Muffin tins are a perfect way to make overnight oatmeal cups that are freezer friendly and make a quick and easy breakfast.
Jump to RecipeFor the past two years now, Tyler’s go-to breakfast has been oatmeal. He is now tall enough to make it himself and knows how to do it all (using the microwave to heat it up, not the stovetop). It’s been great that he can get his own breakfast, but it still takes a bit of time in the morning.
And some mornings, we are all running behind and don’t have that extra time. Or, now that summer is coming up, I want something easy that he can get himself in the morning without making so much noise!
I’ve read a lot about overnight oats, but we didn’t find one that seemed to work for what we wanted. I was looking for something he could easily grab without the glass jars that overnight oatmeal is typically in. We made these overnight oatmeal cups in a muffin tin. This made them the perfect serving size, and I could customize them to each of our preferences.
Step by Step
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dried fruit
Preparation
Pour the water and salt into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the oats and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.
Transfer the oat mixture to a heat-resistant bowl. Cover and let stand for about 30 minutes, until cool. Stir in the dried fruit.
Grease a muffin pan and place about 1/2 cup of oatmeal into each cup.
Sprinkle with desired toppings and lightly press them into the oatmeal.
Freeze for about 6 hours. Remove from the muffin cups and place them in a freezer storage container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To serve: Remove from the freezer and place in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high, covered, for 2 minutes. Stir before serving and add milk or other toppings as desired.
Topping options:
- Fresh Berries/Fruit
- Chocolate Chips
- Walnuts
- Dried Fruit
Leftovers
Freeze extra overnight oatmeal cups for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer a few minutes before heating in the microwave. If they are dry when cooked, at a bit of milk and stir.
Recipe
Originally Published On: May 31, 2021
Overnight Oatmeal Cups
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dried fruit
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Pour the water and salt into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil
- Stir in the oats and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often
- Remove from the heat
- Stir in the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon
- Transfer the oat mixture to a heat-resistant bowl
- Cover and let stand for about 30 minutes, until cool
- Stir in the dried fruit
- Grease a muffin pan and place about 1/2 cup of oatmeal into each cup
- Sprinkle with desired toppings and lightly press them into the oatmeal
- Freeze for about 6 hours
- Remove from the muffin cups and place in a freezer storage container
- Freeze up to 3 months
- To serve: Remove from the freezer and place in a microwaveable bowl
- Microwave on high, covered, for 2 minutes
- Stir before serving and add milk or other toppings as desired
Notes
- Fresh Berries/Fruit
- Chocolate Chips
- Walnuts
- Dried Fruit
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Overnight Oatmeal Cups FAQs
Yes, change out the butter for vegan butter and this recipe will be dairy-free and vegan.
You have to be careful with oats. Pure oats are gluten-free, but they are usually processed in facilities with other wheat products, and there’s a chance for contamination.
Src: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gluten-in-oats#:~:text=Pure%20oats%20are%20gluten%2Dfree,wheat%2C%20rye%2C%20and%20barley.
This is perfect for my younger daughter. She is determined to learn how to cook for the summer. I am sure she will make this tomorrow.
It’s a great recipe to start with! And she can do it the night before so not much work in the morning to have breakfast ready for herself.
We love make ahead breakfast, oatmeal especially! Freezing this way is a great idea. I love how customizable it is as well.
We all like such different things in our oatmeal, so I had to find a good way to make them individualized for my family 🙂
This is perfect for me as I can prepare the night before and have a quick breakfast. I need all the energy I need for the students!
I hear ya! I sub-teach at the elementary school my boys attend and it takes all the energy and having a quick breakfast is always good, too.
This is such a great idea for breakfast! I love that I can make them in advance!
This is a nice recipe but different from how we do overnight oats because we don’t cook it. I just soak the oats in milk or almond milk and add fruits to it.
Love this unique spin on overnight oats. This looks like something really handy to have to hand for those busy school mornings will have to give these a go.
I love overnight oats! They’re my new go-to in the mornings to get me up and ready for the day.
This is an awesome idea! A different way to eat the oatmeal. It will be perfect when don’t have enough time. Thank you for sharing!
Fransic
These overnight oatmeal cups are awesome! So easy to make and a great way to breakfast meal prep.
This recipe is perfect. I too make overnight oats but this is a bit different.
This is a great another way to eat oats. Oats are always easy to prepare and takes little time
OverOvernight oats or a quick and easy breakfast option. He’s a really change of the flavors depending on the add-ons
Oatmeal never be a food I think of, in any meal. But your recipe really pushes me a try. Thanks for sharing!
You have just gotten my entire heart at the part where you can make this meal dairy-free. I will do just as you recommended, for a start. Look forward to scooping some oatmeal into my mouth!
It looks like a fun recipe. It’s so healthy and yummy! Can’t wait to try it.