These baked oatmeal cups are an ideal way to serve oatmeal to babies, baby-led weaning style, and to toddlers who like to feed themselves. Oatmeal as finger food? Yes!
And, if you ever find yourself with leftover oatmeal and without the urge to eat it again, these Cinnamon Raisin Baked Oatmeal Cups are a perfect way to repurpose it! (P.S. They’re also egg-free.)
Baked Oatmeal Cups
Oatmeal isn’t always an easy sell with our little eaters. And whether that’s from texture, flavor, or just the difficulty that the food can present—spoons can be hard to use and oatmeal can be slippery to eat with little fingers—it’s not often clear. But using simple ingredients to turn regular rolled oats into a toddler finger food is a great strategy. And these baked oatmeal cups are a great packed lunch or snack option too!
I use this silicone mold to shape these baked oatmeal bites, but you can also bake them in a mini muffin tin.
Oatmeal for Babies and Toddlers
These baked oatmeal cups are made from ground rolled oats, though you can start with store bought quick oats. (I grind mine in my blender.) This means that they have a finer texture than if you made oatmeal with whole rolled oats. The ingredients are simply stirred together, put into molds or a muffin tin, and baked for 10 minutes. The result is a finger-friendly oatmeal recipe that is super easy to eat.
The bites boast all of the same nutrition in oatmeal—fiber, healthy whole grains, and long-lasting energy—but they have a texture more similar to a moist muffin, which some toddlers may prefer.
(P.S. If your toddler doesn’t like the consistency of regular oatmeal when served in a bowl, try grinding it first so it’s smoother.)
Baked Oatmeal Cups Step-by-Step
To make this recipe, here’s what you do:
- Preheat the oven and grease a silicone mold or mini muffin tin.
- Grind the oats in a blender or food processor or gather instant oats.
- Place the oats and chia seeds in a medium bowl and stir in the hot milk or water until well combined.
- Add the cinnamon, vanilla, dried fruit, and honey, and stir well. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Press about 1 tablespoon batter into each mold or mini muffin cup.
- Bake! When set, remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then on a wire rack.
- Serve slightly warm or chilled.
Chia Seeds for Toddlers
The chia seeds plump up and gel as they absorb the liquid, which is so handy. And since the seeds also add a dose of healthy fats and fiber, it’s a simple way to get in a little extra nutrition. The texture of the chia seeds is more subtle than in a dish like, say, chia pudding, so your toddler might be inclined to try these even if they haven’t liked them in the past.
Vegan Baked Oatmeal Cups
By adding chia seeds to oats and water, you can bind everything together into little bites without needing to use eggs. This is great for kids who have an egg-allergy and just because it’s one less ingredient! (The chia seeds and milk add some protein, so we’re not missing out on nutrition here.)
Recipe Notes
We almost always make too much oatmeal the first time around, so I like to make these bites using our leftovers too. Simply stir 1 tablespoon and 1-3 tablespoons milk into cooked oatmeal and proceed with Step 3 of the recipe.
You can make this recipe with either milk (dairy or nondairy) or water. 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.
You can use raisins or other dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, and the like) or chopped fresh blueberries or raspberries.
Make-Ahead Toddler Breakfast
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!
We even sometimes have them with a smear of nut butter on top!
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Transform plain oats into a yummy and easy to eat finger food with this baked oatmeal recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats, ground (or quick oats)
- 3/4 cup milk, warmed until hot (but not boiling) OR water
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons raisins or other dried fruit snipped into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the molds or mini muffin tin.
- Place the oats and chia seeds in a medium bowl and stir in the hot milk or water until well combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Press about 1 tablespoon batter into each molds or mini muffin cup. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 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.Variations: Use chopped fresh blueberries or raspberries instead of the raisins.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 3
- Calories: 105
- Sugar: 6.4 g
- Sodium: 21.1 mg
- Fat: 2.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.2 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Cholesterol: 4.6 mg
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!