Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups

4.96

31

Save to FavoritesPrintJump to Recipe

This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

These peanut butter banana baked oatmeal cups are naturally sweetened and made with wholesome ingredients. Plus, they’re vegan, gluten-free and perfect for meal prep!

I love all my oatmeal recipes, but my favorite oatmeal combo by far is definitely peanut butter and banana. I have this peanut butter banana oatmeal, peanut butter banana baked oatmeal and now these peanut butter banana baked oatmeal cups.

If you’re new to baked oatmeal cups, they’re essentially a baked oatmeal recipe that’s made in a muffin tin. They look like muffins, but they’re denser and chewier than muffins because there’s no flour involved. Baked oatmeal cups are a game-changer when it comes to needing a quick on-the-go breakfast or snack option. They’re portable, super easy to make and perfect for meal prep. I love prepping a big batch on the weekends to have on hand for the week ahead.

Oatmeal cups wrapped in paper liners on a plate.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Perfect for meal prep and can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
  • Pre-portioned so there’s built-in portion control!
  • They can be eaten at room temperature, cold or warmed up.
  • They’re the perfect portable on-the-go breakfast or snack option.
  • Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and can easily be made nut-free.
Ingredients measured out to make Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cups: oats, peanut butter, ground flaxseed, bananas, milk, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, maple syrup and chocolate chips.

Ingredients Needed

  • old fashioned rolled oats – oats are naturally gluten-free but are often cross-contaminated, so make sure you grab certified gluten-free oats if needed! My fave brand is Bob’s Red Mill gluten free old fashioned rolled oats.
  • unsweetened almond milk – my go-to is unsweetened vanilla almond milk. You can make your own almond milk or just use whatever milk you have on hand!
  • ground flaxseed – instead of an egg we’re making a flax egg by whisking together the ground flaxseed and almond milk. This helps to bind all the ingredients together. 
  • bananas – this helps to bind the ingredients, adds moisture (with no need for oil) and adds a touch of sweetness. You’ll need about 2 ripe bananas mashed up.
  • maple syrup – the perfect natural sweetener for this recipe. Just make sure you’re using pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup, which is loaded with corn syrup and artificial flavors.
  • peanut butter – you can’t go wrong with the combo of banana + peanut butter + chocolate. When it comes to peanut butter (or any nut butter) look for one that has only one or two ingredients (nuts + salt).
  • cinnamon – a warming spice that pairs so well with the banana and peanut butter.
  • sea salt – brings all the flavors together.
  • baking powder – helps the oatmeal cups rise.
  • vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer.
  • chocolate chips – these are optional, but who doesn’t love the combo of peanut butter and chocolate?! I used Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips, which are dairy-free and vegan, but I also really like Lily’s dark chocolate chips because they’re lower in sugar and still have a great flavor.
Peanut butter banana baked oatmeal cups in a baking pan.

Substitutions & Notes

  • Almond milk: I prefer to use almond milk, but any non-dairy or dairy milk will work for this recipe. Use your favorite milk of choice!
  • Flaxseed: If you don’t have ground flaxseed on hand you can easily add an egg if you don’t need this recipe to be vegan or you could use chia seeds instead.
  • Bananas: This is the star of this recipe, so if you’re looking for a baked oatmeal cup recipe without bananas you’ll have to try one of my other baked oatmeal cup recipes.
  • Maple syrup: Any liquid sweetener will work as a substitute for maple syrup like honey or agave. You could even use monk fruit maple if you’re looking for a low-sugar option.
  • Peanut butter: If you have a peanut allergy or just aren’t a fan you can easily swap the peanut butter out for another nut or seed butter of choice. Almond butter, cashew butter, tahini or sunflower seed butter would all be delicious.
  • Chocolate chips: You can skip these altogether or swap them for another mix-in of choice. Chopped nuts or blueberries would both be great alternatives.
Collage of four photos showing making the batter for Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cups and then baking in a muffin tin.

How to Make

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a 12-cup muffin pan with paper or silicone muffin liners. Spray the liners with non-stick spray. 

In a large bowl whisk together the almond milk and flaxseed. Let sit for about 5 minutes then add the mashed banana, maple syrup, peanut butter, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla extract, salt and chocolate chips (if using). Stir until combined.

Scoop the mixture evenly into the muffin tin with the liners and add any toppings before baking. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the cups has set and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cups to cool completely before transferring to a storage container and placing them in the fridge. 

Close up of oatmeal cups wrapped in paper liners on a plate.

Best Type of Oats to Use

I like to use rolled oats because they’re less processed and give a good texture to the oatmeal cups, but if you only have quick or instant oats on hand those should work fine as a substitute. I don’t recommend using steel cut oats for this recipe because the oat-to-liquid ratio is different and the baking time is longer. If you’re looking for ways to use steel cut oats you could try these creamy steel cut oats or this baked steel cut oatmeal.

An unwrapped oatmeal cup on a plate.

How to Serve Baked Oatmeal Cups

While these baked oatmeal cups do taste good at pretty much any temperature, I think they’re best served warm. To reheat from the fridge, I like to cut the baked oatmeal cup in half and place in my toaster oven so it gets a little crisp. You can also wrap the baked oatmeal cup in a paper towel and reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warm. If frozen, take the cup out of the freezer and place in the fridge overnight to thaw, then reheat as normal the next morning. Another option is to wrap the frozen cup in a paper towel to thaw in the microwave.

Once the baked oatmeal cups are warm I like to spread a little nut butter on top and enjoy! I usually eat 1-2 for breakfast, depending on how hungry I am. Sometimes I’ll eat a baked oatmeal cup for breakfast alongside hard boiled eggs or another egg dish like this spinach quiche.

Overhead view of 8 oatmeal cups wrapped in paper liners organized on a plate.

How to Store

Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. For freezing, I usually put them in a ziplock bag made specifically for the freezer or a Stasher bag. These oat cups will last up to a week in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.

More Baked Oatmeal Cup Recipes

Popular Oatmeal Recipes

Be sure to check out all of the oatmeal recipes as well as the full collection of breakfast recipes here on EBF!

Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes every week!
4.96 from 21 votes

Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups

These peanut butter banana baked oatmeal cups are naturally sweetened and made with wholesome ingredients. Plus, they’re vegan, gluten-free and perfect for meal prep!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients  

  • 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 ½ cups milk, I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 2 mashed bananas, about 1/2 cup
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 3 Tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips, plus more for topping (optional)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with silicone liners. Paper liners work too. Spray liners with non-stick spray.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together almond milk and flaxseed. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
    Almond milk and flaxseed mixed together in a bowl.
  • Add mashed banana, maple syrup, peanut butter, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla and chocolate chips.
    Mashed banana, maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt added to and mixed together with the almond milk and flax seed.
  • Scoop mixture evenly into muffin tin with liners and top each cup with extra chocolate chips.
    Peanut butter banana oatmeal mixture divided into 12 cupcake tin lined with paper liners.
  • Bake 30-35 minutes or until the center of the cups has set and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cups to cool before transferring to a storage container and placing them in the fridge or freezer.
    Twelve baked peanut butter banana oatmeal cups in a muffin tin.

Notes

  1. To reheat: remove cup from liner and wrap in a paper towel, microwave until warm throughout, about 30-60 seconds. Or reheat in the toaster oven by cutting the cup in half and heating on low (250-300°F) for 5-6 minutes or until the cup is warm throughout. You can thaw the frozen cups by transferring them from the freezer to the fridge the night before or cook the oat cups directly from frozen. Just wrap the frozen cup in a paper towel and heat in 30 seconds increments until warm throughout. It should only take 1-2 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 oatmeal cup | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: peanut butter banana baked oatmeal cups
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
Get Your FREE High-Protein Meal Plan
Struggling to eat enough protein? Subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you a 3-Day High-Protein Meal Plan with a Shopping List!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




31 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These are delicious! My wife and I and our 2 kids (5.5 and 3.5) love these! They are so easy to make and convenient to grab and go! We will be trying the other flavors soon!

    1. Yay! So glad this recipe has been a hit with the entire fam! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it. 🙂

  2. These baked oatmeal recipes are game changers! So easy to make ahead of time and reheat throughout the week. So tasty, and I love that I can make them dairy free too! Thank you!

    1. Woo!! So pumped these oatmeal cups were a hit, Katie! Thanks for making them and coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!

    1. Yay! So glad these baked oatmeal cups were a hit, Stephanie! Thanks so much for the review. It means so much to me!

    1. Ah YAY! I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying this recipe, Terrie! Thank you for your review & star rating, I so appreciate it.

  3. 5 stars
    I absolutely love these oatmeal cups. They have been my go-to breakfast for a year now and my taste buds and my gut both thank you!! 😛

    One question though – baking them as individual cups requires more prep and clean-up, and so my lazy self is wondering: can you use these same ingredient ratios to just make a pan bake (ex: an 8.5 x 11) and then cut them like brownies into individual pieces for freezing?

    1. Hi Es! I am so glad you are loving this recipe. You can totally bake in a larger pan, I haven’t done it, but you’ll need to adjust the baking time a bit to ensure they bake all the way through. Let me know how it turns out!

See More Comments