Using a few simple ingredients and 1 bowl, throw these healthy apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups in the oven. They’re ready in about 30 minutes. The whole family, kids included, love them. Try the other flavors listed, too!
These Baked Oatmeal Cups Are:
- Refined-sugar free (no added refined sugar)
- Definitely healthy
- Easy & quick
- Soft-baked & moist in the center
- Chewy on top
- Garnished with crunchy coarse sugar
- Dairy free if using dairy-free milk
- Gluten free if using certified GF oats
The fall season may mean saying GOODBYE to pool days, but it also means giving a big HELLO to favorite seasonal flavors like apple cinnamon bread and comforting snacks like pumpkin oatmeal bars. And of course, plenty of pie crust and Thanksgiving pies! With fall flavors on my mind, I tested out a muffin version of my baked oatmeal. These oatmeal cups are a little more solid and sturdy than the creamy baked oatmeal and this banana baked oatmeal, so they’re awesome as a portable breakfast or snack. And if you’re still in summer mode (I totally am!), swap the apples for blueberries or strawberries. These were so good!
Are They Oatmeal? Are They Muffins?
Yes and yes. If you’ve tried my chocolate chip baked oatmeal cups or these pumpkin baked oatmeal cups, you’re familiar with today’s recipe and process. They are more solid than oatmeal, but not as cakey as blueberry oatmeal muffins. If you are in the mood for a more traditional muffin, try these healthy apple muffins instead.
Ingredients in Baked Oatmeal Cups
You need 11 simple ingredients for my baked oatmeal cups. Each is important!
- Milk: Milk softens the oats and keeps the centers moist. I reduced the amount from my baked oatmeal so the oatmeal muffins are a little more solid.
- Eggs: Eggs provide protein and structure.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup sweetens and flavors these baked oatmeal cups. If needed, honey is a wonderful substitute.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Applesauce adds flavor and takes the place of butter or oil. I love using applesauce to replace all or some oil in certain baked goods, like my morning glory muffins.
- Oats: Unlike applesauce muffins where oats are simply part of the dry ingredients, here the oats are the entire base of the recipe. Old-fashioned whole rolled oats are the best and also what I recommend for oatmeal raisin cookies. Quick oats work, but the centers of the oatmeal cups aren’t as moist. Steel cut oats require extra prep, see recipe note.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder prevents the oatmeal cups from tasting dense.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: Can you eat an apple baked good without either?! If you have any in the house, feel free to use apple pie spice instead.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds flavor.
- Salt: Salt adds flavor.
- Apples: Grab your favorite apple variety, peel it, and chop it into bite-size pieces. I usually use Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Any variety works. If you enjoy it in your apple pie or apple cinnamon scones, you’ll enjoy it in these oatmeal cups. No need to pre-cook the apples before adding to the oat mixture.
Baker’s Tip: The batter is liquid-y. When you’re dividing the batter between the muffin cups, make sure you have both liquid AND oats/apples in each. Spoon batter all the way to the top of each. The recipe yields 12 apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups.
1 Bowl, No Mixer Recipe
Besides taking approximately 2 seconds to prep, these oatmeal cups only require 1 bowl. No need to break out your mixer; instead, fold the mixture together by hand. They’re done in about 25 minutes. It’s practically shocking how easy these are.
Little work → big reward.
I usually prep these or regular baked oatmeal in the beginning of the week, then refrigerate for quick breakfasts or snacks. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up. They freeze and thaw beautifully, too!
Who doesn’t crave a little variety?! Instead of apple, try any of these flavors.
Flavors & Add-Ins
- Pumpkin: See my pumpkin baked oatmeal cups. I swapped applesauce for pumpkin and reduced the milk to make up for extra pumpkin.
- Blueberry: Leave out the nutmeg, reduce cinnamon to 1 teaspoon, and swap apples for fresh or frozen blueberries. No need to thaw.
- Banana: Swap the applesauce for mashed banana.
- Chocolate Chip: Swap apples for chocolate chips. If desired, leave out the nutmeg.
- Peanut Butter / Nut Butter: Reduce applesauce to 1/3 cup. Add 1/2 cup nut butter. Leave out apples and nutmeg, if desired.
After these are done, keep out your muffin pan and make a batch of savory breakfast egg muffins next! And for even more inspiration, see my complete list of 30+ healthy breakfast recipes.
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Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 cups
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Using a few simple ingredients and 1 bowl, throw together these healthy apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups. They’re soft and moist inside with chewy tops and plenty of flavor. Make them ahead and enjoy all week long!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) milk (dairy or nondairy)
- 2 large eggs*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pure maple syrup*
- 1/2 cup (120g) unsweetened applesauce
- 3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 heaping cup (120g) peeled chopped apple*
- optional: 1/2 cup (50g) chopped walnuts or pecans
- optional: coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray. If using muffin liners, spray them with nonstick spray. The oatmeal cups stick to the liners a bit regardless, so I recommend skipping them.
- In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together, except for the apples (and nuts and coarse sugar). Using a spoon or silicone spatula, fold in the apples and nuts (if using). Batter will be a little liquidy. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, making sure both the oats/apples and liquid are in each. Fill all the way to the top. See photo above. If desired, sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and top appears set. If the tops are browning very quickly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the muffin pan.
- Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Cover leftover oatmeal cups tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Bake the oatmeal cups, cool completely, and store in the refrigerator all week for easy breakfasts. Reheat in the microwave or bake in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 5-6 minutes. To freeze, bake and cool oatmeal cups. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Warm to your liking.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Silicone Spatula
- Don’t: Do not make oatmeal batter ahead of time. The oats will soak up all the liquid! Whisk it all together, then bake right away. See make ahead instructions above for alternative.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients. If needed, you can replace the eggs with 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. I do find the oatmeal cups fall apart a little when replacing the eggs.
- Sugar: I recommend pure maple syrup because the flavor is outstanding and the baked oatmeal cups are extra moist. Instead, you can use packed brown sugar, coconut sugar, or honey.
- Oats: Whole oats give you the best texture. You can use quick oats instead, but they soak up more moisture so the centers won’t be as moist. If using steel-cut oats, soak the oats in the milk for 30 minutes, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time. The oatmeal cups are best with whole oats.
- Apples: Use your favorite variety such as Granny Smith, Fuji, or Honeycrisp. You need about 1 medium apple.
- Nutrition Information Per Oatmeal Cup (with unsweetened applesauce and unsweetened almond milk using Spark Recipe Calculator): Calories 138, Total Fat 3g, Carbohydrate 26g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 11g, Protein 4g.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I baked these muffins. I was over zealous with my chopped apple. The “muffins” were too moist even after extended baking. I loved them! I made sure to round them then I individually packaged them. Threw into freezer bags. I take one muffin puck out. Put in a bowl with milk and microwave. I now have the perfect amount of delicious oatmeal!
I baked longer than recipe called for in response to comments. About 10 mins more. Tested internal temperature on a few at first extra 5 then second 5. Seemed fully cooked and well set at about 200 degrees. Made sure they were well cooled before taking out of muffins tins. Very good! Going to have one for breakfast tomorrow with a srambled egg and some melon.
Any one trying adding 2 cups of almond flour and reducing oats by a cup?
I made this recipe exactly as written. They turned out perfect. Sprayed a 12 cup unlined muffin tin with Pam. The recipe filled the 12 cups to the top perfectly with no leftover batter. Cooled 10 minutes and popped right out of pan. These are delicious. With no flour they don’t really grow much. Just slightly puff up from eggs and oats cooking. Great recipe!
I was super skeptical that something without flour would hold up. I’d probably cut back a little on the maple syrup as I don’t like things too sweet but these were really great. I ate mine with non fat Greek yogurt. A very satisfying breakfast or snack.
I made these this morning and they were fantastic! I followed the recipe exactly and included the chopped walnuts. 30 minutes was a perfect bake. What a wonderful fall breakfast!
These came out surprisingly good considering I only had quick oats on hand. I used mashed banana instead of apple sauce and added walnuts. They only took about 22 minutes in my convection toaster oven. I took them out when they reached an Internal temp of 200 degrees and the slid right out of the pan. These are healthy and delicious. Thank you!
These were just what I was looking for. We are RV’ers and I like to prep easy breakfasts ahead of a trip for driving days. These were delicious. Just warmed them in the microwave. My husband is the ultimate apple pie lover. He loved them! I used Granny Smith apples.
Seemed like too much batter for 12 muffin cups but divided it between regardless. Ended up with an over flow mess and stuck in the muffin pan even after spraying.
Hi, I haven’t tried these yet because I can’t seem to find unsweetened apple sauce anywhere, and I really don’t want the extra sugar. Would I be able to use coconut oil instead like in your other recipes? And if so, how much?
Hi SS, you can use the same amount of melted coconut oil instead. Enjoy!
Update: These are SO good! I used 60ml of maple syrup and 100ml of coconut oil because I ran out of both but they still turned out fantastic. Sufficiently sweet for me (maybe because I used pink lady apples), surprisingly creamy, and they hold their shape fine. I’m surprised they turned out so well even with less liquid added. I did take them out of the oven about 5 minutes before the timer was up because they seemed done by then.
I find the unsweetened apple sauce in individual serving cups when I cannot find it in jars. I like the storage of individual un opened cups. Usually there is a bit more than a 1/2 C in a little container
They come in a 6 pk.
Try looking for the 6 individual cup pkgs. BUT in my area, Walmart, & Whole Foods sells both jars and 6 packs. ALSO, look for jars labled ” natural” the double ck for “added” sugar Some sugar may be b/c Apples do contain sugar ( fructose is a natural unrefined sugar)
If all else fails try Amazon. But it might be pricier on Amazon.
I LOVE these muffins!! I’ve made them at least a dozen time. I make them using 2 mini muffin pans. They make for quick delicious bites during the week. I follow the recipe as laid out and they turn out perfect every time. My preferred apple is the cosmic crisp apples. I skip the optional sugar on top and instead drizzle a little honey across the tops after I’ve popped them out of their tins and they are cooling on a rack.
I am so sorry to say that I had to throw these away. It tasted like oatmeal that was stuck on the bottom of the pot. I have made a few of your other recipes and they were delicious so I am still a big fan. I made the Big Fat Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and there were delicious!
Thank you for posting your recipes!
Hi Donna, I wonder if the oatmeal cups were over-baked? They should be quite moist and soft. Regardless, thank you for trying them and for the feedback.
I baked them within time the recipe stated. They tasted like dense oatmeal but not with milk or cream floating on the top to loosen them up. Just not my thing. I will try others. Thank you for responding!
I just put these into the oven and they smell delicious!! I’m excited to serve them to my family as a healthy morning snack! The only change I made was grating the apples instead of chopping, super fast and easy and hopefully makes for apple in every bite!
I enjoy receiving these recipes although due to my age, I am baking less
Made these yesterday, with a few modifications. Had to cook them for a long time (because I started with too much liquid) but they eventually set nicely. In the future, I’ll follow your recipe more closely. However, I would like to use water instead of the milk, same amount?
Hi Charyl, we haven’t tried these with water, but a non-dairy milk works well if that’s an option!
Hi! What do you recommend for an oat based muffin? I love peanut butter. Not a fan of apples. I like using oat flour too as it’s healthier than regular flour. Thanks!!
Hi Suzanne, you may enjoy our apple banana oat muffins.
Hi Suzanne, I’ve made these and substituted peanut butter for almond butter and they turned out all right! I imagine it would be better with the recommended almond butter (but I can’t eat almond butter). I also love baking with oat flour and have found that cookie and brownie recipes here work *great* with oat flour!
As with pretty much every recipe Sally offers, these are so so good. The only change I made was to use Chinese 5 Spice in place of most of the cinnamon – just because I love it; it gives baked goods a little more complex flavor. My favorite version is still the chocolate chip baked oatmeal cups, but I’m a chocoholic! Thank you, Sally, for quick, easy, pretty healthy breakfasts!
I forgot to mention that another yummy alternative is to use pears in place of the apples, and then instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg, do cardamom (as the main spice) and cinnamon…. yum
The first time I made these, I made them as written and used Granny Smith apples. They were good, but it seemed like there were just too many oats and not enough in between… the second time, I ran out of oats at 2.75 c and substituted 1/4 c of whole wheat flour with a little wheat germ. They were Much better. The third time, I cut the oats down to 2.5 c, added 1/4 c of whole wheat flour, and 1/4 c of wheat germ. The apple was an old fuji that was getting wrinkly in my fridge. The muffins came out the best yet! I think the key is just a little binder along with the oats, and a sweeter apple. I will stick with this version – super hearty and delicious!
Would I need to adjust the liquid or any part of the recipe if I add 1 scoop of whey vanilla protein powder?
Hi Julie, we haven’t personally tested it, but a few readers have done so with our other baked oatmeal recipes. We’d start small and then adjust further for future batches. Enjoy!
Lol shouldn’t these have flour in them??? They were so wet,… very weird. Not at all like muffins.
Hi L, these are a mini version of baked oatmeal, not like a muffin in texture, but if they were wet they may have been underbaked. If you’re looking for an oatmeal muffin recipe, here’s our blueberry oatmeal muffins.
Baked mine about 40 min and still came out wet. Going to try to bake them a little longer to see what happens.
Did you make any changes, Ruth? We would keep baking until they’re no longer wet with light brown edges.
I didn’t like this recipe at all. It was easy enough, but after it was cooked, it was slimy in the middle, which was a disappointment, because I didn’t want a spoonful of oatmeal texture. I wanted a muffin texture. It was also not sweet enough and I even added more little extra vanilla for flavor, more syrup for sweetness and a bit of brown sugar because it was bland. I won’t make this again. I wanted a healthier muffin option for my 2 year old, but I’ll keep researching.
Have you tried these muffins with Gluten free oatmeal?
Hi Martha, you can use gluten-free oats in this recipe, yes. Enjoy!
Loved how simple this was! I didn’t have applesauce so I used butter instead, but I’m still going to pretend they’re just as healthy haha. This also filled up 15 muffin tins for me instead of 12.
I made these apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups, and they were delicious! They are very moist and flavorful! They were very soft on the bottom when coming out of the oven, but they set up after cooling in the pan for 10 minutes.
I made this recipe in the mini muffin pans
(48). Used persimmons (crunchy kind)
Instead of apples. Came out very good.
Going to use in morning before going to the gym. Thanks for recipe
My muffins were browned on top but soft and wet, mushy on bottom. I followed recipe exactly.
Hi Melanie! These baked oatmeal cups are meant to be soft, but you could bake them a little longer next time if needed.
I love the recipe, had to bake them longer due to the extra liquid nesss of them.. I agree do not put in a muffin liner.
Has anyone tried adding raisins? It seems like they would be a good addition.
Hi Lynne, you certainly can.
I made these to bring to work. I thought they were amazing, moist and flavorful, so easy to put together! However, the guys weren’t so thrilled. Too healthy for them! 🙂 Oh, well! Back to brownies, I guess!