If you love a hot breakfast but don’t have much time to prepare one, these little blueberry baked oats cups will be just what you are looking for! They can be made ahead and reheated while you get ready for your day.
I first encountered baked oatmeal on a mini vacation just before the holidays a few years ago. When I came home, I recreated a couple of versions, and these individual baked oatmeal cups are the perfect size for one or two people.
What You Will Need to Make Them
Old Fashioned Oats
I used old-fashioned oats in this as they soak up the liquid but retain the “body” of the oat flake the best. They are considered whole grains and a serving contains about 4g of fiber and 5 grams of protein making them a great option for a filling breakfast.
Light Brown Sugar
Light brown sugar provides sweetness with a little caramel flavor from the molasses in it. Light brown sugar works best as it doesn’t have an overpowering molasses flavor like dark brown sugar.
Baking Powder
As with other baked goods, the baking powder gives these baked oats a “lift”
Egg
Eggs give these oats some structure and provide a bit of protein too. You can use egg substitutes in place of whole eggs if you’d like. ¼ cup of liquid substitute equals 1 large egg.
Milk
You can use skim, low-fat, or whole milk in this recipe.
Butter
A little butter gives these a smooth texture and adds a nice buttery note. You don’t need much!
Vanilla
Vanilla extract helps pull the flavors together and balances the flavor from the nutmeg and pecans and enhances the blueberry flavor.
Nutmeg
Freshly grated nutmeg gives these almost a fallish flavor and feeling. This is one of my favorite spices to use in baked goods and it really helps pull out the flavor of the pecans.
Chopped Pecans
I love the crunch you get from chopped nuts in a baked oatmeal and while walnuts are most commonly used, but pecans have a delicious creamy and buttery flavor. They are also a great source of heart-healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Blueberries
Adding blueberries to this was a no-brainer – ha! Seriously, if you follow me at all you know I am passionate about helping you find ways to improve your brain health as well as your overall health. Blueberries are full of antioxidants that help keep those lines of communication in our brains open!
You can use fresh or frozen blueberries in this.
How to Make Blueberry Baked Oats
Step 1 – Prep Ramakins and Preheat Oven
Start by getting the ramekins ready and the oven going. I use a little butter to coat the inside of each ramekin but you could use cooking spray if you prefer.
It’s also important to get that oven preheated so the baking powder and eggs can start working as soon as they hit the oven.
Most baking powder is “double acting” which means it starts working to add lift to your ingredients when it is mixed with wet ingredients and then has a second “rise” when it is exposed to heat. You want these two “rises” to be close together so your oats are light and not a brick when you take them out!
Step 2 – Mix Dry Ingredients
Get the oats, sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg mixed together well. Then, I like to add the blueberries and pecans and coat them with the “flour” and seasoning before mixing everything together. I think this helps disburse all the flavors and keeps the blueberries and pecans from sinking.
Step 3 – Mix Wet Ingredients
The same is true for the “wet” ingredients. Whisk the egg, milk, vanilla, and butter together so they are well combined.
Step 4 – Combine Ingredients and Bake
Mix everything well and then split the mix evenly between the ramekins. I place the ramakins spread out on a sheet pan and put the pan in the middle of the oven so hot air can move around them.
They take about 30 minutes to bake and should be firm to touch in the center.
Variations
There are multiple ways you can mix these baked oats up.
- Swap in raspberries, blackberries, or cranberries for blueberries
- Change the nuts and use walnuts, chopped almonds, hazelnuts, or even unsalted pistachios.
- Try a different fruit – apples work well in baked oats.
- Mix up the spices too – cinnamon, cardamon or a little ginger would give these a unique flavor.
FAQs
You can use quick cooking or instant oats in baked oats, but the texture will be much softer and may be mushy.
You can certainly use steel-cut oats when making baked oats. Like the quick-cooking oats, steel-cut oats may give the final baked oats a different texture. They may be firmer and drier and may require a slightly longer cooking time.
Most likely yes, baked oats may be gluten-free. Oats are naturally gluten-free, however, they are often grown, transported, and processed alongside wheat and barley so many companies do not label them as gluten-free due to the potential for cross-contamination. Check the label on the container and if you can’t tell call the 800 number and ask.
Yes, almond milk adds a nice almondy flavor and soy or oat milk would also work well in this recipe.
Storage Tips
You can store these baked oat cups in the refrigerator for up to a week. Cover them tightly with foil, plastic wrap, or a reusable cover. Reheat them in the oven or microwave.
Other Recipes you will love
If you love these blueberry baked oats cups check out some of my other favorite breakfast recipes:
Dark Chocolate and Cherry Baked Oats
Raspberry Overnight Oats using kefir
Individual Blueberry Baked Oats Cups
Equipment
- 4 small ramekins
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- 1 cup blueberries
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter 4 small (1/2 cup or 4 oz.) ramekins.
- In a medium bowl combine oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and nutmeg. Stir in the blueberries and pecans and coat them well.
- In another bowl whisk the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the oatmeal and berry mix and mix well.
- Divide the mix evenly between the 4 ramekins. Place them on a baking sheet and put the baking sheet in the middle of the preheated oven.
- Bake for ~ 30 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy.
