These healthy oatmeal muffins are a fun and easy make-ahead breakfast option that are flourless and totally customizable! Try out the four different flavours provided or add your own unique spin! Best baked oatmeal cups ever {Gluten-free, dairy-free & vegetarian}
Healthy Oatmeal Muffins – So Easy!
In our house, we’re always experimenting with new ways to do up oatmeal. As much as I try to switch it up, oatmeal is pretty much our go-to breakfast every morning because it’s so nutritious and satisfying.
Not surprisingly, one of the most popular recipes on the blog to date has been this Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal. Due to its popularity, I wanted to come up with more baked oatmeal flavours, BUT also wanted to create a version that could easily be taken on the go.
Because as we all know, life is BUSY.
So this time around, we made some totally portable healthy oatmeal muffins and customized the cups with four unique flavour combinations.
- Blueberry Almond
- Strawberry Coconut
- Chocolate Banana
- Apple Cinnamon
After all, who doesn’t love a little variety?
These cups could also technically be called flourless banana oatmeal muffins because no actual flour is used since oats form the base of this recipe and the banana contributes some natural sweetness and moisture to the cups.
Whatever you choose to call them, these oatmeal muffins need to be added to your morning routine ASAP!
For more healthy muffin recipes, be sure to check out these Banana Protein Muffins and Kodiak Cakes Blueberry Muffins!
Why We Love These Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Make-ahead option: You can whip up a batch of these healthy oatmeal muffins and have them as a ready-made breakfast throughout the week. So convenient for those busy mornings!
- Portable: Because this baked oatmeal is made in individual cups, they’re perfectly portioned and great as a grab and go breakfast or snack option.
- Easy: The recipe is really simple to put together and doesn’t require any fancy ingredients.
- Healthy: These cups pack a powerful nutritional punch! The oats are a great source of soluble fibre which will help keep you feeling full for longer. The toppings add a dose of vitamins and minerals, while the banana contributes some natural sweetness so no refined sugar is required.
- Customizable: These cups are very versatile and can be customized according to your personal preferences. You can either make all four flavours provided, choose one or two of your favourite flavours, or incorporate your own creative spin to create your own unique flavours!
Ingredient Notes
- Oats: Rolled oats are best to use for this recipe since they provide a chewier texture. You can sub in quick oats if desired, however the texture won’t be quite as chewy. If you require a gluten-free option, be sure to use GF certified oats.
- Oat flour: Helps make these muffins more “muffin-like.” You can purchase pre-made oat flour at the store or blend up oats in the blender until a flour-like consistency is achieved.
- Milk: I used almond milk but you can easily sub in another plant-based alternative or regular dairy-based milk.
- Bananas: Help to naturally sweeten the muffins and add some extra moisture. Use overripe bananas for best results.
- Seasonings: Cinnamon and salt flavour up these muffins.
- Baking Powder: To help the muffins rise when they’re baking and to help create a light and fluffy texture.
- Eggs: Used to bind the ingredients together. You can also replace the eggs with a flax or chia eggs to make these vegan.
- Maple syrup and vanilla extract: Along with the banana, these sweeten and flavour the muffins. You can use honey in the place of the maple syrup if you prefer.
- Add-ins: You can have lots of fun with the add-ins and toppings for these muffins. We used blueberries and almonds; strawberries and coconut; banana and chocolate chips; and apples and cinnamon, but you feel free to experiment with different options like the ones listed below!
How to Make Baked Oat Cups
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF
- Line a muffin tin with silicon muffin liners or generously spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the cups from sticking.
- Add the dry ingredients including the oatmeal, ground oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt to a large bowl and mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mash the banana, and then add the eggs, maple syrup, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- With a spoon, add batter to each muffin cup, filling each close to the top. Add desired toppings to the top of each cup. You may wish to press the toppings into the muffin slightly to get some of the ingredients closer to the centre.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow muffins to cool before removing from muffin tin.
Tips for the Best Oatmeal Muffins
- Use overripe bananas for best results. They are naturally sweeter and lend a better flavour to these muffins. Plus, they’re easier to mash!
- Allow muffins to cool: I recommend allowing the oatmeal muffins to cool for at least 15-20 minutes as they will firm up during this time, making it easier to remove them from the pan.
- For easier removal from the muffin tin: I recommend baking these muffins in silicone baking cups.
- Make a double batch: It’s highly recommended that you make up a double batch of these muffins and freeze them. They make a great grab and go breakfast or snack!
- Get creative: Feel free to play around with additional toppings and add-ins. You can either make the four different flavours as listed, make all the same flavour or get creative and explore some different toppings! They’re totally customizable.
How to Store
Refrigerator: These baked oatmeal cups can be stored in an air-tight container or large Ziploc bag in the fridge for up to a week.
Generally, I recommend taking out what you think you’ll need for the week to store in the fridge and then popping the rest in the freezer. That way they’ll stay fresh and can be reserved for later use!
Freezer: You can freeze these muffins for up to three months. I find the easiest way to store them is in a single layer in a freezer-friendly container or in a Ziploc bag. If you do choose to stack them, you may wish to separate them with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.
To defrost: Place in the fridge overnight to allow them to thaw. If you forget this step, you can still reheat from frozen either in the oven or microwave.
How To Reheat Oat Muffins
There are a couple of ways that you can reheat these muffins. Generally, for convenience, I just pop them in the microwave but you can also place them in an oven or toaster oven.
Oven or toaster oven method: Remove the cups from the liner and cut the oatmeal cup in half. Heat on low (250-300°F) for about 5 minutes or so until the cup is heated through.
Microwave method: Remove oatmeal cup from liner and wrap in a paper towel. Microwave until heated through, about 30-60 seconds.
If reheating from frozen, you can thaw the frozen cups by transferring them from the freezer to the fridge the night before or heat the oat cups directly from frozen. Just wrap the frozen cup in a paper towel and heat in 30 seconds increments in the microwave until warm throughout. It should only take about 1-2 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
The consistency of these cups is not like your typical light and fluffy muffin. They have a much more dense and chewy texture thanks to the rolled oats. They are supposed to be the same texture as baked oatmeal, except in muffin form for portability and convenience! The different topping options provide a different flavour for each cup so you’ll never get bored!
Yes, you can definitely sub in quick oats for the old fashioned, however, it may change the texture of the muffins. The rolled oats tend to provide a more chewy texture. The quick oats won’t offer the same degree of chewiness and texture, but the muffins will still be equally tasty!
The main difference is the way in which they’re processed. Old fashioned oats (also known as rolled oats), are oat groats that have been steamed and flattened.
Quick oats or quick-cooking oats are rolled oats that go through further processing. They’re partially cooked by steaming and then rolled even thinner than rolled oats. This process helps to decrease cooking time which is why they’re called quick oats.
There aren’t any major nutritional differences between the two types of oats. All forms of oats are 100% whole grain, a good source of fibre and have the similar nutritional values per serving.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these healthy oatmeal muffins as is or pair them up with any of the following recipes for a more balanced breakfast or snack!
- Banana Smoothie without Yogurt
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie with Yogurt
- Raspberry Banana Protein Smoothie
- Spinach Zucchini Frittata Fingers
- Mini Egg Bites
- Fruit salad with Yogurt Fruit Dip
- Raspberry Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt
Other Muffin Add-ins and Toppings
If you want to switch it up and try something new, you could also try out the following flavour combinations:
- Mango or pineapple and coconut
- Raspberry and chocolate chips
- Peaches and pecans
- Peanut butter and banana
- Apple and pecans
Or try out your own favourite combos!
These oatmeal cups have been a huge hit with my family and I LOVE them for their convenience.
Hope you guys enjoy them as well!
Looking for other delicious recipes? Check these out:
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Healthy Oatmeal Muffins Recipe {4 Different Ways}
Ingredients
- 2 large bananas mashed
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or sub in preferred milk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup ground oat flour*
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Optional Toppings:
Blueberry Almond*
- Blueberries
- Sliced almonds
Strawberry Coconut*
- Diced strawberries
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
Chocolate Banana*
- Banana Slices
- Chocolate Chips
Apple Cinnamon*
- Diced apple
- Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with silicone muffin cups or generously spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mash banana, Add in eggs, maple syrup, milk and vanilla. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- With a spoon, add batter to each muffin cup, filling each to close to the top. Add desired toppings to the top of each cup, pressing into the cup slightly to get some of the ingredients into the centre of the muffins.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from muffin tin.
Video
Notes
- Use overripe bananas for best results. They are naturally sweeter and lend a better flavour to these muffins. Plus, they’re easier to mash!
- I recommend allowing the oatmeal muffins to cool for at least 15-20 minutes as they will firm up during this time, making it easier to remove them from the pan.
- For even easier removal from the muffin tin, I recommend baking these muffins in silicone baking cups.
- It’s highly recommended that you make up a double batch of these muffins and freeze them. They make a great grab and go breakfast or snack!
- Feel free to play around with additional toppings and add-ins. You can either make the four different flavours as listed, make all the same flavour or get creative and explore some different toppings! They’re totally customizable.
- You can either purchase oat flour or make it yourself. Simply place 1/2 cup oats in a blender and blend until oatmeal turns into a flour-like consistency.
- Oatmeal cups can be stored in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Nutritional information does not include toppings. To make cups as pictured in muffin tin, I used the following quantities which was enough for 3 muffins for each flavour:
- 2 tbsp fresh blueberries
- 2 tsp sliced almonds
- 2 tbsp fresh diced strawberries
- 2 tsp unsweetened coconut flakes
- 3 banana slices
- 2 tsp mini chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp finely diced apples
- Pinch of cinnamon
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in April 2020 and was updated in October 2022 to include more helpful tips.
These look really delicious and healthy, can’t wait to try them. Could you perhaps give measurements in grams and ml also? It would make it a lot easier for those not living in America. Thanks a lot. (Some websites have the toggle to US and metric measurements that makes it so easy!)
I’ll definitely look into this – thanks for the suggestion! Hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it out :)
can you put all the wet ingredients in a food processor?
Sure, that should work fine!
I’m excited to try this recipe!! Can I sub applesauce for the banana?
Yes, that should work just fine! Hope you enjoy and keep me posted on how they turn out :)
These look so yummy. I was wanting to add peanut butter to the banana chocolate chip muffin-how much would I add to batter?
Yum, peanut butter in these muffins would be so good! I’m thinking maybe add 1/4 cup peanut butter and reduce the milk to 3/4 cup instead of 1 cup to prevent the muffins from being too moist. Keep me posted on how they turn out if you try it :)
Super yummy muffins! I followed the recipe and they turned out wonderful! I like the variety of choices with this recipe. :)
So happy you enjoyed the muffins and variety of flavors! Thanks for returning to leave a review!
Delish!
So happy you enjoyed them!