Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cups
These Baked Apple Oatmeal Cups are perfect for an easy and healthy breakfast throughout the week! Enjoy now or freeze for later!
Are you ready for a few healthier recipes now that the holidays are officially over? As much as we all love chocolate and cookies, sometimes you just need something a little lighter. Speaking of chocolate and cookies, I have a healthier recipe coming later this week that involves both. I know, I couldn’t help myself.
But first, let’s talk about these delicious baked oatmeal cups. Have you ever tried baked oatmeal? It has a soft, chewy texture and it tastes absolutely delicious. In fact, I prefer this version over just a regular bowl of oatmeal any day. Plus, these oatmeal cups make a super easy breakfast to take on the go.
Ingredients in This Recipe
These apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups have a fairly short ingredient list. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:
- Old-fashioned oats: I recommend using old-fashioned (rolled) oats for this recipe. Instant or quick cook oats won’t provide the same texture.
- Baking powder: Gives the healthy baked oatmeal cups a slight lift in the oven.
- Cinnamon: Feel free to add extra spices, if desired.
- Salt: Enhances the apple-cinnamon flavor.
- Milk: Regular dairy milk or almond milk works well here.
- Eggs: Helps bind the baked apple oatmeal together.
- Maple syrup: I wanted to avoid adding any refined sugar, so I experimented with different sweeteners in this recipe. I found that 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup was the perfect amount to sweeten these oatmeal cups.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Apple: I prefer to use a Granny Smith apple, but if you have another kind on hand you can use that instead.
How to Make Baked Apple Oatmeal Cups
To make these baked oatmeal cups, you’ll mix together the old-fashioned rolled oats, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and a little salt. Then, you’ll whisk together the milk, eggs, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract and combine it with the dry ingredients. You’ll also need one chopped apple to mix in.
These apple cinnamon oatmeal cups only take about 15 to 20 minutes to mix up and another 25 minutes to bake. Which means you can have a week’s worth of breakfasts finished in less than an hour.
My favorite way to enjoy these healthy oatmeal cups is topped with a little pure maple syrup or crumbled up over a bowl of Greek yogurt.
Can I Freeze Baked Oatmeal Cups?
Yes! These freeze really well for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, just pop one or two in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds and breakfast is ready!
Baking Tips
- You can take out the apple and use another fruit you love in these oatmeal cups too!
- If you don’t have maple syrup on hand, you can substitute an equal amount of honey.
- Make sure to spray the muffin pan liberally with non-stick spray, otherwise your baked apple oatmeal cups may stick to the pan.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes to Try!
- Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Blueberry Oatmeal Cups
- Apple Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Scones
Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cups
Ingredients
- 3 cups (300 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk (almond or regular dairy milk work well)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 medium Granny Smith apple , peeled, cored, and chopped (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan very well with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Add the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Add the chopped apple and gently mix it in.
- Evenly distribute the mixture between all 12 cavities in the prepared muffin pan. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 27 minutes, or until the tops of the oatmeal cups are lightly golden brown and firm.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5 to 10 minutes, then remove the oatmeal cups and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
The recipe is great. Simple, fast and presentable. I made it for my 4-year-old son’s lunch box this morning. I replaced the syrup with 3 tablespoons honey and it is sweet enough. Thank you, Danielle.
Made them last night. These are FANTASTIC with a little maple syrup. Will definitely make them again. I may change the fruit to blueberry or banana for a change is pace.
Can you put these in a small pan instead?? Like a 8×8??
That should be fine! You’ll just need to increase the baking time.
Hi Danielle,
Lovely recipe and pictures, can’t wait to make them. I was wondering if it’s possible to use evaporated milk instead of regular? Would the measurement remain the same? Thank you.
You can make milk with evaporated milk by combining equal amounts of evaporated milk and water.
I’ve been making these for several months now, and adjusted the recipe slightly for my diabetic needs. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk and sugar free syrup to cut down the carbs. I also use dried cranberries instead of apples, and almond extract instead of vanilla (because I LOVE a good cranberry-almond combo!). I make these almost every week in a 6-cup jumbo tin. Perfect for breakfast, and still keeps my blood sugar in check! Thanks for a great recipe!
Yummy! I added walnuts and after it was finished baking I put some butter pecan ice cream on top and it was delicious!
I made them – as a surprise to even myself – according to the recipe. Lol
They were super filling! A lot more so than I thought. Made them in large muffin tins and my 5 and 7-year old daughters were not able to quite finish theirs.
They were a little dry, could probably be made with bananas (with less maple syrup) or apple sauce instead of eggs. (And for a vegan option). And I would add a Tbsp of (coconut) oil in the recipe next time. Or make them into breakfast cookies.
Amazing flavor!! I froze all of mine and good to toast after they have thawed or else can be a little gummy.
Sounds amazing! Do you think this could be put in a regular casserole dish and served as a baked oatmeal as well?
Yes, absolutely! It would probably be enough for an 8×8 pan. I’m not sure on baking time, I would guess somewhere around 30 minutes.
SO so so so good! I just made these, they are divine. I used a pink lady apple, added candied pecans and raisins, used applesauce instead of eggs and instant oat flakes, and it turned out amazing! I was literally about to heat up my dinner and I ate one of these and was like I am really not hungry, lol. Thank you so much! I was desperately in need of a quick breakfast because store bought granola bars are not cutting it. I really appreciate you sharing the recipe!
The candied pecans and raisins sound like great additions, Daniela! I’m glad you liked the oatmeal cups!
Mine turned out real wet and mushy at the bottom of cup cake. Any ideas what I did wrong?
Were the oatmeal cups fully baked and did you let them cool completely? Since it’s baked oatmeal, it is softer too.
These look great! Would date syrup work as a substitute for the maple syrup?
I haven’t used date syrup, but if it’s similar to maple syrup I imagine that you could substitute it.
Love these!!! Hate it when there’s none left in the freezer! I use 1 cup unsweetened applesauce instead of the apples (my toddler didn’t like the chunks but lives them without). I use less syrup for preference. Always eat a few freshly baked then freeze the rest and microwave them in the AM for a quick, easy, and fulfilling breakfast. Based on the previous comments I may try a batch with honey ?
I’m so glad you like the oatmeal cups, Angela! I love to freeze these too and reheat in the microwave. It makes breakfast soooo much easier! 🙂
Hi Danielle … regarding freezing these, do you make any changes knowing you’re freezing them or do you prepare and bake as is then pop in the freezer?
Thanks!
Stacey
Hi, Stacey! You don’t have to make any adjustments to the recipe. Just let the oatmeal cups cool completely first, store them in a freezer bag/container in the freezer, and just thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can reheat them in the microwave from frozen, but I find they reheat better if you thaw them overnight first.
Can anyone post the nutritional breakdown of these? Trying to enter into MyFitnessPal!
Thanks
Hi, Rosanna! I don’t post the nutritional information for recipes since it can vary some based on what brands/products you use. If you’re using MyFitnessPal I would suggest creating a new recipe in it, so you can get an accurate calorie estimate.
thank you!
I made these yesterday and they taste great. I did replace the syrup with honey, since the syrup has 53 grams of sugar in it, which is more sugar than I try to eat in a week. One problem I did have was they started falling apart somewhat when I took them out of the muffin pans, which I sprayed well and waited 5-10 minutes before removing them. Not sure what I did wrong.
I don’t think it’s anything you did wrong, Laura. These oatmeal cups are definitely softer when they’re still warm. If you make them again, you can let them cool longer in the pan before removing them. Glad you liked them too!
Honey actually has more sugars per tsp than maple syrup, so I’m not sure you gained anything? 🙂
I calculated the calories using honey rather than maple syrup. 142 calories per muffin. Good for estimate
Thanks for sharing, Rochelle!
Thank you Danielle for such an easy and wonderful recipe. After eating this my family has fallen in love with oats. It is a very healthy recipe without flour and fats. While baking I was wondering how it will come without any butter or oil. But whoa it just came smoothly from my pan. Now these I am gonna bake and take for my road trips too. I used Quick Oats instead of rolled oats and added chopped walnuts and almonds for a nutty taste. Thank you again!
So glad you and your family enjoyed the oatmeal cups, Arthi! I love the idea of adding some chopped walnuts in these too, I definitely need to try that next time I make a batch.
These cups are just awesome. I can start my day with them instead of my usual breakfast or consume them like snacks! Yummy!
So glad you to hear you enjoyed the oatmeal cups, Agness!
Can i use muffin papers
They tend to stick to cupcake liners. If you do use them, you’ll still need to spray the inside of the liners with some nonstick cooking spray.
very yummy & easy to make. didn’t want to use maple syrup ($$$), so I substituted brown sugar and added a little bit of extra milk to compensate for the liquid. it made the perfect amount to fill the muffin tin. they are tasty even when cold!
So glad you liked the oatmeal cups, Bethany! And thanks for sharing about the brown sugar, that will be helpful for others who may want to substitute it for the maple syrup too 🙂
How many calories are in each muffin? Does anyone know? I made these today and very good.
I’m so glad you liked the oatmeal cups, Laurie! I don’t know the calorie count and don’t typically include it for recipes on my site, since it can vary based on the brands/products that you use. My Fitness Pal has a great website and app that you can use though to get a more accurate calorie estimate. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thanks!
This recipe is amazing! Everyone in my family loved it! My little sisters are picky eaters but they each ate two! Next time I would add a little more cinnamon and maybe a little nutmeg. I will make these again for sure!
It’s so wonderful to hear when everyone enjoys a recipe! Some nutmeg would be great in these too, I may need to try that next time 😉
thank you so much for sharing i will try it!
So I kind of did a variation on this recipe and replaced some ingredients to fit what I had. I used 3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce instead of the 2 eggs, drizzled honey instead of the maple syrup, a little extra cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, and then all other ingredients as they were. These turned out delicious and are so easy to grab during the morning rush! Also, because I used 4 small apples there was extra mixture left. I saved it to just heat up on its own with a little cool whip for a dessert!
So glad you liked the oatmeal cups, Natalie! And thanks for sharing about using the applesauce instead of eggs, that will be helpful for other readers who may need to make the same adjustment 🙂
Great recipe!
But I wonder what can be used as a substitute for syrup. Could it be honey?
Thank you, Helen! You can substitute honey for the maple syrup in this recipe.
I used applesauce instead of syrup. They’re very good! Thanks for the recipe
So glad to hear you liked the oatmeal cups!
Use sugar free syrup.
Do you have calories for the apple cinnamon oatmeal cups? thanks.
I don’t calculate calories for recipes because it can vary depending on the brands that you use. But, My Fitness Pal has a great application and website for you to figure calorie count based on the ingredients you use so you can get a more accurate estimate.
This is SUCH a great idea Danielle! Love how easy these are – being prepared is sometimes the most important part of eating healthy. I just ate two cookies so I think I need to make a batch of these STAT!
Thank you, Jess!
I ate more cookies in November and December than I ate all year, so YES — I’m ready for healthy recipes! We love baked oatmeal in my house and I love that these are portioned and portable to make life even easier. Happy New Year, Danielle!
I probably did too, Marcie. Thank you and hope you had a great New Year too!
Would these work with Gala apples, or is the flavor reliant on it being Granny Smiths?
Thank you! These look amazing 🙂
A Gala apple will work fine! I’ve used one before in these and they turned out great 🙂
Happy New Year, Danielle! I hope you had a wonderful holiday. I am definitely ready to get back on track of eating healthier. I overindulged a little too much and I’m feeling the effects! Baked oatmeal cups have always been a favorite of mine, so I’m loving this apple cinnamon version. I bet your house smelled SO good when these cuties were baking. Definitely my kind of breakfast!
Happy New Year to you too, Gayle! I’m definitely in the same boat and trying to eat a little better here lately. Thank you 🙂