These soft & chewy pumpkin baked oatmeal cups are one of my favorite treats to make during the fall season. Not only are they wonderfully flavorful and spiced, they’re a relatively healthy option and SUPER easy to make. Try my apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups, too!
Have you ever tried baked oatmeal before? It’s soft and creamy, yet sturdy enough to eat with a fork. Last year I took my baked oatmeal recipe 1 step further and transformed it into baked apple cinnamon oatmeal cups. And recently I made these chocolate chip baked oatmeal cups. (Aka oatmeal in the form of a muffin.) Oatmeal cups are a little more solid and sturdy than baked oatmeal, so theyโre perfect as a portable breakfast or snack.
We love them.
And let’s be honest, this is what counts most: oatmeal cups are adult approved because they’re quick and healthy + toddler approved because they’re delicious.
Apple cinnamon is my go-to flavor, but I often swap apple for fall’s other favorite flavor: pumpkin. You knew this was coming, right?!
These Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal Cups Are:
- Perfectly pumpkin spiced (you can use homemade pumpkin pie spice here)
- Made in 1 bowl
- Soft-baked & chewy
- Refined sugar free (no added refined sugar)
- Easy, quick, & healthy
- Garnished with crunchy coarse sugar
- Dairy free if using dairy free milk & chocolate chips
- Gluten free if using certified GF oats
One reader, Nikki, commented: “Loved the simplicity of the assembly… mix everything in one bowl, fill muffin cups, and bake! The texture is awesome and the flavor is outstanding! And shockingly contains no flour or butter (I had actually pulled those ingredients out and had to put them away… until I find another Sally recipe, of course, lol). Thank you for what is sure to become part of my regular baking rotation ๐ โ โ โ โ โ ”
Are They Oatmeal? Are They Muffins?
Both! More solid than oatmeal, but not as cakey as pumpkin muffins & pumpkin crumb cake muffins.
How to Make Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal Cups
Stir ingredients together, add to a greased muffin pan, and bake. It’s that easy. There’s no mixer or other specialty tools required. You can make these with kids and even with some chaos and mess, it should take you 30 minutes start to finish.
You need 11 simple ingredients including milk (dairy or nondairy), eggs for a little structure, maple syrup to sweeten, pumpkin puree, oats, baking powder, spices, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup of your favorite add-ins. I usually use 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Feel free to use all chocolate chips, all nuts, or even toss in dried cranberries, chopped apples, or leave them totally plain.
- If you have extra pumpkin to use up, here is a list of recipes to make with leftover pumpkin puree. These mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins and homemade pumpkin coffee creamer are favorite choices.
Looking for a healthy egg-free pumpkin option? A lot of readers have been searching for egg-free recipes and I have several egg free baking recipes thatโnaturallyโdo not require eggs. See my recipe notes below for an egg-free variation of today’s recipe. And I think you’ll love my equally awesome pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal bars too! No egg needed.
Bakerโs Tip: As you can see above, the pumpkin batter is liquidy. When youโre dividing the batter between the muffin cups, make sure you have both liquid AND oats in each. Spoon batter all the way to the top of each. The recipe yields 12 pumpkin baked oatmeal cups.
Make-Ahead & Freezing Options
If, for some reason, your pumpkin oatmeal cups last longer than 1 day, you can refrigerate leftovers for the rest of the week. I usually microwave them for a few seconds to take off the chill before eating. They also freeze wonderfullyโwhen I tested this recipe, I froze 2 extra batches. To thaw, transfer them to the refrigerator at night and they’ll be ready for breakfast the next morning.
If you’re looking for a (1) healthy fall treat, (2) something quick and easy to bake by yourself or with kids, or (3) place to use up leftover canned pumpkin, let me present you with this:
Some Other Healthy Fall Recipes
- Pumpkin Granola
- Healthy Apple Muffins & Applesauce Muffins
- Baked Apples
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal Cups (Muffins)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 cups
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These healthy pumpkin baked oatmeal cups come together in 30 minutes, plus a few minutes for cooling. You can make them ahead and enjoy all week long, too!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/3 cups (320ml) milk (dairy or nondairy)
- 2 large eggs*
- 1/2 cup (120ml)ย pure maple syrup*
- 2/3 cup (150g) fresh or cannedย pumpkin puree
- 3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolledย oats*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemadeย pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 teaspoonย ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup optional add-ins: chocolate chips (180g), chopped pecans or walnuts (100g), or dried cranberries (120g)*
- optional topping: coarse sugar for topping
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 optional add-ins and coarse sugar. Using a spoon or silicone spatula, fold in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using). Batter will be a little liquidy. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, making sure both the oats/add-ins and liquid are in each. Fill all the way to the top. See photo above. If desired for extra crunch, sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
- 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 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 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) 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.
- 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.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Silicone Spatula
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients and add wonderful flavor. If needed, you can replace the eggs with an extra 1/3 cup pumpkin puree, or even unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. I prefer the texture with 2 eggs vs extra pumpkin puree. They’re sturdier and taste chewier.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice:ย You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you donโt have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice. This is in addition to the 1 teaspoon of cinnamonโyou will still add that.
- Add-ins: Use 1 cup of your favorite add-in or leave the pumpkin oatmeal cups plain. I used 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
- Nutrition Information Per Oatmeal Cup (with unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup pecans using Spark Recipe Calculator):ย Caloriesย 200, Total Fat 8g, Carbohydrate 30g, Dietary Fiber 3.8g,ย Sugarsย 16g, Protein 5g.
Reader Comments and Reviews
If I wanted to make these a little sweeter, could I just add half a cup of brown sugar in addition to the maple syrup?
Hi Hayley, that should be ok. Let us know if you try it!
These are freaking delicious!! I made some adjustments to make them more nutritionally balanced. 1/3 c honey and 1 scoop chocolate protein powder. I added in hemp hearts and a handful of chocolate chips. So excited to get to have these with some Greek yogurt for breakfast every day this week
The recipe was moist, not too sweet, and delicious! However, not very pumpkiney tasting. If I add more puree, say 1 C instead of 2/3, would I then lessen the milk a bit?
Hi Joanna, we’re glad you enjoyed them! Rather than increasing the pumpkin puree, which would take some testing, you could certainly try increasing the pumpkin pie spice a bit. Or if you do decide to experiment with adding pumpkin, please do let us know how it goes!
I love the ingredients in these. I wanted to like them so much. But I found the flavor pretty flat. I guess I didnt expect them to be sweet since they don’t have any regular sugar, just maple syrup, but the cinnamon and other spices didn’t come through. I was using brand new organic cinnamon and allspice, cloves and others were opened within 6 months. The bigger issue to me was the texture. Hard to describe but it was weird. I was paranoid about the oats soaking up too much liquid so I added them at the very, very end. Like added, incorporated with as little stirring as possible, then immediately dished into the muffin tin. Maybe they didn’t absorb enough liquid? The batter was definitely watery. Would appreciate any tips before I try again!
Hi Alena, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. The oats won’t absorb a ton of liquid during the mixing/preparing process, but no need to add them at the very end to prevent this. When filling the cups, you’ll want to make sure to evenly distribute the oats mixture and any leftover liquid across the muffin cups. How was the texture when baked? Did they seem too dry, or were they overly moist instead? If the batter was too liquidy and they were too moist, more evenly distributing the oats will help, as well as a slightly longer bake time. Hope this helps for your next batch!
Hi Sally!
Could this be baked in one pan, like an 10×10, instead of a muffin tin?
Hi Ashley! Here’s our baked oatmeal recipe that you can make a pumpkin version of. The pumpkin version is going to be given its own recipe post soon! But in the meantime, here are the instructions: Reduce milk to 1 and 1/2 cups, remove the applesauce and 1 egg and replace with 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree, add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, keep the cinnamon in the recipe, leave out the berries and replace with chopped nuts, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or leave plain.
I’m curious why you remove the egg for the pumpkin version. I’m thinking I might like to add the egg back for some protein. Would that work? What I really want is to somehow just turn my usual bowl of oatmeal into a bake.
Hi P! This recipe calls for two eggs. Hope you love it!
I made these today, and I followed the recipe exactly. Easy to prepare, and they taste great! I used Craisins which added a little extra sweetness. 30 minutes baking time, and they were done. This is a keeper.
Tried these out and they smell amazing. However after 45 minutes baking they are still wet in the center and falling apart. Not sure what happened but my kitchen smells nice at least.
Hi Sarah, happy to help. Did you make any changes to the recipe, even small ones? Did you use old-fashioned whole rolled oats?
These were fantastic! I added raisins since I was out of the other add ins. Also added a 1/2 tsp cloves. Would like to try with walnuts next time. These will be a regular offering at our house!
Hi Sally,
Love all your recipes! Is there a version of this baked oatmeal that uses crushed ripe bananas instead of canned pumpkin? Just trying to find other ways to use ripe bananas outside of banana bread and smoothies. Thanks!
Hi Kelli! You can swap mashed banana for applesauce in these very similar apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups ๐
I’ve made (and LOVED) these muffins for months! Thank you!โค๏ธ Usually they would always come out with a flat top, but now they’re slightly rounded. I see that the recipe has been recently updated…did the one tsp of baking powder used to be baking soda? Or was there a different change?
Hi Josie, the page was updated to include an extra success tip and a review. The recipe did not change. I’m glad you love them!
The top of my cupcakes looked great. But after I let them cool and took them out. The bottom was very soft and the muffins fell apart. What did I do wrong ?
Hi Edlyn, these are intended to be soft, but if they were falling apart, they may just need a few extra minutes in the oven for next time. Thanks for giving these a try!
I will be making these again! I made as directed, but added chopped pecans, cranberries, chopped dates and rum-soaked raisins; about 1&1/2c total.
Can you use honey in place of maple syrup?
Yes!
Can you substitute steel cut oats?
Hi Rose! For steel cut oats, youโll want to 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. Let us know how they go!
This is so delicious i afded half cup dried cranberries and half cup walnuts. I baked this in glass baking pan. I drizzled honey on top of my piece. Even my husband likes it. Thanks Sally. Love your books and revipes.
I just made these muffins and they’re wonderful. I used 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup golden monk fruit to cut down on the sugar a bit. For my add-ins I used half a cup of raisins and half a cup of walnuts (I didn’t have pecans – next time!). Thanks so much for the recipe!
I have not tried this yet, but am wondering your thoughts on Silpat muffin pans? I was given one as a gift. Same baking time?
Hi Susan, We havenโt tested any of our recipes in silicone bakeware so we donโt have any specific recommendations, but some of our readers have used silicone pans successfully.
I made these today in silicone muffin pans that I just bought. I did not grease the pan. Came out perfect – I baked them about 31 minutes and did put the muffin pan on a tray but not sure I needed to. They popped right out – perfect!