These easy Baked Oatmeal Cups are an ideal way to serve oatmeal to babies, baby-led weaning style, and to toddlers who like to feed themselves. (And to anyone who wants an easy breakfast option.) Oatmeal as finger food with much less mess? Yes, please!
Baked Oatmeal Cups
I love this method of making oatmeal into little cups that can be eaten with hands or a fork—because they are so easy to make ahead and stash in the fridge for easy kids breakfasts. You can make these in either a mini muffin tin or a silicone mold, and both will create little oatmeal bites that are super yummy.
The ingredients are basically the same as you use to make a bowl of oatmeal, but the result is easy to pick up and bite and may have a more appealing texture for some kids.
These oatmeal cups use chia seeds to help bind them together and are a great source of healthy fats, fiber, and protein. I love this cinnamon-raisin flavor, but there are a lot of variations to try.
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Ingredients You Need
To make this easy kids breakfast idea, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Rolled oats: I use rolled oats in this recipe, which are sometimes also called “old-fashioned oats.” For a more uniform final texture, I like to grind up the oats slightly in a food processor or blender. You can also use store-bought quick or instant oats.
- Milk: I prefer to use dairy milk as the liquid in this recipe, which softens the oats and adds calcium and protein. You can use nondairy milk, if needed, to make them dairy-free.
- Chia seeds: These seeds help the mixture hold together when baked. (And they allow the baked oatmeal to be egg-free so more kids can enjoy them.)
- Cinnamon: I love adding cinnamon and vanilla to this recipe for flavor.
- Raisins: I use raisins with the cinnamon in this recipe, but there are so many options including blueberries, diced strawberries, grated apple, and grated sweet potato.
- Maple syrup or honey, optional, to make these a little sweeter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a preview of this recipe so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full amounts and timing.
- Place the oats and chia seeds in a medium or large bowl and stir in the hot milk or water. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, dried fruit, and honey.
- Stir well. Let sit.
- Press the batter of wet ingredients into each mold or mini muffin cup. Bake!
- These store well in the fridge, so you can plan to serve the batch throughout the week. You can serve them slightly warmed or cold, according to what your kiddo prefers. (My middle kiddo ate a lot of these cold, packed in day care lunches, when she was 1 years old!)
Chia Seeds 101
Chia seeds plump up and gel as they absorb the liquid, which is so handy for helping to hold the batter together. And since the seeds also add a dose of healthy fats and fiber, it’s a simple way to pack this meal with a little extra nutrition. The texture of the chia seeds blends in nicely with the rest of the ingredients.
How to Store
I like to make a quick batch of this baked oatmeal and have it on hand for busy mornings. I also pack the bites in lunches and serve them as snacks. You can dice them for older babies and younger toddlers to make them a little easier to eat—and limit too much food being stuffed into a little mouth.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days or for a few months in a bag in the freezer. Warm in the microwave or serve cold or at room temperature.
Best Tips for Success
- You can use dairy or nondairy milk (such as almond milk, oat milk, or other option you like) in this recipe according to your preferences. If you use nondairy milk, check to see if it’s flavored or sweetened before adding the vanilla or optional sweetener. You may not need either.
- Avoid honey for babies under 1.
- Grind the oats in a food processor or blender, or use instant oats.
- You can use raisins or other dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, and the like) or chopped fresh blueberries or raspberries. You may want to cut bigger pieces of fruit with scissors or a knife. You can also add chocolate chips or top with peanut butter.
- Find more of my favorite breakfast meal prep options and my Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal.
- Use gluten-free oats if needed.
Related Recipes
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Easy Baby Oatmeal
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Easy Banana Oatmeal Muffins
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Easy Instant Oatmeal
Breakfast
Easy Apple Baked Oatmeal
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipes, so please comment below to share!
Baked Oatmeal Cups
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats (ground in a food processor or blender, or use quick oats)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons raisins or other dried fruit snipped into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey (optional)
- ¾ cup milk, warmed until hot (but not boiling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the silicone molds or mini muffin tin.
- Place the oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla, raisins, and maple syrup or honey, if using, into a medium bowl.
- Add the warm milk and stir. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Press about 1 tablespoon batter into each mold or mini muffin cup. Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until the oatmeal is set and golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or chilled.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
- You can use dairy or nondairy milk in this recipe according to your preferences. Both work just the same. If you use nondairy milk, check to see if it’s flavored or sweetened before adding the vanilla or optional sweetener. You may not need either.
- Avoid honey for babies under 1.
- Grind the oats in a food processor or blender, or use instant oats, if desired, for a smoother texture.
- You can use raisins or other dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, and the like) or chopped fresh blueberries or raspberries. You may want to cut bigger pieces of fruit with scissors or a knife.
- You can use leftover cooked oatmeal in this recipe, too, though it works best with cooked oatmeal that’s thick. Simply stir 1 tablespoon chia seeds and 1-3 tablespoons milk into cooked oatmeal and proceed with Step 3 of the recipe.
- Serve with fruit, a smoothie, or a drink as breakfast or even lunch. They work for snack, too!
Nutrition
This recipe was first posted January 2019.
Hello- looks great! Do you know if I can use breastmilk instead of regular milk? Was thinking its sweetness would also help with flavor since no honey for baby under 1. Thanks!
Sure
Made this morning in 8×8 & my little one LOVED it! They came out a bit thin in the bigger pan so will double the recipe next time. Can these be sent to school for snack? Or do they have to be refrigerated the whole time they’re stored?
I bet they would be fine to send as a snack. You can always pack with an ice pack if you want.
Can you make these with baby oatmeal or rice cereal?
They’ll likely be too mushy so I wouldn’t.
This sounds great! Can you freeze these?
Sure!
Can you use frozen fruit in this?
Yes!
Oh my word! My 16 month old LOVES these. I make them in a little gingerbread mold and we call them her oatmeal men — or as she says “oh-ma-mahn!” Such a great way to get her some extra fiber! I now make a big batch every week for a quick breakfast or snack (served with some fruit). I haven’t tried freezing them yet since they go so fast, but I bet they would be great frozen and then reheated in a skillet for some crispness! I have also had luck adding some ground flax seeds for extra fiber!
I love that!
Such a great recipe!!! My 15 month old devoured so many of these.
Love this recipe. We make this weekly for our 13 month old and have since 9 months.
We switch it up with raisins, dried blueberry, dried fig and dried cranberry. We have never tried the added sweetness and he just gobbles them up.
Oh man I wish I knew about this a year ago! Thoughts on using a casserole dish or small parchment lined cookie sheet (and then slicing or cookie cutting them) instead of muffin tins? Or do they need the structure?
I want to make these but don’t currently have chia seeds on hand. Any substitution ideas?
You can replace with additional oats.
We’ve been packing these in lunchboxes and love the heart shapes. My 3 year old had fun making a batch today. We add coconut and some chocolate chips for our older daughter. Easy to make and great recipe!
I’m so glad
Can you use oat flour instead of ground oats?
Sure
Do you think you could use breastmilk??
I bet you could
Delicious! I wanted to eat the whole batch. However I improvised the recipe by adding a third of a banana mashed up, and a table spoon of unsweetened apple sauce. They did come out a little mushy but we didn’t mind. After they were done I ended up turning them upside down and leaving them in the oven with the oven off just to hopefully help with the mushyness. I think they were great and even better mushy for a younger baby.
Can I substitute banana for the maple syrup?
I bet that would work well.
Hi! Do you happen to know what temp/how long to bake for, if using a standard muffin pan? Thank you!
My one and three year old loved these! We were out of raisins so I snipped a few dried apricots into very small pieces – 3 apricots worked perfectly. I’ll definitely make them again.
Hi – do you think baby oatmeal would work in this recipe?
It won’t have the same final texture and the flavor may be different if it’s fortified with iron, but it might work okay. I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure.
My 17 month old LOVES this! Thanks for the recipe 👌
Hi, can I use fresh bananas for this and water instead of milk?
Sorry, one more question: what consistency should the ground oats be? Like flour?
Thanks
Yes like a coarse flour.
Yes you can use milk. For banana, I think that would work as long as you dice them finely.
Could I add fresh apples in these instead of the other fruit? Looking to use some that are about to go bad and need an easy snack for on the road!
I would grate it and squeeze it dry to ensure it cooks through and doesn’t make them too moist. Or very finely dice them. If they are too big, they won’t cook in the time stated in the recipe. Hope that helps!
Would love to try making these but do they store well in the freezer? I only see fridge guidelines. Thanks!!
Sure, you can freeze once cooled in a freezer bag in one layer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge, at room temperature or for about 15 seconds in the microwave.
These are so yummy and perfect! Recipe was so easy and they came out great. My 9m old likes oatmeal but wanted to feed herself – she loves these! Thank you!
I’m so glad!
These are delightful! I wish I had doubled the recipe. I love that they can be eaten right out of the fridge and the texture is so nice.
Making another batch, now.
I made this with dried cherries because that’s what I had and made no other substitutions. My 12 month old loves these! I make a double batch every week. This recipe was one of the first finger foods he accepts besides puffs and cheerios and helped transition him to all kinds of different foods. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that!
This was genius. I used steel cut oats (all I had) and worried it would be too chewy or wouldn’t cook through but it was great! Been looking for a way to incorporate oatmeal into my finger-food-loving 1-year old’s diet (he gags on regular cooked oatmeal and hates it) so this is a definite win.
I’m so glad to hear that!
I love this recipe! Do you have something similar to this one ?
Taste is great, but they seem a bit soggy, and I’m afraid of I bake them longer they might get crunchy – my Tiny Human is only just now a year old so her teeth options are pretty limited if they get too hard – any suggestions?
It would be hard to make them crunchy, so I would suggest baking them a little more. They will be soft though.
Made these for my granddaughter in a mini muffin pan. She loved them! Thank you so much for the recipe.
I’m so glad to hear that!
I made these and they tasted like wet cardboard… They were not sweet at all – the only tasty part was when I got a Raisin – am I missing something?
Did you add the optional sweetener? They are not meant to be super sweet, though you can of course increase the maple syrup or honey if you prefer.
Hello,
Thank you for the recipe – going to try these.
Can I make a big batch and freeze some?
Sure!
I love this recipe and so does my 1 year old. I do NOT use individual cups because that is just too much hassle for me. I double the recipe and put in a 8×8 square pan. I bake for 20 minutes. Let cool and then remove from tray (lined with parchment). They cut JUST FINE! I’ve never had them crumble or break on me. I pack them for snacks. Super easy and tasty.
Ooh, awesome! I am so happy to know that—thank you for sharing!
You bet! Thank you so much for all you do. I love your blog.
Think it would work with leftover steel cut oatmeal (which i make in the instant pot so it’s thick and creamy, but still has oat pieces)? Also, what do you mean by: “Simply stir 1 tablespoon and 1-3 tablespoons milk into cooked oatmeal and proceed with Step 3 of the recipe.” What’s in the 1 tablespoon?! We love so many of your recipes!!
Oh I’m sorry, that is clearly missing information! If you start with 1 cup leftover oatmeal, and stir in 1 tbsp chia seeds and a tablespoon or two of milk, then proceed with the recipe, it should work. And yes, I think steel cut will be fine!
My daughters love these, but I find the mini muffin tins are a pain to clean out. Do you think it would work okay to make a batch in a normal baking pan and then cut into squares for serving (like brownies)? Thanks!
I hear that. I don’t know that they would cut that easily if you baked them in a square pan. You could certainly do that and scoop portions out with a spoon though.
Hi, i mades these twice and once with daily milk and once with macadamia milk. I followed you recipe and use grounded quick oats. Everytime i bake them they seem to be a bit under cooked. They are pale and quite moist. Are they suppose to be soft and gummy? After 20 mins they seems to be less liquidy. If they are suppose to be crunchy, than im no where near that. Could you tell me what kind of consistency they suppose to have?
They should not be crunchy. They should be firm in that you can pick them up, but soft like very thick oatmeal when you eat them.
My daughter loves these!! We add almonds when we grind our quick oats for some added protein. Delicious!
I’m so glad and what a great idea with the almonds!
Just made these for my 8 month old! I used chopped frozen blueberries and threw in some spinach, used water and omitted the sweetener and still turned out great! I tried one first and thought it was good. Next time I might add a little more cinnamon, but I love that you can personalize these!
Awesome, I love hearing about those variations!
Is it possible to do this with flavored instant oatmeal packs? I have strawberry and cream oatmeal but I dont know how to go about making it.
I would think so but I haven’t tried it out so I can’t say for sure. My best guess would be to make 2 of the packets together according to package directions, stir in 1 tablespoon chia seeds once done and let sit for 5 minutes. Then bake per the recipe. I can’t guarantee that will work but you could give it a try!
Do you think this would work with oatmeal baby cereal? I have some to use up.
I think it might though I haven’t tried it!
I tried this with baby oatmeal cereal and it was a complete bust. The muffins didn’t rise at all and were way too wet. I’ll try this again using regular oatmeal because it smelled amazing.
I made these. They came out soft. Are they supposed to be soft or should they be hard? Not sure if this is the watery texture the other poster mentioned. Mine were not watery before baking. The mix was thick and sticky.
They should be soft, but hold together fairly well!
Great recipe! My little one loves oatmeal so naturally she loves theses. I sub in flax seed for chia seed and I end up needing to bake it a few extra minutes. Thank you for sharing these recipes!!
I’m so glad to hear this!
Any substitutions for chia? Egg or applesauce?
Ground flaxseed may work but I’ve only done these with chia!
Hi! Can you add bananas to this?!
Hi i made this today but it was watery! Any idea what could be wrong? Had followed to a T
Hi! Was the mixture watery when you put it into the muffin cups? Did you try baking them a little longer? It’s surprising since chia seeds and ground oats are super absorbent. Let me know so I can try to help more and apologies for the inconvenience!
Hi ! Do you think this recipe would freeze well if made with water instead of milk? Thanks!
Yes! They’ll freeze fine with either milk or water. Just let them cool fully first. You can thaw them in the fridge or one at a time in 15 second increments in the microwave.
what a good way to repurpose oatmeal! my toddler loves my stovetop oatmeal – he never liked baby oatmeal though. i always use regular rolled oats. he also likes baked oatmeal. hopefully he won’t grow out of it, because it’s nice to not have to make multiple breakfasts. 🙂
I agree! I have an equal opportunity oatmeal lover in my house too!