You need just 1 bowl and some simple, wholesome ingredients to make these healthy-ish chocolate chip baked oatmeal cups. They’re ready in about 30 minutes, keep well in the refrigerator, and make a wonderful on-the-go breakfast, snack, or healthier dessert. The whole family, kids included, love them.
One reader, Bev, commented: “Easy, healthy, and the whole family loves them! They keep well and travel well for school and work lunches. โ โ โ โ โ “
Have you ever tried baked oatmeal before? It’s soft and creamy, yet sturdy enough to eat with a fork. This recipe is similar, but a little more solid so it can be a handheld breakfast on your way out the door. (Or… in reality… clench between your teeth while your hands are busy packing bags and grabbing the keys.)
If you’ve tried my apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups or these pumpkin baked oatmeal cups, you’re familiar with today’s recipe and process. It’s all very simple. Today I’m adding chocolate chips and almond butter, plus some ground flax for a nutritious punch.
These Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Cups Are:
- Quick, easy, & healthy-ish
- Made in 1 bowl, no mixer required
- Soft-baked, moist, & chewy
- Freeze easily
- Dairy free if using dairy-free milk & chocolate chips
- Gluten free if using certified GF oats
- Like a cross between oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and baked oatmeal
But most importantly: adult approved because they’re quick… and have chocolate chips. And kid approved because they’re delicious… and have chocolate chips. A harmonious win for us all.
The little bit of sweetness from our chocolate chips makes them one of my favorite healthy dessert recipes and gluten free dessert recipes. A wholesome breakfast/dessert hybrid you can feel good about!
Are They Oatmeal? Are They Muffins?
Yes and yes. Compared to a bowl of oatmeal, these chocolate chip baked oatmeal cups are solid and sturdy, so they make an excellent portable breakfast or snack.
But you should expect a chewier, coarser texture than, say, blueberry oatmeal muffins. Today’s recipe does not include flour or a lot of leavener, so the oatmeal cups are not cakey like a regular muffin. If you’re in the mood for a regular muffin, try these healthy bran muffins.
Grab These Ingredients:
Here’s why you need each:
- Milk: Milk softens the oats and keeps the centers moist. You can use any kind of milk you have on hand, dairy or nondairy. Oat milk is a good choice here!
- Eggs: Eggs provide protein as well as structure, binding the ingredients together.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup sweetens and flavors these baked oatmeal cups.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Applesauce takes the place of butter or oil. I love using applesauce to replace all or some oil in certain baked goods, like morning glory muffins.
- Almond Butter: For a little flavor. Feel free to use peanut butter instead, or simply leave it out for a nut-free version.
- Oats: Unlike applesauce muffins where oats are 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 prepโsee recipe Notes.
- Ground Flaxseed: This nutrient-packed superfood is a healthful add-in. You can’t really taste it, but feel free to skip it if you don’t have any.
- Baking Powder: Gives a little lift, preventing the oatmeal cups from being overly dense.
- Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, & Salt: The trifecta of muffin flavor enhancers!
- Mini Chocolate Chips: You can use regular size, but mini = more in every bite!
If you’re interested in another gluten free muffin option, I always love these blueberry almond muffins.
1 Bowl, No Mixer Recipe
These chocolate chip oatmeal cups require just 1 mixing bowl. No need to break out your mixer, just grab a whisk and a spatula. Whisk all the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) together, and then fold in the chocolate chips. It’s that easy.
Don’t get nervous if your batter looks like this:
It’s supposed to be very liquidy. Spoon into greased muffin cups. The recipe conveniently makes 12 in a standard muffin pan.
Bake for about 30 minutes. EASY!
Warm from the oven, the chocolate chips are all melty, and you can pretend you’re eating chocolate chip cookies. Messy hands will ensue.
I usually prep today’s oatmeal cups or these breakfast cookies in the beginning of the week, then refrigerate them for quick breakfasts and snacks. You can eat them cold straight from the refrigerator, or reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds. They freeze and thaw beautifully, too!
Try these other flavors next: apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups and pumpkin baked oatmeal cups or this banana baked oatmeal. And for even more breakfast inspiration, see my complete list of 30+ย healthy breakfast recipes.
Other Quick & Easy Breakfast Ideas
Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Cups (GF)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 cups
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These healthy-ish chocolate chip baked oatmeal cups come together quickly and easily in just 1 bowl. 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)ย pure maple syrup*
- 1/2 cup (120g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup (125g) creamy or crunchy almond butter*
- 3 and 1/4 cups (276g) old-fashioned whole rolledย oats*
- 1/3 cup (35g) ground flaxseed*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (128g) regular size or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). 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 chocolate chips. Using a spoon or silicone spatula, fold in the chocolate chips. Batter will be a little liquidy. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, making sure both the oats and liquid are in each. Fill all the way to the top.
- Bake for 28โ30 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and tops appear set. If the tops are browning very quickly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the muffin pan.
- Cool for 5โ10 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 for a few seconds, or cover and heat in a 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) oven for 5โ6 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.ย
- 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. If you need a substitute, you can use packed brown sugar, coconut sugar, or honey.
- Almond Butter: Almond butter adds a little flavor. Feel free to use peanut butter or other nut butter instead, or simply leave it out for a nut-free version. If you leave it out, reduce oats to 3 cups (255g).
- Oats: Whole rolled 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.
- Ground Flaxseed: If you don’t have ground flaxseed, you can leave it out with no other changes to the recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 10.2 g
- Sodium: 87.5 mg
- Fat: 9.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.6 g
- Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 7.5 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
Not exactly what I was expecting… They were a bit soggy, and not very tasty.
My children have one of these in every single lunch box at school! This is my first review to ever write because these are so helpful: I bake a double batch in mini muffin tins & freeze them to use as needed. And the kids actually love them! Thank you, Sally!
I reeeeeally wanted to love these. They turned out alright. I followed the recipe, but the texture is unexpectedly spongy, with soggy bottoms. Iโm still happy it made for a nutritious snack for the kiddos, albeit not what I was hoping for.
What a beautiful website. Thank you. Iโm going to try making this as part of an ESL lesson with a seven-year-old and a nine-year-old.
Not sure what the asterisk next to the ingredients signifies. Does that mean you can substitute them or are they essential ingredients? Can you explain?
Hi Bonnie! An asterisk means there’s a corresponding relevant recipe Note (in the section after the recipe). Happy baking!
I was wondering if you could add flaked coconut to them. We love your granola cluster recipe with coconut flakes and a few mini chocolate chips but are looking for a replacement to store bought granola bars. Thank you so much for all your recipes.
Hi AW, absolutely, we’d try about a 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. You might enjoy these no-bake chewy coconut granola bars, too!
I’ve been making these for about a year now – as soon as I’ve eaten the last of one batch, I pretty much immediately make the next one! The only changes I make is to use peanut butter (which is suggested anyway), replace 1/4 cup of oats for 1/4 cup oat bran, and I add an extra 1/8 tsp. of salt. Today, I’m experimenting a bit – I’ve added 1/4 cup cocoa powder to make it more brownie-like and 2 tablespoons of butter to make up for the added dry ingredient. They’re baking now, but they look fabulous! If this experiment works, I might try an “Almond Joy” version – using the almond butter given, my cocoa powder idea, and replacing some of the chocolate chips with shredded coconut and slivered almonds! Doesn’t that sound yummy?!
Yum! Didnโt have apple sauce on hand but did need to use my remaining overly ripe banana so subbed that. Then realized right at the end that I didnโt have enough oats by 1/4 cup but shrugged it off and threw them in the oven for 30 minutes. These baked oatmeal cups ended up being delicious and the perfect consistency anyways! Absolutely lovely and I am super happy to have these easy recipes for when I leave bananas next to apples for too long in the future.
Hi Sally! Can the baked oatmeal be made into cups/muffins like this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, yes absolutely!
These are really tasty! I made 24 by cutting the amount in each cup by half, and baked 20 minutes.
If I want to use oil instead of applesauce (its what I have on hand), would it be same amount? thank you!
Hi Beth, I would not substitute oil for the applesauce. 1/2 cup of oil would be way too much for this batter/mixture. For best results, stick with applesauce or you can try mashed banana in its place.
Hello! Just made these and they are SO good! Could you add protein powder? And any ways to reduce sugar? Thanks!!
Hi Emma, we haven’t experimented with adding protein powder to this recipe. Sugar is used for moisture and texture in baked goods as well as taste. You can certainly try reducing the sugar, but the resulting texture will be different than intended. We’d love to know if you give anything a try!
I accidentally forgot the maple syrup (and the salt!) while making these today. Hazards of baking with a toddler I guess. They actually turned out pretty good! I was concerned when they were in the oven and I realized I forgot the sugar and saw this comment. They taste more like a baked oatmeal cup than a muffin but still very tasty with the mini chocolate chips. My 4 year old wasnโt impressed but the toddler enjoyed! Iโll try with the maple syrup next time for the 4 year old.
I like that you show nutrition data in your recipes. Could you please include potassium and phosphates in the nutrition chart? There are medical conditions that need this information. Kidney disease especially is very common and benefits from foods made from scratch. As we age everyones’ kidneys deteriorate. Thank you
Hi Ina, we donโt usually include detailed nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Can I substitute regular or golden raisins for the chocolate chips?
Yes, absolutely. Same amount.
My family loves these so much. I make a batch and they eat them for breakfast and take them in their lunch for school. I even had their teachers ask for the recipe! They are a staple in our house. Thank you Sally!
Followed recipe and had a great outcome (which is the norm with Sally’s recipes)! I did add 1tsp of chai spice in addition to the cinnamon to give a little more fall flavor. I baked in silicone muffin molds, and ended up with 12 full size muffins and 14 mini muffins! I will be adding this to the regular rotation for baked good here. Can’t beat how easy these are to make and good source of healthy fats, fiber and protein for a quick on the go snack option.
This will become one of my go-to recipes!! Thank you!!
I was wondering if I could substitute honey for maple syrup? Would it be the same amount?
Hi Amy, yesโsame amount.
Hi! I loved these, but why is it necessary that they are refrigerated?
Hi Jenna! They’re quite moist and I find that they can go bad quickly. They’re usually fine for a day or 2 at room temperature, but after that I recommend refrigerating.
Instead of using muffin tins, can it be baked in a 9×9 (or 9×13) pan. (Similar to 1 Bowl Baked Oatmeal)?
Hi Idelle! We would add chocolate chips to our baked oatmeal recipe instead ๐
Just finished baking and smells so yummy. I didn’t have applesauce, so substituted 1 mashed banana, made exactly as written. These are really really delish!! Will be making these again. Thank you for the amazing recipe
What would happen if I blitz the oats down a bit – not as much as flour but about halfway?
Hi Laura, that will work, but the centers of the oatmeal cups may not be quite as moist.
I just took them out of the oven and they seem delicious! (the batter was really tasty…) realized as they were cooking that i completely forgot the nut butter… But kept the same amount oats. Seems to have turned out ok, i wonder if they would a bit less soft with the butter?