Baked Oatmeal Cups
These Baked Oatmeal Cups are an easy protein-packed breakfast recipe that you can make early and enjoy all week long. Naturally gluten-free, these muffins are topped with a crunchy pecan brown sugar streusel. They’re wholesome enough to enjoy any day, but also delicious enough to break you out of a boring breakfast routine.
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As a mom of two kids who is constantly looking for ways to get a little bonus protein into them and myself before we walk out the door any given morning; who also has a penchant for meal prepping breakfast for the week so that she does not have to be a short-order cook any given day before the sun rises and before the school bus arrives… this recipe was a bit of a brain worm. (You know, as opposed to an earworm.)
The idea was simple: could I use an oatmeal base to create a muffin situation that my kids would actually enjoy and eat for breakfast that also had a little sneaky protein in it?
The answer is it took a three separate iterations, but I finally got it right.
Now, I’ve spoken about it before in my Crustless Cottage Cheese Quiche, but I am not here for trendy ingredients by and large. However, cottage cheese thickens the batter of this oatmeal muffin, as well as gives us some bonus protein. And as someone who is constantly trying to add protein into every meal, this is an easy win.
Please note that I am not calling these healthy oatmeal cups, because they are being sweetened with some sugar and have a delicious streusel topping.
Why I love this recipe:
These baked oatmeal muffins are, simply put, satisfying.
They are hearty enough to fill your belly, but they don’t feel heavy when you’re eating them. The flavors are simple but delicious.
And I personally love the streusel topping because it adds a little bit of crunch to something that might not be as interesting texturally.
Also, they are naturally gluten-free. (If this is something that you are looking for, read the packaging of your oats to ensure they are gluten-free.)
Some more things to love about this recipe include:
- Make-ahead marvel. Bake a batch of these on Sunday and store them in the fridge to enjoy all week long for breakfast or a quick morning or afternoon snack.
- Customize the flavors. You can add fresh or frozen fruit if you like. I recommend using berries and not strawberries or other ingredients with high water content, because that will change the overall texture.
- Serve with toppings. If you want to make these feel even more special, add a little bit of softened butter, a sweetened honey or maple butter, a slather of peanut butter or almond butter, if you want bonus protein and a little bit of fat to balance them out.
More breakfast recipes to try: Freezer- Friendly Breakfast Tacos | Boudin Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich | Tatertot Breakfast Casserole
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Blender
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk or rubber spatula
- Muffin tin
- Parchment paper cupcake liners
- ¼ cup cookie scoop
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here is what you need to get at the store to make this recipe:
- Rolled oats — use your favorite brand of old-fashioned oats. (I like to use gluten-free oats and they make this recipe naturally gluten free.) I do not recommend using quick-cooking or instant oats because they will dissolve. I like the texture of a classic rolled oat or a thick-cut rolled oat for this recipe because it gives the muffins a little bit of tooth when you bite into them.
- Milk — we keep 2% milk in our fridge, but you can use any type of milk that you have.
- Cottage cheese — the size of the curd does not matter because we will be blending it thoroughly to make everything smooth. Use your favorite brand.
- Brown sugar — you may use light or dark brown sugar. This adds sweetness to the oat cups, as well as the streusel topping. I do not recommend replacing it with a liquid sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup, as that will change the texture.
- Eggs — large or extra-large eggs from the grocery store or farmer’s market are what I keep on hand and what I used to developed this recipe.
- Vanilla extract — use the best you can afford.
- Ground cinnamon — this is added to both the oatmeal cup batter, as well as the topping. Use whatever you have on hand, but make sure that it is not super old, or the cinnamon flavor will not be as potent.
- Kosher salt — medium-grain kosher salt is what I keep in my kitchen. (Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand.) You could use a similarly sized sea salt.
- Chopped pecans — or your favorite chopped nuts, like walnuts or even peanuts. I personally love pecans, but that is me. You can omit these if someone has a nut allergy or you don’t like nuts.
- Melted butter — this brings the streusel topping together. I recommend using unsalted butter, but salted butter also works. You could also use a vegan butter, and it should work just fine.
Substitutions and additions:
Use a different milk. Yes, you can use any kind of milk that you have on hand, including dairy-free milk, like unsweetened almond milk, cashew, coconut milk, oat milk or soy milk.
Add mix-ins. Use mix-ins that are not super wet, like blueberries, chocolate chips, sprinkles, chia seeds, raisins, chopped apples or bananas, etc.
How to make Baked Oatmeal Cups:
Prepare. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with 12 parchment paper muffin liners and set aside.
Blend the wet ingredients. Measure the ½ cup of rolled oats into the base of a blender with the milk, cottage cheese, brown sugar, eggs and pure vanilla extract. Blend until they are completely smooth.
Measure the dry ingredients. Measure the remaining oats into a large bowl along with the ground cinnamon and kosher salt. Stir to combine.
Mix up the oatmeal cup batter. Pour the liquid ingredients directly on top of the oat mixture. Stir to combine with a rubber spatula.
Measure the cups. Use a ¼ cup cookie scoop or a measuring scoop to measure the oatmeal mixture into the prepared muffin tins. Measure them as evenly as possible.
Make the topping. Melt the of butter in a bowl in the microwave. In a separate bowl, measure the brown sugar, chopped pecans, rolled oats, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon. Stir to combine, then drizzle in the melted butter. Stir until it begins to clump.
Scoop about a tablespoon of the topping on top of each oatmeal cup.
Bake. You’ll bake these in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cups are firm and the topping is golden brown.
Cool and enjoy. You can enjoy them warm or cold.
how to store:
Cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or a plate and covering tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to five days.
Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven until warmed through. Please note that the muffins will become tougher the longer they sit in the refrigerator.
How to freeze: let cool completely before transferring to a wax or parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Freeze for up to six hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe baggie. Keep for up to three months. Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Classic rolled oats are the way to go. You could also use extra-thick cut rolled oats. I do not recommend using quick-cooking oats, instant oats, or steel-cut oats because they will not give us the texture we are going for here in this recipe.
Honestly, this makes the cottage cheese more palatable to both me and my kids because they do not like when there are little nuggets of cottage cheese in anything.
Also, blending it helps greatly combine the ingredients as well as makes for a thicker batter than you would get, especially since we add half a cup of oats to this to help thicken it up.
No. Please don’t try to do this. When I made this batter without the cottage cheese, it was too runny and made for some really goopy muffins that tasted amazing but were messier than I wanted to deal with.
I love the streusel and highly recommend making it. It is not something that you must do, but it’s a nice addition of texture and flavor.
Absolutely. That is what I have done for this recipe, and it is brilliant. Bake it on a Sunday; serve it every morning during the week.
If your rolled oats are gluten-free, this recipe should actually be gluten-free.
The muffins will have firmed up and will be a beautiful golden brown. If they still look soupy or wet, you need to bake them for longer.
Quick tips and tricks to make the best oatmeal cups:
- Prep it and forget it. Make this recipe during the weekend, and let them cool, and then store them and reheat one or two every morning for breakfast.
- Add in mix-ins. Swirl in fresh blueberries, chocolate chips, nuts or more into this batter before baking.
- Store them properly. These cannot be kept at room temperature, and they will dry out in the refrigerator if you do not cover them properly or transfer them to an airtight container.
Here’s how to make these in your own kitchen…
Baked Oatmeal Cups
EQUIPMENT
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- Wire whisk or a Rubber Spatula
- Parchment baking paper or cupcake liners
Ingredients
Cups
- 2 ½ cups rolled oats divided
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with 12 parchment paper muffin liners and set aside.
- Measure 0.5 cups rolled oats into the base of a blender along with ½ cup milk, 1 cup cottage cheese, ¾ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Blitz those until they are completely smooth.
- Measure the remaining 2 cups rolled oats into a large bowl along with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir to combine.
- Pour the liquid ingredients directly on top of the oat mixture. Stir to combine with a rubber spatula.
- Use a quarter cup cookie scoop or a measuring scoop to evenly measure the oatmeal mixture into the prepared muffin tin.
- Make the topping. Melt the 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a bowl in the microwave. In a separate bowl, combine ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup chopped pecans, ¼ cup rolled oats, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Stir to combine, then drizzle in the melted butter. Stir until it begins to clump up. Scoop about a tablespoon of the topping on top of each oatmeal cup.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven or until the oatmeal cups are firm and the topping is golden brown.
- Let cool then enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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