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
Amazing. Husband approved. Im a health freak and love that these are low fodmap for my IBS.
Well done
Just popped a bite of a mini oatmeal chocolate chip cup into my mouth. Delicious! My oven required more time to bake these to perfection.
Since I don’t trust myself to do a thorough job of mixing, I measured the oatmeal and then whisked in spices, baking powder and salt. I used a separate bowl to whisk the wet ingredients before adding them to the dry. I was then satisfied that I had everything mixed well.
I know I’ll be making these again soon.
These were alright but not great. They were super heavy also. After baking them, they were very moist on the bottom which made then feel under baked.
I only have pure pumpkin. Can it be used in place of the puree? If so, do I need to make any changes?
Hi Molly, is it canned? If so, that should be the same thing as pumpkin puree. As long as the only ingredient is pumpkin, you’re all set!
This sounds delicious!
Would this recipe work the same to make this as regular baked oatmeal instead of cups? Or would I need to change the ratio of anything and/or cook time?
Thanks!
Hi Haley, you sure can! See our 1 bowl baked oatmeal post and the pink box right before the recipe card about how to make a pumpkin variation. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, I love this recipe and making another batch now to take with me for hiking tomorrow ! I live in Australia and we have fresh pumpkin all year round – I have never seen pumpkin for sale in cans here
Hi Sally
Hoping to make this just a big more calorie friendly. Do you think I could add some coco powder instead of chocolate chips? And how much would you recommend? Also thinking of adding half honey and half apple sauce instead of maple syrup. Do you think that would work?
Thanks
Hi Alexis, it would take some testing to add cocoa powder since it’s a dry ingredient. You can certainly try cutting back the maple syrup but they may not be as moist. We haven’t tested a honey and applesauce substitute. Let us know what you try!
I made them mini and baked for 14 minutes and started checking at 12 minutes. They taste very good with 1/2 cup of each chocolate chips and walnuts.
I’m wondering what the asterisks mean.–especially next to the old-fashioned whole oats.
Hi Deborah, the asterisk indicates that there is a corresponding recipe note about that ingredient. You can find all the recipe notes at the bottom of the gray recipe box, right after the written instructions. Hope this helps!
I haven’t made these yet, but they look really good! Sally, what would the baking time be if I were to make them into mini muffins?
Hi Cloey, for mini baked oatmeal cups, we recommend around 15 minutes. Same oven temperature. Start checking at about 12 minutes.
Good Morning, Sally. Loving your recipes especially this one – pumpkin baked oatmeal cups. Could this recipe be made with oat bran instead of oatmeal (equal amount)?
Hi Bonnie, we haven’t tested these muffins with oat bran, but let us know how they turn out if you try it!
Sally – will this recipe, Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal Cups, work with oat bran (not flakes) instead of old-fashioned whole oats?
Hi Bea, we haven’t tested these muffins with oat bran, but let us know how they turn out if you try it!
I’ve made these multiple times now –with and without mix ins — and they are excellent every time! Great gluten free muffin!
could i cook this in a bread pan?
Hi Jennifer, it would be quite thick for a bread pan, but you can follow our 1 bowl baked oatmeal recipe (see the “Craving Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal?” section right before the recipe) to making it in a 9×9 or 11×17 pan. Hope this helps!
I love the taste of oatmeal, but I cannot eat a bowl of it. I can’t get over the texture. These baked oatmeal cups are PERFECT!! I finally get to eat a delicious hearty oatmeal breakfast. I froze them, and each night I move one to the fridge and reheat in the toaster oven in the morning. Perfectly warm and crisp. I used pecans and cinnamon chips for the add ins. Thanks for an awesome recipe. When I run out of these, I’m going to try the apple ones!
So happy you love these, Katelyn!
I made these as directed but used sugar free maple syrup as my husband is diabetic and I am on weight watchers. I know this syrup isn’t as tasty as the real thing but they turned out delicious and only 1 point each on ww. I ate them for breakfast all week by microwaving slightly and adding 1 drop of peanut butter on top. Yum! Thanks for the great recipe.
These smell delicious (especially when baking) and the flavor is great, but the texture is odd and gummy, somewhere between an under-cooked oat muffin and oatmeal that’s sat too long. I’m hoping that changes once they cool/freeze. They didn’t have as much pumpkin flavor as I would have liked and the pumpkin pie spice was a little overwhelming. If I make them again, I’ll reduce that to 1/2 teaspoon.
I had trouble getting the baking powder and spices mixed in evenly with the wet ingredients. Mixing those with the oats before adding to the wet ingredients would probably help, although then it wouldn’t be a one bowl mix.
These were super easy to make, and all three of my kids (ages 5, 4 and 2) devoured them! Will definitely be on my repeat list. I made a double batch and used half instant oats, half old fashioned because that’s what I had on hand, and added the chocolate chips but no pecans. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
These were SUPER easy to make and taste delish! I also feel healthy eating them since there is no refined sugar in them! Thanks for yet another fabulous recipe Sally!!
So easy and SO delicious!!! I used slightly less maple syrup (1/3c) and added in butterscotch chips instead of chocolate – amazing! I loved them and so did my 2 year old!
Made these last week! Added chocolate chips for a tiny bit of extra sweetness. They turned out great:)
Trying another batch today with applesauce and extra cinnamon instead of pumpkin puree and slices! I also chopped up an apple as an add in… here’s to hoping they turn out!
Thank you for this super quick and super easy recipe!
Hi Sally! Do you think I could sub the pumpkin for a couple mashed bananas to switch it up? I always end up with two scraggler bananas and I can’t figure out what to do with them!
Hi Mary, Yes that should work. And then you can use just cinnamon instead of pumpkin pie spice if you wish!
I’ve been eating these from my freezer – so good. They heat up nicely. It was a good use of the rest of the pumpkin after cookies.
So I just wanted to let y’all know that I forgot the eggs in this recipe (baking while making a halloween costume, put these in the oven, turned around and there are the eggs…on the counter), whoops! But they actually turned out OK! Like really OK. They were a little “spongy” but held together very well and tasted great. Just made them again WITH the eggs this time, still great! So if you don’t want to add eggs, I would recommend just trying without, it worked for me, though unintentionally. This is a perfect quick, handheld snack!
I second this! I forgot the eggs as well (I have absolutely no excuse for it, unfortunately), and I agree that they came out a little spongy but still tasty! A testament to how good this recipe is!
I TOO forgot the eggs but gave them a 5* rating as they are. Not too sweet, filling and will be great for breakfast. I did sample one out of the oven with a smidge of your cream cheese frosting I had leftover from your carrot cake – LOVE
My mix ins were walnuts, pepitas, coconut flakes and raisins and I made with unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
I plan on trying to freeze a few for breakfast. Sally you never disappoint!
I absolutely love simple, one bowl recipes and this one is now my all time fall favorite! It’s so moist and flavorful. I had quick oats but it worked out perfectly and didn’t reduce the moist factor at all. I baked for about 20 minutes since every oven is different. I also skipped using paper liners and just sprayed the pan. They popped right out. Best eaten when warm or nuke in the microwave for a bit! ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS RECIPE!
These are really good and weren’t too sweet. I used homemade pumpkin purée, took out 1/4 cup of the milk, and added a few chocolate chips. They turned perfect. Will be making again
I have made these a few times already and they are great. I made one batch without any maple syrup and they were delicious. Another batch I made I did 1/4 cup maple syrup and added dried cranberries and chocolate chips and my kiddos who hate oatmeal loved them and have requested them again. Another great recipe! This is my go-to website for baking. Thanks Sally 🙂
Amy
Gonna make these tomorrow! They sound absolutely yummy! Thank you Sally! I love your recipes!
To Janet and others concerned about sugar content, don’t worry!! Yes, maple syrup is high in sugar grams BUT has a very low glycemic impact!! Maple syrup is one of nature’s miracles! Also check out licorice for the same benefit! You can enjoy these muffins guilt free!
Delicious! Great way to feel like you are “treating” yourself to a muffin but sneaking in those whole grains, veggies (the pumpkin), calcium from the milk and depending upon your add ins healthful nuts and fruit. I made mine with Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk and the following add-ins: 1/3 cup Reduced Sugar Dried Cranberries, 1/3 cup Roasted/Salted Pepitas and 1/3 cup White Chocolate Chips. Absolutely to die for!!
Made these yesterday morning. They are really great! I loved that they weren’t too sweet.
These sounded so good that I made a double batch right away the first time I made these. Am I glad I did because my husband devoured them! We also took them camping with us and they were a great snack. I may make 2 double batches and put them in the freezer. It’s hard to find good recipes without much sugar. Thanks for all your hard work to give us great recipes Sally.