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Recipes · Recipe

Baked Oatmeal Cups for Busy Mornings

Bake once on Sunday. Grab a cup on the way out the door all week.

HealthStylz Kitchen
· 2 min read

Photo: Medine Dilek Kizmaz

The short version

  • Oats have beta-glucan, a fiber that helps you feel full.
  • Mashed banana sweetens the cups, so you need less sugar.
  • Keep in the fridge 3 to 4 days.

Nutritional Balance

Balanced Meal Nutrition Profile

Estimated nutrient density and satiety balance per serving against daily wellness targets.

  1. Dietary Fiber SupportDigestive wellness 38% daily goal
  2. Satiety DurationFullness without crashes 4.5 hours
  3. Blood Sugar StabilityLow glycemic curve Steady curve
  4. Prep SimplicityWeeknight ease Practical prep

Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health & USDA Dietary Guidelines.

Prep 10 min Cook 25 min Serves 6

You'll need

How to make it

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan well, or use silicone liners.
  2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Whisk in the eggs, milk, maple syrup and vanilla.
  3. Stir in the oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until combined.
  4. Gently fold in the blueberries.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the 12 cups, filling each almost to the top. Press the oats down lightly.
  6. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until the tops are set and lightly golden.
  7. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then loosen with a knife and lift out. Cool fully before storing.

Mornings are rushed. These baked oatmeal cups are soft, lightly sweet and about the size of a muffin. You mix everything in one bowl, spoon it into a muffin pan and bake. Ripe bananas and a little maple syrup do the sweetening. Blueberries add color and juicy bites. Serve with a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt, or eat one with a glass of milk and a piece of fruit.

Why oats

Harvard's Nutrition Source says the main soluble fiber in oats is beta-glucan. It may slow digestion and help you feel full. A review it cites found that about 3 grams of beta-glucan a day from whole oats modestly lowered blood cholesterol. The page also says research on oats alone is limited, so oats are not a cure for anything. They are a good everyday whole grain.

Pick the right oats

Harvard says less-processed oats, like steel-cut, are digested more slowly than instant oats. For these cups, use old-fashioned rolled oats. Skip the flavored instant packets. Harvard notes that many are sweetened, so check the label for added sugar.

If you avoid gluten

Harvard says pure oats are gluten-free, but many brands are processed near wheat, rye or barley. If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, choose oats labeled gluten-free.

Storing and serving

Let the cups cool, then keep them in a covered container in the fridge. Cleveland Clinic says leftovers keep 3 to 4 days. Warm one in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. For longer storage, freeze extras and thaw them in the fridge overnight.

Switch it up

  • Swap blueberries for chopped apple and extra cinnamon.
  • Stir in a spoonful of peanut butter for a nutty flavor.
  • Add chopped walnuts for crunch, but leave them out for school lunches if your school is nut-free.

Where this comes from