Maybe oatmeal is one of your favorite ingredients or perhaps it’s the toasty cozy oat flavor you adore, but I’ve come to realize AK readers love pretty much any recipe involving good old oats.
So, today I’m bringing you another AK pumpkin recipe that’s both nutritious and involves oatmeal, chocolate chips, pumpkin, and those naughty and nice fall spices: meet my baked pumpkin oatmeal cups!
Hi, you gorgeous thangs, you.
If you’ve never had oatmeal cups before, then you better get your bake on, because damn, they’re incredibly tasty, freezer friendly and a suitable breakfast or snack (especially when slathered with peanut butter hehe.) They just so happen to be gluten-free and dairy-free, and a great breakfast for your toddler + whole household!
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Ingredients in pumpkin oatmeal cups
Imagine oatmeal infused with pumpkin puree, cozy pumpkin pie spices, and your favorite toasty nut butter. Add chocolate chips and now we’re speaking a true food love language. Here are the basic ingredients that you’ll need:
- Pumpkin puree: because they’re pumpkin oatmeal cups, of course! You can buy pumpkin puree or you can make your own using this amazing tutorial. No bananas needed!
- Nut butter: I suggest using either peanut butter or pecan butter. Honestly, homemade salted maple pecan butter takes these babies to the next level of flavor, but feel free to use peanut or almond butter if you have it. Make sure your nut butter only includes nuts + salt as the ingredients.
- Eggs: adds a boost of protein while helping to hold them together. I haven’t tried these with flax eggs, so I’m not certain how the texture will hold up. Let me know if you do try them with an alternative egg.
- Pure maple syrup: you’ll just need 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup to naturally sweeten the entire batch.
- Old fashioned rolled oats: feel free to use regular or gluten-free oats — both will work beautifully!
- The ultimate pumpkin pie spice blend: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice & ground ginger aka the holy grail of pumpkin spice. So good!
- Chocolate chips: what’s life without a little chocolate?! I recommend these if you want to keep the recipe dairy free.
Can I use steel cut or quick oats?
I would not recommend using steel cut or quick oats in these pumpkin oatmeal cups as the texture will be much different. Rolled oats keep the oatmeal cups light and fluffy!
Pumpkin oatmeal muffin cups in 4 easy steps
The best part about these healthy baked pumpkin oatmeal cups is how easy they are to make. You literally mix everything in a bowl, add it to a muffin tin and bake!
- Prep your pan. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray to prevent oatmeal cups from sticking.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, nut butter, eggs, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry. Stir in the oats and all of those yummy spices, then fold in chocolate chips into batter.
- Bake & devour. Evenly distribute oatmeal batter between muffin liners. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top and bake them up! Drizzle with your favorite nut butter before serving if you’d like.
Want to make regular pumpkin baked oatmeal?
It’s easy! Feel free to try my Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal, or pour the batter from these oatmeal cups into a 9×9 inch pan and bake for 40-50 minutes until slightly golden brown on the edges and the center is set.
How to store & freeze pumpkin oatmeal cups
- To store: you can make these pumpkin chocolate chip 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: simply allow them to cool completely after baking, then place them 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.
More pumpkin recipes to try
- Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze
- Fluffy Whole Wheat Healthy Pumpkin Waffles
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Healthy Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Salted Maple Frosting
Get all of my pumpkin recipes here!
I hope you love these delicious, easy baked pumpkin oatmeal cups! If you make them I’d love for you to leave a comment and a rating letting me know how you liked them. I greatly appreciate it – xoxo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cups
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter (or pecan butter or almond butter)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray to prevent oatmeal cups from sticking.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, nut butter, eggs, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Next stir in dry ingredients: oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ground ginger and salt; stir well to combine. Fold in ⅓ cup chocolate chips into batter.
- Evenly distribute oatmeal batter between muffin liners. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top and bake for 25-30 minutes. Drizzle with your favorite nut butter before serving, if desired. Serves 12.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
The texture was good but the spice flavouring was too strong.
Sorry you didn’t love the flavor! Feel free to reduce the spices next time.
I love baking especially when I can use up ingredients I already have in my fridge or pantry and these baked pumpkin oatmeal cups tick every one of those boxes (especially in the fall when it’s pumpkin everything). They’re delicious and packed with tons of nutrition and they always freeze so well, making them easy to heat up for a quick snack in between my work calls. I love adding a bit of butter and pairing them with a warm mug of tea or a latte. 10/10 no notes.
Absolutely! Glad these were a hit (and LOVE them with a little butter on top).
Fantastic flavors! Melt in your mouth muffins. Tried one right out of the oven and I don’t think it gets better than that! I needed more than 30 minutes in my oven. I doubled the recipe and so glad I did! I opted for large dark chocolate chips and highly recommend those if you like ’em! These will become a seasonal favorite. Thank you!
Such a great breakfast! Glad you enjoyed!
I would like to make these for the staff at my school but they have to be nut free. Do you think I could use sun butter or would the taste be over powering? Thoughts?
Thank you,
Jenn
I love your recipes!
Hi Jenn! Yes, feel free to use sunbutter!
Delicious! I subbed chopped pecans for the chocolate chips in the batter, but still sprinkled chocolate chips on top. Great for breakfast, snack or dessert!
That sounds so good! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I meal prepped these to have for breakfast and they were soo good! I did almond butter because i didnt want the peanut butter to overpower the pumpkin and instead just used store bought pumpkin pie spice, yum!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
These are great! Love how healthy they are!
I love how the subtly sweet pumpkin and oat base is punctuated by the chocolate chips! These are the perfect fall breakfast/snack 🙂
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
So easy to make and so good! Love one bowel recipes like this.
Glad you loved them!!
Just made these for the 4th fall in a row and they’re the perfect breakfast. I get extra sentimental when I make and eat these because I actually brought some of these oatmeal cups to my first date with my boyfriend almost 3 years ago. Needless to say, I think it worked 🙂
Amazing! So happy to hear you’re loving this recipe and it turned out great for you – that is the absolute sweetest ❤️❤️
These little jewels of deliciousness are incredible! So easy to make. My husband didn’t even know they were gluten free. These will be a staple in our freezer for brekkie and snacking.
Amazing! SO glad you found this recipe and are loving them, Denise 🙂❤️
Made these tonight in an effort to reduce the store-bought snacks that my kids ask for. I may finish the whole batch before they wake up! I used a mix of rolled & quick oats based on what I had. The batter was pretty runny without adding extra quick oats, but turned out perfectly after increasing as the notes suggested (I did 1cup rolled, 1.5cups quick). DELICIOUS!!
Can you sub pumpkin pie spice for the individual spices? If so, how much would you use?
Awesome! Do you think I could put in a scoop of unflavored protein powder without messing them up?
Hello! I haven’t tried it, but I think it should be fine. You might want to add a splash more almond milk so that the mixture doesn’t dry out 🙂
Very very yummy and great texture. I subbed for comparable ingredients I needed to use up in my pantry. Made with Sunflower Seed butter instead of peanut butter, and used sweet potato purée instead of pumpkin and they worked great. Will definitely make again.
Hi! How much salt should I add if I am using unsalted almond or peanut butter? Thanks!
You could add a pinch more — maybe a scant 1/2 teaspoon total! Feel free to sprinkle some on top, too, if it needs more 🙂
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I’ve made them several times for my family and we all devour them. I have a son who is a type 1 diabetic as well as having celiac and these muffins are a healthy, nourishing breakfast I love having him start his day with. I am a teacher and often bring 2 muffins as my mid-morning snack to help me get through my day. Moist, healthy and delicious! Thank you for making such wonderful recipes and I love that so many of them are gluten free! 🙂
I’m so glad that these are safe for your son and that you’re loving these! Thank you, Sara! ❤️
These were so quick and easy. I subbed oat milk for almond because that’s all I had and it turned out great!
I made these in an 8×8 square pan and baked for around 35-40 minutes to match your other baked oatmeal recipes. I subbed honey for maple syrup as well. Delicious! Will definitely make again.
These are yummy and are the perfect snack to have on hand! I used almond butter because that’s what I had on hand. Thanks to AK for another easy, delicious, healthy recipe!
Aw yay! So happy you enjoyed these, Mollie!
Delicious! Perfect for breakfast. Kid approved 👍
YAY 🙌 Glad you guys loved these!
Just ate one of these fresh from the oven. So delicious. Love the pb with the fall pumpkin/spice flavors. Thanks for sharing!
They’re perfect! One of the few pumpkin recipes I make year round because they make such an easy and nutritious snack or breakfast! My toddler can’t get enough of these
Any suggestions for nut butter substitutions (my little one is allergic to tree nuts and peanuts)?
Tahini is a great option or sunflower seed butter!
These were delicious! I was had a few things I was looking to use up and came across this recipe!! I will be making these often and making sure there are some in the freezer!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
I am not even exaggerating when I say I make these all the time. I actually have gone to making these as a double batch and freezing half so that I always have them on hand. They are perfect for breakfast or a snack or dessert. A nice sweet treat that also feels nourishing and healthy while you eat. I am a huge fan.
Amazing! Such a great treat any time of day 🙂
So yummy! I am always looking for a gluten-free low-fat recipe and this hit the spot. I can’t eat eggs so used egg replacer instead and also Cocoa Nibs instead of chocolate chips. I will definitely make again. ❤️
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I’m interested in trying these…but all I have is unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Would just use that and minus the vanilla extract?
You can use that and leave the recipe as-is! It won’t make a difference 🙂
Very quick and easy to make! Delicious flavour
Glad you liked them!
These were beyond delicious! I’ve been enjoying them so much for breakfast. They’re so filling yet nutritious at the same time!
The perfect breakfast! Glad you loved them!
These oatmeal cups were lovely. I’ll certainly try them again, although I might replace the chocolate chips with chopped walnuts or do 50/50. Overall, highly recommended!!
So happy to her that! Perfect breakfast 🙂
These are bomb. They are a nice treat without being overly sweet, so they’re easy to eat. They reheat so well and are still so moist even after being in the fridge all week or freezer. A favorite at my house!
Absolutely! Perfect breakfast 🙂
Just made these – turned out perfectly! Such a yummy autumn treat and love how clean the ingredients are. Can’t wait to make more of the pumpkin recipes! Thanks ambitious kitchen!!!
Absolutely! Glad you loved them!
I have made these twice this week…because our hound countersurfed his way to 10 of the first batch! But they were so good I had to make them again. I didn’t use choc chips the first time (thankfully for my dog) but used twice as many in the second batch. So much goodness! Three of my friends are now making them this weekend 🙂
Oh no! Glad you left out the chocolate in the first batch! Such a great, easy breakfast 🙂
These were delicious!! I used all natural crunchy almond butter and I think the flavor mixed really well with the pumpkin puree. I followed the recipe step by step and was actually able to make 16 regular sized muffins so I modified the nutrition info a bit on my end!
Perfect! So glad you loved them!
Thank you for the recipe! This is my first time ever commenting on one! 😊
Do you think regular milk would work well in place of almond milk?
Amazing! Yes, regular milk will work just fine. Enjoy!
I love these baked oatmeal cups! I always want something with my coffee, but it’s not uh… sustainable, haha… to eat toast every morning. These are perfect. I made the suggested maple pecan butter, and it’s essential!! I keep them in the freezer and heat them up in the morning. It’s excellent.
The perfect combo with coffee! So glad you loved them!
Sooo good! Made 2 rounds already and going back for more yummm
Love that! So delicious.
Planning to make this on the weekend, but was wondering, instead of using the above spices, can I use pumpkin pie spice mix? If so, how much would I use compared to the above?
2-3 teaspoons should be sufficient! 🙂
I made a double batch of these last night for a gathering tonight. Since a few people are vegan, I tried substituting apple sauce for the eggs (1/4 cup per egg). They were a bit soft and mushy when I tried one after it slightly cooled, hoping they firm up in the fridge! The taste was great though!!
They did firm up beautifully and were a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike!!
Good! Perhaps try adding a flax egg next time instead of applesauce. 🙂
I love your Oatmeal Cups! These were delicious and came out perfect, except that the peanut butter flavor completely overpowered the pumpkin flavor—to the point where I could barely taste the pumpkin at all. (A peanut butter oatmeal cup is just fine by me, though!) I might make these again and use coconut oil instead of nut butter for the fat, and maybe increase the pumpkin ratio?
Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you love them! If you want the pumpkin flavor to shine more, I suggest using a more neutral nut butter such as cashew, almond or pecan (pecan would be my choice)! I would not suggest using coconut oil.
Dear Monique;
Hi,I would like to make your baked pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal cupcakes at home and I have all of the ingredients except creamy peanut butter or almond butter or maple syrup.
What can I use in place of maple syrup?I can’t use sugar or honey in my recipes because I have type 2 diabetes.I use swerve products and agave that have never once raised my blood sugar.
Can I make your recipe in a mini muffin pan that has 24 mini cups in it.I don’t have regular muffin tins.
Kim
Hi Kim! Unfortunately I’ve only made these as-is, so I’m not sure how the Swerve products will work out in here. The peanut or almond butter help with the consistency, too, so I’d recommend sticking with one of those. Let me know if you give them a try with swerve!
Really easy and super yummy! I made the recipe with the following tweaks and it came out great:
-used 1/2 cup maple syrup instead of 1/4
-replaced half the oats with oat flour; I love the doughy texture of oat flour!
-used crunchy salted almond butter instead of peanut butter
My kids loved these, too. So good hot from the oven, or even cold from the fridge.
I’m glad those swaps worked out! And agreed – love these warm or from the fridge.
SOOOOOO good!!!
Glad you love them!!