Make-Ahead Freezer Oatmeal Cups

Why You’ll Love This Oatmeal Cups Recipe

Mornings can be crazy, especially school mornings when people wake up late and every adult and kid in the house is running in different directions getting dressed, gathering homework and lunches, and trying to get off to school and work in time. Breakfast sometimes becomes an afterthought, but it shouldn’t be! Save yourself stress by making a couple of batches of oatmeal cups and popping them in the freezer. Then all you’ll have to do is grab, heat, and go! You can thank me later.

These frozen oatmeal cups are not only easy, they’re super kid-friendly and endlessly customizable. Kids love that they get to choose their favorite toppings to add to their bowl of oatmeal, and parents love that they can serve a hot meal without taking a ton of time to make it. You may even get to enjoy your cup of coffee while the microwave warms up breakfast. Here’s why you’ll love these oatmeal cups:

• Make ahead magic. A little (and I do mean a little) time spent on the prep for these frozen oatmeal cups will pay off big time later. You can whip these up in minutes, saving you so much time on a busy morning.
• Skip the instant packets. I am a fan of homemade is best, and these oatmeal cups are a perfect example. Purchased instant oatmeal is often loaded with sugar and other additives. When you make the oatmeal yourself, you can be confident that all of the ingredients are gluten free. Plus, you can adjust the sweetener, spices, and more to your family’s taste.
• Gets the kids involved. I like to have my kids make up their own oatmeal cups so that they get exactly what they want. Let them add their favorite toppings, then, when the cups are frozen, you can place them in individual freezer bags labeled with each person’s name. This will make the morning rush even easier!

What You’ll Need

Here’s a look at what you’ll need for these frozen oatmeal cups. I’ve included more topping ideas lower down. You’ll find the full ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the end of this post.

• Quick-Cooking Oats: Also sold as instant oats, make sure to use certified gluten free oats if necessary.
• Brown Sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar, or try any sweetener you prefer. We also like adding coconut sugar, honey, and maple syrup.
• Water
• Milk: Use your favorite dairy or nondairy milk to make the oats.
• Salt: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness of the oatmeal.
• Toppings: Add any toppings you love. Keep reading for ideas.

How To Make Frozen Oatmeal Cups

Take a quick look at how to make oatmeal cups below. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.

• Make the oatmeal. Combine the oats, sugar, water, milk, and salt in a large saucepan, bring it to a boil, then simmer until thick and set aside to cool.
• Add to muffin tin. Spray two 12-cup muffin tins with cooking spray or line with silicone muffin liners/ Divide the cooked oatmeal between the muffin cups, and top each one with toppings.

• Freeze. Cover the tin with plastic wrap and freeze it for several hours. Pop out the oatmeal cup, wrap each one in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe sealable bag.

Tips & Variations

This oatmeal cups recipe takes just a few minutes longer to make than if you cooked a pot of oatmeal, and you will be able to enjoy them for weeks to come! Here are a few tips to help you make frozen oatmeal cups:

• Use silicone. A tip that will make popping out the frozen cups from the muffin pans so much easier is to use silicone muffin pans or line your regular muffin pans with silicone cupcake liners.
• Try other oats. I use quick-cooking oats in this recipe to keep prep quick and easy. However, If you prefer to use old-fashioned or steel cut oats go ahead. Make sure to cook a different type of oats according to the package directions rather than using my method.
• Adjust the sweetness. You can easily make these oatmeal cups as sweet or as less sweet as you like! Adjust the amount of sweetness to taste. You can also substitute in maple syrup or honey for the sugar.
• Individually package them up. If everyone in your family likes to eat the same type of oatmeal, you can ignore this tip. But I’ve found that we all have our specific preferences. So, I make up individual bags of oatmeal cups, label them with our names, and then all I have to do it grab and go and everyone gets what they want!

Topping Ideas

Another reason why these oatmeal cups are one of my favorite morning choices is because you can change them up in so many ways, all thanks to the toppings you add. Fruit is an obvious choice, including all the fresh fruit you can find. Frozen, thawed fruit works well, too. Add nuts and seeds for some crunch, stir in nut butter, and more.

• Fruit – I love adding fruit as a topping for oatmeal for a burst of naturally sweet juicy flavor. Some great options include bananas, chopped apples or pears, berries, sliced peaches, nectaries, and pineapple.
• Dried fruit – Or, try a handful of dried fruit like raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates or figs, dried cherries, and dried blueberries.
• Nuts – Add chopped nuts like peanuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or a combination!
• Nut butter – A spoonful of nut butter adds extra protein and creaminess to oatmeal cups. Try peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. For a nut-free alternative, sunflower seed butter or tahini (sesame seed paste) works well.
• Seeds – Try pumpkin, chia, hemp, flax, or sunflower seeds.
• Other toppings – I also love topping oatmeal cups with a sweeter treat, like sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes, mini chocolate chips, and cacao nibs.

Proper Storage

These frozen oatmeal cups are meant to be kept in the freezer, but you can pull them out the night before to thaw in the fridge if you want to plan ahead. Here’s how to store the cups in both the fridge and the freezer, plus details on how to reheat them:

• Fridge – If you know you’ll eat the cups in the morning, place as many frozen cups as you wish to eat in an airtight container and store it in the fridge overnight.
• Freezer – After assembling the cups, place the muffin pans in the freezer. Once the oatmeal cups are frozen, pop them out of the tins, wrap each cup in plastic wrap, and place them in an airtight container or sealable, freezer-safe storage bag. Store the oatmeal cups in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• To Reheat – Place the oatmeal cups in the fridge the night before you plan to eat them. Then, to reheat, place the cups in a microwave-safe bowl, cover it, and heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until hot. If you reheat the cups from frozen, follow this method but cook them for a few minutes longer.

More Oatmeal Recipes To Try

• Chocolate Mexican Oatmeal
• Oatmeal Pancakes
• Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies