This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Adjusting to life with two kids is a little crazy, to say the least.
That’s why I’ve been trying to work on more easy recipes that we can grab on-the-go, like these vegan baked oatmeal cups. They’re perfect for moments when I don’t have time to whip up a smoothie for breakfast, or need a quick snack.
Baked oatmeal has been around for ages as an easy make-ahead dish, but it usually calls for eggs, so I decided to try a vegan version using “chia eggs” instead. I love sneaking chia seeds into my family’s food because they are a good source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for brain health. Unlike flax seeds, you don’t have to grind chia seeds to enjoy these benefits, but I prefer grinding them because they blend seamlessly into baked goods that way, without a chewy, seedy texture. If you don’t want to grind them, you don’t have to! (Especially if you don’t have picky kids or husbands to deal with.)
These oatmeal cups are perfect for the whole family because they are gluten-free and nut-free with no added sugar, and they are easily portable to take to school or work. Because this recipe is naturally sweetened with only banana, the more ripe the bananas you use, the sweeter these baked oatmeal cups will be. They’re perfect for those moments when you don’t know what to do with the overripe bananas sitting on your counter. I usually only have 2 super-ripe bananas at any given moment in my house, so this recipe makes only 6 muffin-sized cups, but feel free to double-it if you have more bananas on hand!
—
Vegan Baked Banana Oatmeal Cups
Makes 6 standard muffin cups
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ground chia seeds
3 tablespoons water
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Want to save this for later?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a standard muffin tin with 6 baking cups.
Create a “chia egg” by stirring together the ground chia seeds and 3 tablespoons of water. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and gel-like, the add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine. Divide the batter among the 6 cups then bake until firm and lightly golden, about 20 minutes.
Serve warm, or allow the oatmeal cups to cool and then store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to one week. We eat them cold straight from the fridge!
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe bananas , mashed
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a standard muffin tin with 6 baking cups. Create a "chia egg" by stirring together the ground chia seeds and 3 tablespoons of water. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and gel-like, the add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine. Divide the batter among the 6 cups then bake until firm and lightly golden, about 20 minutes.
- Serve warm, or allow the oatmeal cups to cool and then store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to one week. We eat them cold straight from the fridge!
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 93, Fat: 1g, Carbohydrates: 19g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 3g
I hope you enjoy this convenient alternative to cooking oatmeal on the stove each morning. Since my toddler only likes to eat foods he can pick up with his fingers right now, these baked oatmeal cups are a fun new way to introduce him to oatmeal– a food he wouldn’t touch otherwise! Now, if I could only figure out how to sneak some broccoli into these muffins next time…
—
Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite food to take on the go?
I love these muffins! So easy to make. Today I tried something a little different- added chopped pecans and about a teaspoon of raspberry jam in the center before fully topping them off- and cooked them a little bit longer. Turned out delicious too. I’m really enjoying all the quick recipes!
My kids love these, we make them all the time. But I had a quick question about oats versus quick cooking oats. Does it matter which we use in this recipe?I have always used regular gluten free oats, but have a bag of quick cooking oats and just wonder if they can be used interchangeably. Thanks!
Can I use oat bran or 1 minute oats instead of the rolled oats?
Easy and delicious! I do recommend refrigerating before eating if you want these to be solid. You do want a spoon if eating warm from the oven–neither oatmeal nor muffin when warm. But excellent for breakfast the next morning from the fridge! (As I just had with my late made with homemade almond milk!)
Made these exactly as directed. SOOOO GOOD! I’m only upset that I didn’t double the recipe!
Glad I read the comment that this is more “baked oatmeal” than muffin consistency, because I probably would have thought I’d done something wrong without knowing that. Honestly, I don’t actually like the consistency of oatmeal, so these aren’t my favorite, but if you like your oatmeal on the lumpy side, then these would probably be your jam. Personally, I like my oatmeal more the consistency of Cream of Wheat (oh, how I miss it!), so I probably won’t be making these again. Oh, but I did add dried blueberries to the batter and they plumped up and complimented them quite nicely. Would totally recommend doing that.
These are the best muffins! I make them all of the time, we love grabbing one out of the fridge for breakfast or a sweet snack! Thank you!
I have tried several baked oatmeal / muffin recipes that do not add sugar and this is the best! Thank you!
Love these! Made them once and added apple chunks and used a flax egg instead of chia. They were an easy swap for my morning oatmeal and saved me time! I just made them omitting the cinnamon and adding some chocolate chips and about a tbsp of peanut butter!
I’m so excited to try these! Leaving for a conference in a couple of days and I was looking for something healthy, portable, and with some nutritional value to take with me (also had to travel well on a plane) as our hotel does not offer continental breakfast. I just popped these in the oven and they looked amazing going into the cups and smell delicious baking. I was also impressed with the ease of the recipe and simplicity of the ingredients.