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 they’re 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 🙂 ★★★★★”
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 that—naturally—do 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.
Baker’s Tip: As you can see above, the pumpkin batter is liquidy. When you’re 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 wonderfully—when 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) pure maple syrup*
- 2/3 cup (150g) fresh or canned pumpkin puree
- 3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 teaspoon 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 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 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 28–30 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 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.
- 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: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t 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 cinnamon—you 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): Calories 200, Total Fat 8g, Carbohydrate 30g, Dietary Fiber 3.8g, Sugars 16g, Protein 5g.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These are AMAZING!! Made a batch last night, and to use up more of the can of leftover pumpkin, I made a second batch tonight! The first batch I used pecans as the add-in, and tonight I used dried cranberries and chocolate chips. Both are fabulous!! Not too sweet at all, and very moist AND chewy and so very healthy!! I can put the batter together in the time it takes for the oven to preheat! Highly recommended—-this is a real keeper!!
Is there a reason why there is no butter in this recipe, but butter in the one bowl baked oatmeal?
With the pumpkin and to keep them lighter, I didn’t find it necessary. You can certainly add 2 or 3 Tablespoons of melted butter, without any other changes, for a richer-tasting oatmeal cup.
I made this recipe exactly as instructed but did not like these muffins. No pumpkin taste, although muffins were moist feeling, they were actually dry tasting. This is the first recipe from Sally I didn’t like. Other recipes are great.
Great Recipe! i made them with half chocolate chips and half pecans, no added sugar on the top. They didn’t need it for breakfast treats.
What did I do wrong? The top turned out perfect, but the muffin was still kind of wet. I cooked for 30 min.
Hi Shelley, the middles of these are intended to be soft, but they should set a bit more as they cool. You can also extend the bake time by just a few minutes if you want a more solid center. Hope you enjoyed them!
Super delicious. I used almond milk. No other add ins. Just the right amount of sweet I stored mine in the freezer. They reheat beautifully.
This turned out amazing even though I substituted milk for slightly diluted half and half! Perfectly moist and hearty for a busy morning! Definitely recommend.
These are really good! I felt like 1/2c maple syrup was a lotttt, so I used a ripe banana and only 1/4c maple syrup. I also only used 1/2 c chocolate chips— I think it would be too much to have more. My 2 year old loves these and so does my husband! Definitely will be making again.
Loved this recipe. Made it as listed (no chips or topping). Calculated 127 calories each muffin’s
can you please provide nutrition?
Calories etc?
Hi Laura, We don’t usually include 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
Made these for breakfast this morning. We both loved them. 2 for him 1 for me, and we were both satisfied. I used almond milk and added chopped pecans. They would also make a good afternoon snack.
I’d love to make some of your recipes. The look so delicious. I can’t eat syrup or sugar. I use substitute like Splenda or Monk fruit sweetener. Is is possible to get a measurement for adding it instead of syrup or real sugar. I do appreciate U. I love my deserts and sweets but unable to consume too much. Thank U!
Hi Beatrice, I wish I could help, but I have very little experience baking with both of the sweeteners you mentioned. Let me know if you test anything out. It may be better to find recipes that have been developed with either of those sweeteners.
These were absolutely delicious. I have become such a fan of this site – every single recipe I have tried has become my new go-to. Thank you for all of the deliciousness!
Delicious! Not too sweet and very satisfying. I made mine with cranberries.
Just made and ate some of these, replacing pumpkin with applesauce. Really great flavor, softness, and moisture. It’s not super sweet but it’s sweet enough to be good without feeling like I’m eating unhealthy. Will probably try to make a habit of having some of these with a banana for breakfast.
The intro to this recipe mentions baked oatmeal. If I wanted to make this general recipe, but as a baked oatmeal so that it’s not in cups and, especially, it’s less firm and more moist and creamy, what would you recommend changing? Thank you!
Hi Amanda! We would use our baked oatmeal recipe instead – see the pink box above the recipe that says “Craving Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal?” for instructions.
I have been eating these almost every day – double the batch, add hemp hearts, dried cranberries, and chia seeds. Warm them straight from the freezer in the microwave.
I thought these were delicious. I added pecans and next time I’ll probably use cranberries as well to add a little more sweetness. These aren’t your typical American, overly sweet muffin. Without any fruit adds, they are slightly sweet and healthy
Probably the best muffins I’ve ever tasted/made. I swapped the chocolate chips and nuts for dried cranberries. Definitely adding to our breakfast menu rotation. Thank you!
Can I make mini oatmeal bites? What would the cook time be?
Hi Jan, for mini baked oatmeal cups, we recommend around 15 minutes. Same oven temperature. Start checking at about 12 minutes.
We love these! I have made them twice so far. Once with dried cranberries and pepitas and the other with pecans and dried cranberries. They are great for road trips too!
We love this recipe but want to try using both old fashioned and steel cut oats for a nutty (nut allergy) taste and more complex texture….suggestions on using both or do you think it’ll unnecessarily complicate the recipe?
Hi Lisa, you could certainly try them with half whole oats and half steel cut oats. For the steel cut oats, you’ll want to soak the oats in the milk (use about half since you’re only using half the amount of steel cut oats, use the rest when adding the remaining ingredients) 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!
Might be nice to include internal temp when done.
Grandkids love em!
Might be nice to include internal temp when done.
Grandkids love em!
Super easy make ahead and healthy breakfast. I prefer to freeze them after baking and then defrost for 30 seconds in the microwave when I am ready to eat. I love the portability of a muffin cup too, vs baking an entire pan of oats and having to cut slices for on the go breakfast.
I would not make this again. I made both the Apple cinnamon and the pumpkin chocolate chip and neither were to our family’s liking. The flavor was too bland and the texture was off.
I have been making these for years but wanted a vegan option. I subbed flax eggs for the eggs and they turned out perfect. No issues with stability or texture. Highly recommend this swap!
Hi Sally, mine were very crumbly. Was I supposed to add any fat such as butter or oil?
Hi Betty, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Butter or oil are not necessary for this recipe, but is it possible the oat cups were slightly overbaked? Be sure to also evenly distribute the oats and the liquid across the muffin tins. If you have any liquid leftover in the bowl, it should go into some of the muffin tins. And did you happen to use steel cut oats? If so, you’ll need to soak them for 30 minutes before using. See recipe Notes for details. Hope this helps for next time, and thank you so much for giving these a try!
I made the pumpkin scones, and they were yummy. But I would love an alternative to grating frozen butter, took me forever not to mention grated knuckles. Any suggestions?
Hi Pat, we’re so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin scones. Do you have a food processor with a grater blade? That will work as well. You do want grated pieces of butter for scones—the finer the pieces of cold butter, the less the scones spread and the quicker the butter mixes into the dry ingredients.
Could I make these in a mini muffin tin or would they dry out too much in the oven?
Hi Alex, for mini baked oatmeal cups, we recommend around 15 minutes. Same oven temperature. Start checking at about 12 minutes.
This is so perfect! Tasty and healthy, what more could you ask for
Could I use skim milk in this recipe, or do I need whole milk? Thx!
Hi Holly, skim milk will work great. Enjoy!
These look great! Could protein powder be added?
Hi Michelle, We haven’t tested these with protein powder but let us know if you give it a try