My husband is going to love these, he’d eat muffins at every meal if I let him.
Hello dear Nicole. I have your book, “G/F on a Shoestring” and am planning on treating myself to your “G/F OAS Bakes Bread. I have printed and also posted a bunch of your wonderful recipes on Pinterest, and I have a question about this particular one…..dried cranberries….sweetened, as in Craisins ? I know that you can buy some dried fruits unsweetened, but I’m not sure about cranberries. This sounds delish and I’m looking forward to trying them. Thank you so much for all of your hard work and dedication to helping us. God Bless you and your family.
Eileen Fodor
i am so mad at my banana’s! they are all green. i want to make these for a snack for when every ones hungry before supper but all i have is green banana’s!
You can actually ripen your bananas in your microwave, believe it or not. They won’t be exactly the same, but you can pierce them with a fork (so steam can escape), then put them in the microwave on a plate in 30-second bursts (usually takes about 2 bursts) until they “give” like ripe bananas when pressed. Or just put them in a brown paper bag with an apple and check back tomorrow. :)
Can the coconut be “optional”? I’m not a fan of it at all.
Sure, Sandy. As I mention in the post, you can swap that out, by weight, for another dry mix-in.
I wish my kids ate like yours. I don’t know if mine would eat these – it makes me so sad. but speaking of dried cranberries – you know those starbuck cranberry bliss bars …. oh how I want one. BAD!
They don’t like oatmeal, Jennifer? All 3 of my kids love these oatmeal muffins, but my youngest is an enormous pain in the behind about the consistency of her cooked oatmeal. If it’s not exactly fresh out of the pot, she won’t eat it. So so annoying. But these muffins? She’s all over them. :)
Oh, and of course I know those bars. I have a recipe for them but meant to post it before Christmas and never got around to photographing it. Think it would go over well in February? ;)
I’m with kid #3 on oatmeal. Yuck. Granola, granola bars, muffins with oats – all fine by me. But oatmeal. :( It’s a texture thing. Alton Brown does groats in a slow cooker overnight. Those look less gloppy. Not that your oatmeal is gloppy, Nicole. I’m sure if anyone’s oatmeal is edible, it’s yours. ;)
Hmm, I wonder if cold oatmeal could be solidified and turned into something like a firm polenta cake. Browned in a pan, a little syrup on top. Now THAT I might eat.
She’ll eat oatmeal that I’ve just made. And she’ll eat overnight slow cooker oatmeal—but only first thing, and not leftovers again the next day or anything. Okay I’m getting annoyed just thinking about it!
We all have our things that set us off! Mine would probably be being FED oatmeal. ;)
I’ll gladly take your oatmeal! It can’t be wet and gloppy at all, though. I like it fairly dry. I really like it with a tbsp. of apple butter and a handful of walnuts mixed in.
I think the Scottish used to do something like that. Let oatmeal solidify and then fry it like corn pone.
Can you use an egg substitute like flax meal & water? I’m allergic to eggs, but these sound delish!
Try it and let us know!
I’m honestly not sure, Pam. There are 3 eggs in these, and I generally don’t recommend replacing eggs when there are that many in a recipe. Sorry!
Here you list 3 eggs but the recipe says 4. I followed the redipe so hope it still turns out and not “too eggy”.
Vivian, the comment above that you are quoting was written 2 years ago, before I republished this recipe. I scaled up the recipe a bit when I republished. It is correct as written, with 4 eggs. It was properly proportioned before as well, with 3 eggs, but made slightly smaller muffins.
I, too, have bananas in the freezer! I have all the ingredients on hand to make these. Oh yeah baby! Oatmeal is my go to breakfast in the winter. This is just another lovely way for me to enjoy it. Nicole, I just appreciate you and what you do for us more and more each day!
Mare – way too many bananas in my freezer too. way too many.
We keep lots of banana in the freezer, too. They make smoothies so creamy! These muffins look so simple and delicious.
Plenty of bananas in our freezer too for breakfast smoothies (yes even in winter), banana pancake muffins, banana pancakes, etc.
Aw, you’re the best, Mare!
Nicole, these look beautiful! Always have bananas on hand or in the freezer, I’ve learned from the best :)
Thanks, Lucy! Love bananas in the freezer. :)