Baked Oatmeal Cups

My book Super Natural Every Day was published in 2011 and one of the most popular recipes in it was instant baked oatmeal. The cookbook focused on recipes using natural, minimally processed ingredients, and the baked oatmeal made with rolled oats, toasted nuts, and lots of berries became an easy grab-and-go breakfast for many people. Since then I’ve baked countless variations of this and make a muffin tin version of the original recipe whenever we want an easy on-the-go breakfast.

These baked oatmeal cups are made with rolled oats, chopped bananas, nuts and berries baked in a vanilla flavored milk mixture (you can use any milk you like). They bake them until everything fits into a golden breakfast on the go. They are flour and gluten free if you use gluten free oats. You can enjoy them dairy-free if you use dairy-free milk. All in all, they are full of deliciousness, kid-friendly and super delicious.

variations

The different variations of baked oatmeal cups are endless. First, you can experiment with different liquids. I’ve made versions with everything from buttermilk to oat milk to coconut milk to toasted coconut milk(!). Next, you can swap out the fruits. These focus on berries and cherries, but there’s no reason why you can’t also swap in sautéed apples, caramelized bananas, or stone fruits like pluots and apricots. You can experiment with sweeteners – maple syrup works great. A decadent version that caught my eye last summer was made with chopped cherries and chocolate chips. If you like, you can always bake the mixture again in a 20 x 20 cm casserole dish. Other ideas:

• Oatmeal cups baked with almonds: Replace almond extract with vanilla extract and use flaked almonds as the nut component
• Vegan Baked Oatmeal Cups: In place of the egg, add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and 3 tablespoons of water to the wet mixture in the recipe.
• Play around with your spices: Go beyond the cinnamon.
• Choose coconut and citrus: Coconut Oatmeal

For the batch I made last week, I had a lot of blueberries and strawberries from the farmer’s market. Also, cherry season has just started and they are so perfect and sweet. I gutted them and added some of that to the mix as well.

To prepare the oatmeal cups, combine the dry ingredients and fruit, then combine with the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Wait a few minutes to allow the mixture to mix a bit. The oatmeal will then begin to absorb some of the liquid.

A technical tip here: you should fill each muffin pan about 3/4 full. You also want a balanced mix of oats and the rest of the liquid. In the photos above and below you can see what the pan should look like before baking.

How to store baked oatmeal cups

To save up all the baked oatmeal cups that you don’t consume on your baking day, you have a few options. You can keep them refrigerated in an airtight container for a few days. Before serving, bring them back to room temperature or reheat in a toaster oven, etc.

How to freeze baked oatmeal cups

Yes, you can freeze them! Allow the baked oatmeal cups to cool completely before freezing. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store for about a month. Allow the oatmeal cups to come back to room temperature before serving. You can reheat them for even more flavor. If you know you want oatmeal cups for breakfast, thaw them in front of the fridge overnight. Go from there in the morning.

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