Baked oatmeal cups are a healthy, make-ahead breakfast that your family can grab and eat on the go – even if they are just going to another room. My version is studded with Cape Cod Select Premium Frozen cranberries and buttery pecans for extra nutrition and tons of flavor.
Back when my kids left the house to go to school – remember those days? – it was always a challenge to get them to eat breakfast. They were in a rush or they didn’t feel like eating so soon after waking up. But I worried about them being hungry and not having the energy to concentrate on their studies all morning. So breakfast became a battleground.
If only I had come up with the recipe for these Cranberry and Pecan Baked Oatmeal Cups a few months ago! Full of nutrition and highly portable, they are a perfect grab-and-go breakfast. And because you can make a big batch of them ahead of time, these baked oatmeal cups save tons of precious time in the morning.
These days, not as many people are rushing out the door in the mornings. But even in this moment of working from home, Zoom meetings and online school, I still find that something quick and portable is helpful in getting my family to eat breakfast.
When the kids wake up, they want to hop on their devices, check in for school and get their work done as quickly as possible. My husband retreats to his office for a day of virtual meetings by 8 am and I usually try to squeeze a quick workout in before sitting down at my laptop. In short, we still don’t linger over breakfast. So something healthy and portable – or better yet, something that you can eat one-handed while typing on a computer – is still really convenient and worthwhile.
That’s why I am excited about these baked oatmeal cups. They have all the goodness of a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal in a convenient, portable package. Made with wholesome ingredients, like rolled oats, milk, eggs, nuts and tart, delicious Cape Cod Select premium cranberries, they are will keep you full and satisfied for hours. I flavor these oatmeal cups with just a touch of brown sugar, for sweetness, and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger and vanilla, so they are tasty and comforting.
Oatmeal cups are baked in a muffin tin and you can make 12 at a time. That’s a lot of breakfasts (or healthy snacks)! They are not as cakey as a muffin – and a lot healthier too – but because of the milk, eggs and a small amount of oil in the batter, they will stay moist for a few days at least.
If you are not desperately pressed for time, you can even heat up an oatmeal cup before devouring it, which makes it taste fresh out of the oven. Add a pat of butter if you are feeling indulgent and you have a really satisfying and delicious breakfast.
Cape Cod Select premium frozen cranberries really make these baked oatmeal cups special. You don’t even need to thaw them. Add them to the batter right from the freezer and they will keep their shape and give a beautiful pop of color. Their tartness is especially welcome when combined with the hearty oats and buttery pecans. And, of course, cranberries – America’s original super-fruit – are extremely nutritious.
One additional note: if you are careful to use gluten-free oats, these baked oatmeal cups are gluten-free, which is helpful if anyone in your family avoids gluten. If there is anything harder than getting your family to eat a healthy breakfast, it is getting them to eat a healthy gluten-free breakfast!
To find, Cape Cod Select premium cranberries in your area, use this store locator. I see them with the frozen fruit at my local Jewel-Osco, which is conveniently right down the street. This is a great moment to stock up on frozen fruit and minimize spoilage and extra trips to the store.
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups Cape Cod Select premium frozen cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin
- Whisk together the rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and ginger in a large bowl. Add the chopped pecans and toss to combine.
- In a small bow, whisk together the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until well-combined.
- Fill each cup of the muffin tin halfway with the oatmeal mixture. Place 3-4 cranberries in each cup. Top with addtional batter, filling each cup evenly. Top each cup with 3-4 additional cranberries.
- Bake oatmeal cups for 25-30 minutes until set. Place on a wire rack to cool.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat before eating if desired.
This post constitutes an entry in the Cape Cod Select Blogger Recipe Challenge. I received cranberries free of charge to use in my recipe. I have not received any compensation for this post. All opinions stated herein are entirely my own.
