Frozen Oatmeal Cups

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 adjusting to a new normal and finding ways to make their daily routines a bit easier. 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.

Ingredients to Make Frozen Oatmeal

• 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 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 butter 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.

How to Make Frozen Oatmeal

1. Start by cooking the oatmeal according to package directions. Be careful not to overcook the oats or they will be really mushy when reheated. You can use any type of oats but I prefer old fashioned rolled oats or steel cut oats. Instant oats can get really mushy.
2. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. You don't want these to stick.
3. Fill the muffin tin halfway with the oatmeal.
4. Add your toppings. Fresh or frozen fruit, nut butter, jams, almost anything. Adding them in the middle makes sure they don't fall off once frozen.
5. Add more oats on top.
6. Place in the freezer overnight or at least 8-10 hours until they are fully frozen.
7. Pop out of the muffin tin, using a warmed butter knife if needed, and place in a freezer safe bag.
8. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. You can add some milk halfway through if desired and stir for a creamier oatmeal.

Looking for other healthy oatmeal recipes:

• Microwave Banana Protein Oatmeal
• Baked Blueberry Banana Oatmeal
• Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
• Microwave Apple Peanut Butter Oatmeal
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins
• More healthy oatmeal recipes

Here are some of the products I recommend using for this Frozen Oatmeal Cups

• Silicone muffin trays: Although you can use a traditional metal muffin tin for this recipe, silicon works much better since its easier to pop the frozen oatmeal singles out of the silicon molds. For traditional size muffins (about 1/4 cup serving each), use a muffin tray like this and for larger muffins, use the jumbo size (1/2 cup). You could also use silicon muffin or cupcake liners.
• Nutritional boosts: Some of my favorites are chia seeds, ground flaxseeds, cacao nibs, maca powder, and hemp hearts.