Baked Oatmeal Cups are nutrient-dense, naturally sweetened, gluten free and simply made vegan, too! The proper wholesome breakfast or snack.

Once I inform you that point flies when you’ve got little children, I want with my entire coronary heart and soul that I used to be kidding. I swear I used to be spoon-feeding my oldest youngster rice cereal in his excessive chair like two days in the past — now he’s 10 and crushing double-patty burgers at our weekly burger night time. Then requesting a second dinner an hour or two later.

Once I additionally inform you my pockets is already sweating…!

All that to say, my crew is just getting older and hungrier, and having a batch of Baked Oatmeal Cups readily available within the fridge or freezer is a straightforward option to level them to when stated starvation strikes. They’re a wholesome, naturally-sweetened choice for breakfast or snack time.

Suppose a bowl of oatmeal in make-ahead, grab-and-go type. Pair with a chunk of fruit or yogurt and also you’ve bought one heck of a hunger-buster!

Baked Oatmeal Cups

These oat-based bites are filled with good-for-you components which might be fridge and pantry staples. Not solely are they gluten free, however they’re simple to make vegan too. My daughter has egg and dairy allergic reactions so having a breakfast choice, particularly, that every one three of my children can eat with out modification is a godsend throughout loopy college mornings.

Even if you happen to don’t have children, simple Baked Oatmeal Cups are nice to maintain readily available as a pre or post-workout snack, afternoon choose me up paired with a cup of espresso or tea, or like I stated, a seize and go breakfast choice to pair with a banana, apple, or yogurt (or no matter)!

Elements Wanted

• Quaint oats: a portion of the oats are floor into flour both in a meals processor or excessive powered blender. If you happen to had been to attempt to bake the Baked Oatmeal Cups with all quaint oats they’d collapse simply.
• Nuts: chopped nuts (that are non-obligatory) present crunch and further protein. I like pecans, however use what you want.
• Chia seeds: add fiber, protein, and vitamins.
• Cinnamon: provides cozy taste.
• Baking powder: offers every oatmeal cup a pleasant rise.
• Salt: only a bit to steadiness out all of the flavors.
• Milk: no matter you’ve got readily available within the fridge is simply advantageous — this isn’t a fussy recipe. I exploit unsweetened almond milk.
• Unsweetened applesauce: naturally sweetens the Baked Oatmeal Cups, retains them moist, and cuts down on the quantity of oil/fats we have to add to the recipe.
• Maple syrup: once more, provides pure (scrumptious!) sweetness.
• Coconut oil: retains the oatmeal cups tender and moist. You should utilize butter as an alternative, if you happen to like.
• Eggs: assist to maintain the oatmeal cups collectively.
• Vanilla extract: offers these oatmeal cups a “dessert-esque” taste and aroma.

A Word on Gluten Free Oats

In case you have Celiac Illness or a extreme gluten sensitivity, it’s essential to search for the time period “Purity Protocol Oats” on the bundle of oats that you just’re shopping for and utilizing in your oat-based recipes.

This means that the oats have been grown, transported, and processed in devoted fields, vans, and crops to cut back or eradicate the general danger of cross contamination from gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye. Oats not grown following the purity protocol technique depend on mechanical processing to separate gluten-containing grains from the oats, which isn’t 100% dependable.

I like GF Harvest Oats!

Methods to Make Vegan Oatmeal Cups

Gluten free Baked Oatmeal Cups are easy to make vegan utilizing 2 simple swaps:

1. Plant-based milk: use a plant-based milk like almond, soy, and many others. vs cow’s milk. I exploit unsweetened almond milk.
2. Flax eggs: as an alternative of two rooster eggs, use 2 “flax eggs”. That’s 3 Tablespoons floor flaxseed meal stirred along with 6 Tablespoons water, left to take a seat and thicken for 10 minutes earlier than including to the batter.

Utilizing the flax eggs vs rooster eggs will lead to barely flatter baked oatmeal cups, and also you’ll have to bake them for as much as 10 further minutes, however in any other case they’re just about indistinguishable from the non-vegan cups!

Methods to Retailer and Reheat

Baked Oatmeal Cups maintain tremendous nicely within the fridge for a couple of week after baking, or you may pop them into the freezer for longer storage. Right here’s learn how to retailer and reheat them!

• Retailer within the fridge: Cool the baked oatmeal cups utterly then switch to an hermetic container with a lid. Get pleasure from chilly, or microwave for 20-30 seconds to heat by way of.
• Retailer within the freezer: Cool the baked oatmeal cups utterly then place in a single layer in a gallon-size Ziplock freezer bag. Take away all of the air then seal and freeze flat for as much as 3 months. Thaw the oatmeal cups in a single day within the fridge or wrap in a paper towel and microwave frozen for 1 minute at 50% energy, or till warmed by way of.

Baked Oatmeal Variations

I’ve made Baked Oatmeal Cups and baked oatmeal bars sufficient instances to confidently say this recipe is tremendous versatile and just about idiot proof. My finest tip is to err on the aspect of over-baking the cups vs under-baking, to keep away from dense and gummy insides.

Listed below are some recipe variations to strive:

• Use your favourite nut: I normally go for pecans, however chopped walnuts, almonds, and cashews are all nice choices contained in the oatmeal cups.
• Add recent fruit. Shred 1 giant apple into the batter, or add as much as 1 cup blueberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries, or blackberries.
• Swap applesauce for banana: no applesauce readily available? Use 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana as an alternative.
• Add a jammy middle: sink ~1/2 Tablespoon of your favourite jam or jelly into the middle of every oatmeal cup previous to baking for a sticky-sweet shock when consuming.
• Add chocolate: when doubtful, add chocolate! Be at liberty to toss 1/2 cup chocolate chips into the batter earlier than baking. I like to recommend Get pleasure from Life Darkish Chocolate Morsels that are each vegan and gluten free.

Alright, let’s do that!

Attempt These Baked Oatmeal Bars

Methods to Make Baked Oatmeal Cups

Step 1: Course of a number of the oats into flour.

Begin by processing gluten free quaint oats (aka rolled oats) into flour utilizing a meals processor or high-powered blender like a Blendtec, Vitamix, or Ninja.

You may see there’s nonetheless somewhat texture to the oat flour, and that’s okay! It doesn’t have to be tremendous clean like common flour.

Step 2: Combine up the dry components.

Add the oat flour to a big mixing bowl with extra entire quaint oats, chopped nuts (these are pecans), chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt then whisk to mix.

Step 3: Combine up the moist components.

In a separate mixing bowl, add milk, unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil that’s been melted then barely cooled, eggs or flax eggs, and vanilla extract then whisk to mix.

Word: if the coconut oil types little lumps after whisking with the opposite moist components, that’s advantageous! Coconut oil melts at 78 levels, so it’ll soften within the oven whereas the oatmeal cups bake.

Step 4: Add the moist components to the dry components.

Pour the moist components into the dry components then whisk or stir with a spatula till every thing is nicely mixed. Let the batter sit and thicken for five minutes or so, which is able to make it somewhat simpler to scoop into the muffin in.

Step 5: Bake

Which is the place we head subsequent! Scoop 1/4 cup batter into every cup of a standard-size muffin tin that’s been sprayed very nicely with nonstick spray. Bake for 25-Half-hour at 350 levels or till the oatmeal cups are browned on prime and really feel agency while you evenly press down on the highest of an oatmeal cup along with your fingertip.

Tip: I err on the aspect of over-baking vs under-baking these oatmeal cups in order that they don’t end up dense and gummy. I discover the toothpick check doesn’t actually work since they’re so textured, and so I depend on urgent on the tops to verify they really feel agency to find out doneness!

Let the baked oatmeal cups sit within the muffin tin for 10 minutes earlier than operating a knife alongside the skin of every cup then popping them out. Place onto a cooling rack to chill utterly then devour!

As I discussed, these maintain SUPER nicely within the fridge so you may maintain them readily available to snack on all week lengthy, or pop any leftovers into the freezer. Get pleasure from chilly straight from the fridge, or microwave till heat — it’s completely as much as you!

Nevertheless you eat them, I hope you like each single crumb of those wholesome simple Baked Oatmeal Cups. Get pleasure from!

Extra Make-Forward Breakfast Concepts

Baked Oatmeal Cups (GF + Vegan Possibility)

Description

Baked Oatmeal Cups are nutrient-dense, naturally sweetened, gluten free and simply made vegan, too! The proper wholesome breakfast or snack.

Elements

• 2-1/2 cups licensed gluten free quaint oats, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, non-obligatory
• 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk, any form
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted then barely cooled
• 2 giant eggs (see notes for vegan choice)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 levels then spray a 12 cup muffin tin very nicely with nonstick spray and put aside.
2. Add 1 cup oats to a meals processor or excessive powered blender (like a Blendtec, Vitamix, or Ninja) then course of till they’ve changed into flour. Add the flour to a big mixing bowl then add remaining 1-1/2 cups oats, nuts (if utilizing), chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt then whisk to mix.
3. To a medium-size mixing bowl add the milk, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs (or flax eggs) and vanilla then whisk to mix — if a number of the coconut oil clumps up, that’s okay — it is going to soften within the oven. Pour the moist components into the dry components then fold with a spatula to mix.
4. Let the batter sit and thicken for five minutes then scoop 1/4 cup into every of the ready muffin cups. Bake for 25-Half-hour or till the perimeters of the oatmeal cups are browned and the facilities have set, rotating the pan 180 levels midway by way of baking. Err on the aspect of overbaking vs underbaking. Let the oatmeal cups sit within the muffin tin for 10 minutes earlier than operating a knife alongside the skin of every cup and eradicating to a cooling rack to chill utterly.
5. Retailer leftover Baked Oatmeal Cups in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days then eat chilled, or microwave for 20-30 seconds or till warmed by way of.
6. To freeze: cool the oatmeal cups utterly then place in a single layer in a gallon-size Ziplock freezer bag. Take away all of the air then seal and freeze flat. Thaw the oatmeal cups in a single day within the fridge, or wrap in a paper towel and microwave frozen for 1 minute at 50% energy, or till warmed by way of.

Notes

• To make this recipe vegan: use plant-based milk and swap the eggs for two flaxseed eggs (3 Tablespoons floor flaxseed meal + 6 Tablespoons water stirred collectively then left to take a seat for 10 minutes) and improve the baking time to 30-35 minutes.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Woman Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

Pictures by Ashley McLaughlin