Two Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal Cups on a green plate with cinnamon sticks

I am so excited today because weโ€™re kicking off our (almost) annual Pumpkin Week! Weโ€™ll be sharing a brand new healthy pumpkin-tastic recipe each day over the next five days. Today, weโ€™re starting off with these meal prep darlingsโ€”Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal Cups.

Pumpkin season is one of my favorite times of year to spend in the kitchen because I absolutely adore developing recipes with pumpkin. It is such a versatile and healthy ingredient. It can be sweet or savory, baked or raw. It can be used for dinner or, in this case, for an easy grab-and-go breakfast!

Oatmeal cups arranged on a wire cooling rack

Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal Cups are Meal Prep Friendly

Sometimes baking with oats can render a dry, cardboard-like texture, but not here! Thanks to the moistness of the pumpkin, these grab-and-go breakfast cups are tender and cakey.

Make sure to bake up a batch of these oatmeal cups during your weekly meal prep. They last in the fridge for up to five days, and will last in the freezer for much longerโ€”up to three months. Eat them cold, at room temperature, or warmed in the microwave or toaster oven with a little bit of nut butter on top. Yum! They are great for breakfast or easy snacks. I really like pairing a baked oatmeal cup with a piece of fruit for an after-school snack for my kindergartener.

Fork cutting into a pumpkin oatmeal cup on a green plate.

What Makes These Baked Oatmeal Cups So Great

The inspiration for these oatmeal cups came from me trying (and failing!) to recreate a bakery snack from my college daysโ€”oatcakes. I still havenโ€™t achieved the perfect oatcakes I know and love (which is more of a soft granola bar texture), but along the way, I landed on this amazing baked oatmeal cup. Itโ€™s not an oatcake, but it is glorious all on its own!

These Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Cups are soft, tender, and heartyโ€”just like your favorite bowl of morning oatmeal! Itโ€™s just a whole lot more portable. (Have you ever tried to eat a bowl of oatmeal while driving? I have. It wasnโ€™t pretty.)

Three Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal Cups stacked on a green plate, with pieces of parchment paper separating them

These Baked Oatmeal Cups are Naturally Gluten-Free and Free From Refined Sugar

Grab yourself a bag of gluten-free rolled oats, and make up these baked oatmeal cups for you and all your gluten-avoiding friends. They are naturally gluten-free! These oatmeal cups are also naturally sweetened using maple syrup. They are just lightly sweetโ€”so feel free to up the amount of maple syrup by a tablespoon or two if you like a sweeter oat cup.

Two Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal Cups on a green plate, with mini pumpkins nearby

Customize your Oatmeal Cups with Mix-Ins

I like these oatmeal cups just as they are, but if youโ€™re looking to fancy it up a bit, feel free to fold your favorite oatmeal mix-ins into the batter. Chopped walnuts, raisins, and mini chocolate chips are all amazing!

Happy Pumpkin Season, friends. Enjoy!

 
Two Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal Cups on a green plate with cinnamon sticks

Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal Cups

Yield: 12 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

These Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal Cups are lightly-sweet and naturally gluten-free, and perfectly suited for meal prep.

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 cups gluten-free old-fashioned (rolled) oats
  • 2/3 cup almond flour
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see notes to make your own)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups milk (any milk will do, I like unsweetened almond milk)
  • 1/2 cup canned or homemade pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (plus more if you prefer a sweeter oatmeal cup, see notes)
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup optional mix-ins (mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries, etc.)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a muffin tin liberally with cooking spray, and set aside.
  2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the oats, almond flour, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Stir well to combine.
  3. Add in the milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, avocado oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Fold in the mix-ins, if using, until well distributed. 
  4. Spoon mixture evenly into prepared muffin tin. Use the spoon to lightly pat down the cups so they are flat on top. 
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Let cool completely before removing from the tin.
  6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days, or freeze flat on a baking sheet, and then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months.

Notes

  • You can buy premade pumpkin pie spice in the spice aisle of most major supermarkets. Or, you can make your own pumpkin pie spice by combining 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.
  • This recipe calls for 1/4 cup maple syrup for sweetener, which gives you a lightly sweet oatmeal cup. If you prefer a sweeter breakfast, add in 1-4 tablespoons additional maple syrup.

YouTube video
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 122Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 111mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 4g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

2 Comments

  1. Do you think these would work fine with plain wheat flour or oat flour instead of almond/coconut? I’m allergic to nuts, so that’s off the table! These look delicious and I’m desperate for a portable breakfast that isn’t toast every day. Thanks!

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