Oatmeal Cups
Updated Apr 06, 2026
Baked oatmeal cups made with oats, banana, maple syrup, and flaxseed. An easy make-ahead breakfast or snack with only 10 minutes of prep.
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Oatmeal Cups are soo good and easy to prep!
For the longest time, these oatmeal cups were a full hyperfixation for me. I literally always had some on hand because they were easy, filling, and one of the few snacks I never got tired of. I’d make a batch, keep them in the fridge, and just keep grabbing them all week.
That’s still why I like oatmeal cups so much. They’re simple to make, they hold up well, and you can change them up a hundred different ways without having to relearn the recipe every time. I’m listing some variations below because that’s a big part of why I made them so much.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Oatmeal Cup Ingredients
- Oats: Use rolled oats here. They give the oatmeal cups the right texture and hold together better after baking. I would not use steel cut oats for this, and quick oats will work, but the texture will be softer and less sturdy.
- Dry ingredients: Use aluminum-free baking powder if you can, so you do not get that slight metallic taste. The cinnamon works well here, but you can swap in nutmeg or even pumpkin pie spice if that is more your thing. The salt is a small amount, but I would not leave it out since it helps balance everything.
- Wet ingredients: The vanilla extract, almond milk, mashed ripe bananas, maple syrup, and ground flaxseed make up the base. Use very ripe bananas, so they mash smoothly and mix in easily. Any milk works here, not just almond milk. Letting the mixture sit for 5 minutes before baking matters because it gives the oats and flaxseed time to absorb some of the liquid.
- Chocolate chips: These are optional, so you can leave them out or swap in something else depending on the version you want. Mini chocolate chips work especially well if you want them more evenly spread through the oatmeal cups.
How to Make Oatmeal Cups
Oatmeal Cup Recipe
Homemade oatmeal cups with rolled oats, ripe banana, cinnamon, and flaxseed. A simple baked oatmeal recipe you can change up different ways.
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups almond milk or other milk
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper muffin cups.
- Place all the ingredients, except for the chocolate, together in a large bowl and mix to combine until well blended. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Then transfer batter into prepared muffin cups, filling all the way to the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and top is set. If you notice the tops brown too quickly, tent a piece of aluminum foil.
- Cool oatmeal cups on wire rack for 5 minutes, then enjoy.
Notes
My Top Tip: Allow your batter to set in order to activate the flaxseed. When you mix flaxseed with liquid, it creates a binding agent that works just like an egg (often called a “flax egg”). But it needs time to activate in order to do its job! So be sure to let it sit before transferring your oat mixture into your muffin cups.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 5 days in the fridge.
Freezing: You can freeze your baked oatmeal cups in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds or in the oven at 350°F for 5 minutes until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 136kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 46mg, Potassium: 176mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 16IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Oatmeal Cup Variations To Try
- Blueberry Lemon: Add ¾ cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. If using frozen blueberries, fold them in straight from the freezer.
- Apple Cinnamon Walnut: Add ¾ cup small-diced apple and ¼ cup chopped walnuts. Increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon total. Dice the apple small so it softens in time.
- Peanut Butter Banana: Add ¼ cup creamy peanut butter and 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts. The batter will be a little thicker once the peanut butter is mixed in, which is normal.
- Carrot Cake: Add ¾ cup finely grated carrots, ¼ cup raisins, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Grate the carrots finely so they soften well while baking.
- Pumpkin Pecan: Replace ½ cup of the mashed banana with ½ cup pumpkin puree, add ¼ cup chopped pecans, and use 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon. This version may need a few extra minutes in the oven since pumpkin adds more moisture.
- Cranberry Pistachio White Chocolate: Add ¼ cup chopped pistachios, ⅓ cup dried cranberries, and ¼ cup white chocolate chips. Use dried cranberries, not fresh, so the oatmeal cups do not get watery. If your cranberries are sweetened and your white chocolate is very sweet, you can reduce the maple syrup to 3 tablespoons.
Recipe Tips
- Allow your batter to set in order to activate the flaxseed. When you mix flaxseed with liquid, it creates a binding agent that works just like an egg (often called a “flax egg”). But it needs time to activate in order to do its job! So be sure to let it sit before transferring your oat mixture to the muffin cups
- Use a ripe banana. Ripe bananas are naturally sweeter than unripe bananas! They also contain more antioxidants. If you have a banana that needs using up, this is a great recipe for it!
- Prepare your muffin tin before adding the batter. If you don’t spray your muffin tin with oil or bake your oatmeal cups in parchment paper muffin liners, they’ll stick to the tin (trust me, they’re pretty difficult to remove!).
- Let your oatmeal cups cool before enjoying them. As your banana oatmeal cups cool, they’ll firm up. But, when they first come out of the oven, they’ll be too soft to eat!
Serving Ideas
- Pair with a morning beverage. I love eating these oatmeal cups alongside a hot matcha latte, a cold brew coffee, or even a whipped coffee.
- Serve with other breakfast favorites. These are a great breakfast treat with a fruit salad, scrambled eggs, or a yogurt parfait.
- Enjoy with a smoothie. For a quick and easy to-go breakfast, these oatmeal cups pair so well with a chia smoothie, a strawberry banana smoothie, or an avocado smoothie.
FAQs
Can you bake these in a casserole dish?
Yes! If you don’t have a muffin tin, you can bake your oatmeal mixture in a casserole dish or on a sheet tray. Spread the mixture evenly and bake for around 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of your dish. You can then cut them into bars once they’ve cooled.
Comments
Joy to-go! Thank you for 10-star warm, healthy, handheld breakfast! I prepare the base recipe (oats, milk, spices & touch of vanilla) then add a little more oats and milk, allowing time for the milk to absorb (even overnight in the fridge). Then cut up dried apricots, raisins, pecans, fresh apple, the cinnamon, banana, a little pumpkin pie spice (TJ’s contains ginger), and a bit of orange zest is wonderful too. At the end, add the baking powder and salt, rest 5 min per recipe. I use 1/4 cup scoop and fill 20-24 muffin cups, depending on how much fruit I’ve added. Sprinkle a bit of Sugar in the Raw, pumpkin seeds or ginger snap cookies on top & bake. At night I take 2 out of the freezer for the next 2 mornings breakfast, 1 is sufficient for me. If you forget, you can pull it out in the morning a microwave it about 50 sec, depending on your microwave. I prefer them warmed, but they’re amazing either way, and the convenience of them! This recipe is very flexible and forgiving, make it your own put whatever you like. My toddler grandson eats them and doesn’t make a mess, doesn’t need a spoon.
Love your tweaks, Kristine!! So happy you love the recipe, thank you so much!
Could you swap flax seed for chai seed
Absolutely! I’d swap at a 1:1 ratio. I am excited for you to try these! You’ll have to let me know how you like them!
I made these with blueberries and they were so delicious a great quick bite if you have a busy day ahead!
I love that!
I don’t see the baking temperature or time?
It’s in the recipe card! Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.
I just made these as my breakfast for the week, they came out delicious! I love that there’s no dairy in this recipe. It’s a simple thing to make & easy to just pop in the oven while I’m doing other things around the house. This will definitely be one of my staples 😋
Made this recipe so many times!! It’s delicious. I currently only have 2 cups instead of 3 of rolled oats, can I use quick cooking oats? Thanks.
Yes, you can use the quick cooking oats for 1/3 of the amount called for. It might be a little more dry, but it will still work out.
Just made these for the second time at the request of the kids—a hit!
Yay that makes me so happy! Thank you!
Is it possible to use chia seeds instead of flaxseeds or perhaps an egg? Thanks for the great recipe!
Yes, you can use 2 tablespoons chia seeds or 2 eggs instead 🙂
Loved it. Yet another amazing recipe from Yumna!
Thank you so much!!
Perfect make-ahead breakfast and snack. Love it. Will definitely be a repeat. Thanks for another easy and healthy recipe.
Glad to hear it. Thank you!
Looks very healthy and delicious ? I’m keen to try but don’t have any baking powder. Can i substitute it for baking soda or nothing? Also can flaxmeal be used instead of flaxseed powder? Thanks
You can just skip it but it won’t rise as much. And yes you can substitute the flaxseed powder. Let me know how it works!
I just made these. They are awesome…I didn’t have enough banannas so I used half frozen raspberries. Soooo good!!! Otherwise followed recipe exactly !!! I love the maple syrup in these..No sugar is how I bake now !!!! Thank you for a Healthy recipe ?
So glad you made them and loved them. I like your sub of using the frozen raspberries! Thank you!