Banana Walnut Baked Oatmeal Cups
Banana Walnut Oatmeal Cups
Portable baked oatmeal cups made with ripe banana, rolled oats, walnuts, and warm cinnamon spice.
These banana walnut baked oatmeal cups turn a bowl of oatmeal into a tidy, make-ahead breakfast you can eat warm at the table or pack for the road. Ripe bananas sweeten the batter naturally and help the cups bake up tender without needing much added sugar.
Old-fashioned rolled oats give the best texture here: soft in the center, lightly chewy at the edges, and sturdy enough to hold their shape after cooling. Chopped walnuts add crunch and a toasty flavor that balances the banana and maple syrup.
The batter comes together in one bowl and bakes in a standard muffin tin, which makes portioning simple. A short rest after mixing lets the oats absorb some of the milk so the cups bake evenly instead of turning loose or wet in the middle.
Serve the cups plain, with yogurt, or split and warmed with a little butter. They keep well in the refrigerator and can be frozen, so a single batch covers several breakfasts or after-school snacks.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin well or line it with parchment muffin liners.
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2
Mash the bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth, leaving a few small pieces for texture.
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3
Whisk in the milk, eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla until the mixture is evenly combined.
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4
Stir in the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup of the walnuts. Let the mixture stand for 8 minutes so the oats begin to hydrate.
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5
Divide the oat mixture evenly among the muffin cups, filling each cup nearly to the top. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the surface.
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6
Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, until the tops look set, the edges are lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
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7
Cool the oatmeal cups in the pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges with a thin knife and transfer them to a rack.
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8
Serve warm, or cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
- Ripe Bananas, mashed:2 large
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats:2 1/2 cups
- Milk:1 cup
- Eggs:2 large
- Pure Maple Syrup:1/4 cup
- Unsalted Butter, melted:2 tablespoons
- Vanilla Extract:1 teaspoon
- Baking Powder:1 1/2 teaspoons
- Ground Cinnamon:1 teaspoon
- Fine Salt:1/4 teaspoon
- Ground Nutmeg:1/8 teaspoon
- Walnuts, chopped:3/4 cup
Tips & Notes
- Use bananas with plenty of brown spots; underripe bananas make the cups less sweet and less tender.
- For easier release, parchment liners work better than standard paper liners with oat-based batters.
- Rewarm refrigerated cups in a 300°F oven for 8 minutes or microwave one cup for about 20 seconds.
