As I made this recipe, I realized how much I used to live off oatmeal. It was such a morning ritual for me.
Workout early, come home, shower, make a batch of oats on the stove topped with thick banana slices and creamy peanut butter.
I’d eat the oats while they were extra hot, almost entertaining a possible tongue burn — but that didn’t matter, oatmeal was my go-to comfort food in the mornings. Anyone feel the same?
These days I don’t have oatmeal as often as I’d ideally like to. Usually, I’m busy in the mornings so my go-to breakfast recipes are usually this sweet potato smoothie, coffee smoothie or green smoothie because frankly, they’re easy and involve zero cooking.
But sometimes I find myself craving something warm and cozy; that’s exactly where these make-ahead apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups come in! They’re freezer friendly, perfect warm with a HUGE dollop of your favorite nut butter and great as an on-the-go snack or breakfast. Plus, it’s apple season and we must celebrate by baking our hearts out. Apple crisp, anyone?!
Ingredients in these apple oatmeal cups
These perfectly portable baked apple oatmeal cups are one of my favorite things to make when I have a few too many apples — and especially recommended if you’ve recently been to the apple orchard. What’s unique about these apple oatmeal cups is that they also include almond butter, which provides each muffin with nearly 5g protein. Here’s what you need:
- Apple: you’ll only need 1 apple for those nice chunks. I recommend a sweet, but firm apple such as honeycrisp or pink lady.
- Applesauce: this is to help keep the muffins moist and give them delicious apple flavor.
- Almond butter: I love adding creamy almond butter for extra protein & healthy fats. Use the code ‘AMBITIOUS15‘ to get 15% off of my fav nut butter brand, Wild Friends!
- Eggs: gotta get in that protein and help the cups stay together.
- Pure maple syrup: to help naturally sweeten these!
- Vanilla extract: always.
- Milk: I prefer almond milk but feel free to use whatever milk you have on hand.
- Oats: to keep these oatmeal cups gluten free, I suggest using gluten free rolled oats. If you aren’t gluten free, regular old-fashioned rolled oats work wonderfully!
- Baking staples: you’ll also need baking powder to help them rise a bit, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and vanilla extract. for the perfect flavor.
Simple ingredient swaps
Looking for a substitution in these apple oatmeal cups? Here’s what I can recommend:
- For the almond butter: you are more than welcome to use peanut, pecan or cashew butter in this recipe — just make sure it’s all natural with only nuts + salt.
- For the milk: as I mentioned, feel free to use any milk you’d like!
- For the maple syrup: I love the maple flavor in these oatmeal cups, but you can also use honey.
What about steel cut oats?
I would not recommend using steel cut or quick oats in these apple baked oatmeal cups as the texture will be much different. Rolled oats keep the oatmeal cups light and fluffy!
Should I peel the apples?
I always leave the skin on the apples before dicing them and adding them to the recipe. If you’d like, you can always feel free to peel them.
How to make apple oatmeal cups
- Prep your pan. Start by lining a muffin tin with muffin liners, and be sure to spray the insides with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Mix together the applesauce, almond butter, eggs, maple syrup, milk & vanilla until smooth.
- Add the dry. Mix in the oats, baking powder, spices & salt, then fold in diced apple.
- Bake & enjoy. Distribute the batter into the muffin tin and bake! I love to serve mine with extra nut butter on top.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: you can make these apple oatmeal cups ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Once ready to eat, just reheat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
- To freeze: allow the oatmeal cups to cool completely after baking, then place in an airtight container or reusable bag such as these and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to eat, you can microwave them for 45 seconds-1 minute or until warm.
My favorite way to enjoy these is with a drizzle of nut butter on top and a sprinkle of cinnamon & sea salt. So delicious + they’re even kid-friendly!
More oatmeal recipes you’ll love
- Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Spiced Zucchini Apple Baked Oatmeal with Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze
- Triple Berries & Cream Baked Oatmeal
- Healthy Apple Pancakes (made right in the blender!)
- Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats with Chia
Get all of my oatmeal recipes here!
If you make these apple oatmeal cups, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe below to let me know how you liked it. You can also tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram with your creations!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Almond Butter Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Cups
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup creamy natural almond butter (or peanut butter)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla or regular almond milk
- Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups finely diced apple (from 1 medium apple)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the applesauce, almond butter, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla and almond milk until smooth and well combined.
- Next stir in dry ingredients: oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt; stir well to combine. Fold in the diced apples.
- Evenly distribute batter between muffin liners and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Once ready to serve, feel free to eat warm or cold. I love topping mine with nut butter. Serves 12.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eat
I used almond butter and oat milk, followed the recipe and loved the one bowl ease. They we good slightly warm from the oven but i also quite like them cold which was good because we took about a week to eat through them and it’s easier to grab from the fridge. They hold together decently well, a bit crumbly but can be a handheld food. Not too sweet and solidly filling. Small diced apples get nicely soft. Great breakfast on the run, or coffee treat, or afternoon snack to fuel me until dinner.
Perfect! Such a great grab and go breakfast or snack 🙂
These were absolutely delicious! I am in eight grade and morning breakfast can often be a rush. If you’re looking for a solution as parent or child, these are perfect! I will definitely be remaking these!
Absolutely! Glad you found these!
Your recipes are the best, hands down, from healthy and nutritious to rich and indulgent. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made these now, but they always come out perfect. Thank you!
These wonders of the world are a GF staple for me. I have one almost every morning topped with vanilla yogurt and a few frozen blueberries.
I’ve always followed the recipe to the tee, but have recently made a change I thought Id share. The almond butter is expensive and even the kind without palm oil can make the bottom of the muffin liner a bit too oily for me. Answer? Powdered Almond Butter. I mix it with water to make the 1/2 cup called for. It does change the depth of flavor slightly (I add a bit more spice to compensate), but for those of us watching our fat grams it really makes a huge difference on the macros.
Thanks for your yum!
So glad you love these! I’m glad that swap worked out well.
This was the best recipe. My husband absolutely loved this as well as my family. I did not have any milk so I substituted Greek yogurt and water and it still turned out great!! I did add a few chocolate chips. YUM!! 😋
So happy to hear that!
These are fantastic! I subbed the eggs with flax egg just because, and I subbed the maple with honey because a family member has a maple allergy. I added some raisins because my apple was on the small side.
I think this would work with lots of different fruit options. Cherries would be totally amazing, and blueberries would be great as well. I will 100% be making these again, it’s a perfect healthy quick breakfast option.
Perfect! Love the idea of adding some dried fruit. Glad they were a hit!
I was too lazy to dice an apple so I used 1 cup of raisins instead. It’s a very flexible recipe! Came out great!
Perfect! These are great for customizing 🙂
Do you think it would be okay if I used creamy cinnamon almond butter and just omit the cinnamon, as that’s all I have on hand at the time. These look great!!
Sure, that should work! Enjoy!
Good Morning. Just made your Muffins this morning.
They are Amazing, the smell is so good with that little hit of Peanut Butter. I only had Skippy, it worked fine.
The first one out of the pan broke a little , I wanted to put it in a bowl & put Milk on top, that good !
I love the texture too, not quite as Oatmeal Heavy as some of the recipes I’ve made. I did add 1/2 tsp Baking Soda as well, I feel it helps. Thank You.
Ah yum! Sounds delicious, I am so excited you enjoyed this recipe ❤️
Everything I make from you is amazing. Every time.
I baked this in a casserole dish instead of muffin cups. I added chia and hemp seeds. Just wow, I’m so excited I meal prepped this for the week!
Ah yum! Sounds delicious, glad you are loving this recipe ❤️
These were absolutely delicious. Perfect for the whole family including my 10 month baby. My husband said they tasted like apple pie. I cut the apple very fine and added a touch of clove. We will definitely make these again!
YUM! So glad this recipe is a hit for your whole family ❤️
These are AMAZING!! I can’t believe they have no flour in them and they stay so moist! I will definitely be putting these on repeat! Can you store on countertop or do they have to be refrigerated?
SO glad you are loving this recipe. I would recommend keeping in the fridge for longer keep.
Delicious and so flavorful with all those spices and apple! My house smells amazing right now after baking these. Such a great easy snack to grab for myself and my toddler.
Yay! I’m so happy you’re loving them!
I just can’t get over how gross these were. They sounded good, and healthy, but yuck, yuck , yuck.
Oh no, so sorry you didn’t love them! Can you describe what wasn’t great about them? Any feedback would be much appreciated 🙂
These muffins are AMAZING! I followed the recipe as written, and they cane out so flavorful. I’ve been eating them all week and looking forward to breakfast every day!. I brought some to a coworker who loved them as well. Thanks for the recipe!
These were so easy to make and delicious. I wanted a sweet breakfast, but knew I needed some protein as well. These are the perfect combo!
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed these — thanks for leaving a review! ❤️
I bought too many apples and was looking for some type of muffin situation to make with them — obviously I head to AK to see what recipes they have there first (my go-to for recipes, especially muffins/breads/oatmeal bakes) … decided on these Almond Butter Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal cups, subbed peanut butter for almond butter because I’m a PB addict. They’re delicious! Very flavorful, can never go wrong with apple + PB combo. Super easy recipe, hoping my toddler will be as big of a fan as I am.
Tried these for breakfast this morning. We usually have plain oatmeal that we each flavor ourselves. They went over great, especially with my kids (12 & 15). My husband and I like that they weren’t too sweet, just a hint. The kids topped theirs with maple syrup or some brown sugar. My 15 year old son even had 3 of them.
I only had sweetened vanilla almond milk and crunchy almond butter, so I sub those instead.
My kids asked me to make them again, so I’d say it’s a hit. But yes, like others noted, they aren’t “sweet” But you can break them apart and add sweetener (honey, sugar, syrup) which I like as an option
Aw thank you! I’m so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed them. And yes totally fine to sweeten them to your liking 🙂
Could you make this in a 8×8 pan?
I haven’t tried it but I think so! Let me know if you do 🙂
I am going apple picking this weekend so I am planning to make these after, I just was curious if I wanted to add some extra protein how much protein powder would you suggest to keep the texture? Thanks in advance, these look easy and delicious!
I’m not sure since I haven’t tried it! Maybe try adding two scoops and if it’s feeling thick, add in a splash more milk!
If a delicious bowl of oatmeal with all the toppings was a muffin, it’d be this muffin. So tasty for breakfast!
Such a good description! Happy you loved these, Caitlin!
Made these today following the newsletter I received. i had all ingredients so I gave them a try..delicious! My 3year old waited by the oven for them to be done and declared “these are yummy!” 🙂
Oh yay!! So glad that you guys both loved them! Thanks so much for the review–it means a lot 🙂
Several recipes from this blog have made it into my list of “go to” recipes that I commonly make
Oh that is so great to hear!! Happy you’re a fan 🙂
I’m wondering, has anyone tried using flax egg as a substitute for egg?
I haven’t, so I’m not sure how they’d hold together, but let me know if you try that!
I made this in a 7×11 glass baking dish and it came out great!
So glad to hear that worked out and that you enjoyed it, Connie! 🙂
Thanks for the amazing and healthy recipies.
Keep it coming. 🙂
You’re so welcome, Amna! Glad you’re a fan 🙂
Another home run recipe! These are perfect to freeze and pop in the microwave in the morning! The flavors are spot on and so delicious. Please come out with a cookbook!!
So glad you love them! Hopefully in the future 🙂
Any recipe my mother in law asks for is 5 stars!!
So happy to hear that!
These are delicious. I loved them and so did my 22 month old!! I may have added a smidge extra maple syrup ( whoops) . So good ! Will make again or have on hand for a quick breakfast!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Love these oatmeal cups! Great for an afternoon snack or breakfast.
Absolutely! Glad you love them 🙂
Can I eliminate the baking powder? Looking forward to making them:))
I wouldn’t recommend it as they won’t bake up properly. Hope you get a chance to make them soon!
DELICIOUS! These are easy to make and I’m freezing them in preparation for postpartum.
Great idea! So glad you like them!
Just made my third batch of these! I find they are the perfect compliment to my morning coffee and certainly a lot healthier and sustaining than typical morning pastries. My first batch was made as written, and the other two I have taken some liberties. I had some muesli to use up, so I subbed half of the oats. It worked just fine and the dried fruits and seeds added a nice texture to the final product. Today I threw in a shredded carrot and some pecans, and they are great too! Thanks for another great recipe!
Perfect! This one’s great for customizing 🙂 glad you loved them!
These are the perfect muffins for fall! My toddler loves them and so do I. Soooooo freaking good!
So happy to hear that!