Frozen Oatmeal Cups will be your best friend on busy mornings. They take no time to make and are packed with good-for-you ingredients that will keep you feeling energized all morning.
Unfortunately busy mornings are the reality for most and this couldn’t be more true for many families with school starting. And while I am embarrassed to admit that sometimes oatmeal is too hard to make, sometimes it just is. Getting out the measuring cups, watching to make sure the bowl doesn’t overflow in the microwave, cutting up fruit, and gathering toppings from the pantry can take way longer than I have. On those morning, I pull out these simple freezer oatmeal cups and we’re good to go. A healthy breakfast in about two minutes.
The other thing I love about these frozen oatmeal cups are that they are incredibly versatile. There are so many different ways to make them and you can make multiple flavors all in one batch.
- Oatmeal: You can use regular old fashioned oats or steel cut oats for this recipe. I don’t recommend using instant or quick cooking oats since they will get gummy after being cooked and reheated. And if you want to get really creative you can mix the oats with some whole grains like quinoa, sorghum, or farro.
- Liquid: Use whatever type of liquid you like with your oatmeal. I like a thicker, creamier oatmeal so I always use milk and usually opt for almond or cashew milk.
- Sweetener: I like to add the sweetener while I am cooking the oats so that it is evenly distributed throughout the oats. You can use brown sugar, honey, agave, or maple syrup. And for a more natural sweetener use mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, or date paste. One trick is to look for baby food purees of different fruits. These normally have no added sugar and are a great way to sweeten oats and add flavor.
- Spices: There are so many different spices you can add to oatmeal. The most common are cinnamon and nutmeg but you can also use ground ginger, cardamom, turmeric, or cloves.
- Boost the nutrients: I am always looking to boost the nutrition of my morning oats so I pretty much always add chia seeds and flax seeds. You can also add protein powder, maca powder, cacao nibs, collagen, or any other nuts, seeds, or powders.
- Nuts and Nut Butters: Adding nuts and nut butters is a great way to add protein to your morning oats. Usually I add a good scoop of almond butter to the oats while I am cooking them or if I want to switch up the flavors, I just add it into the muffin cups before freezing. It will melt in the microwave and can be stirred throughout the oatmeal.
- Fresh Fruit and Dried Fruit: No matter how I have my oats, you can also rest assured there is fruit involved. Usually I opt for fresh fruit but sometimes I use frozen or dried fruit as well. Whatever fruit you choose, it can be added right to the oatmeal cup before freezing and it’s fun to make a bunch of different combinations so you don’t get bored with your morning oats.
Looking for other healthy oatmeal recipes:
Here are some of the products I recommend using for this Frozen Oatmeal Cups
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