Meal prep your breakfast! Make these Mixed Berry Oatmeal Cups with Chia and Kefir for a healthy grab-and-go breakfast.
These Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal Cups with Chia may look like muffins . . . but they're not. They're so much more!
Not only do they have all the goodness of whole grain oats, they have added protein from eggs and milk (dairy or plant-based) as well as nutrients from fresh raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. Even better, you can toss in some chia or hemp seeds, and serve it with probiotic-rich kefir. It's a nutritious breakfast to start the day.
When I first heard about Baked Oatmeal, I thought, "Why? Why would anyone want to bake oatmeal?"
And then I tried it. And now I'm convinced that baked oatmeal is so much better than a bowl of regular oatmeal.
Why? It's full of protein, it has immense staying power, and it's far more interesting! It has the creamy comfort of a warm bowl of oatmeal, and so much more. This power breakfast has become a regular in our home this month.
We're also loving these Gluten-Free Blackberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars. They're soft and tender bars, perfect for morning coffee time. I've made them with blueberries, too.
The first time I made this baked oatmeal recipe, I baked it in an 8 x 8 inch pan. It turned out beautifully, but with just the two of us at home, it took us all week to finish it! I like to vary our breakfast ideas throughout the week, so baking this recipe in muffin cups, saving a few to eat fresh and freezing the rest made sense for us.
These baked oatmeal cups with chia seeds also make a healthy afternoon snack.
How long will these Baked Oatmeal Cups stay fresh?
Store them covered in the fridge for 3 days, and tightly wrapped in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Do you eat baked oatmeal warm or cold?
I like these Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal Cups served slightly warm; Denis eats them cold. I heat one in the microwave and put it in a bowl with fresh berries and a scoop of kefir or Greek yogurt. You can drizzle them with extra maple syrup if you like, but it's not necessary.
I buy the milk kefir that has a consistency slightly thinner than yogurt, rather than the pourable beverage kefir, but that's my personal preference. Both types are a good source of probiotics.
These Baked Oatmeal Cups with Chia can be prepped in 10 minutes, popped in the oven and be ready to enjoy by the time you've showered and dressed! Or bake them on a Sunday afternoon, package and freeze for easy breakfasts all week.
And if you love starting your day with berries for breakfast, you'll love this Cherry Berry Gluten-Free Clafoutis, too!
For more recipe ideas for using rolled oats, see 30 Healthy Oatmeal Recipes.
📖 Recipe
Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal Cups with Chia
Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats, certified gluten-free, if necessary
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds or hemp hearts
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups milk of your choice (milk, almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk)
- ½ cup milk kefir or plain yogurt
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted (or other oil or melted butter)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup blackberries or strawberries
Cinnamon/Sugar Topping
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 inch square baking dish or 12 muffin cups OR line with paper muffin cups. See Note 1.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, kefir or yogurt, melted coconut oil and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Gently add the berries, stir to distribute evenly. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish or fill each muffin cup with ¼ cup mixture. See Note 2.
- Combine 1 tablespoon coconut sugar and 2 teaspoon cinnamon, sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake muffin cups for 20 minutes, an 8 x 8 inch pan for 40 - 45 minutes. Serve warm, plain or with milk or yogurt.
- Freeze extra muffin cups in an airtight container. Reheat in microwave for a quick breakfast.
Notes
- Using culinary paper muffin liners makes these baked oatmeal cups easy to remove from the pan and store.
- I use a large cookie scoop to fill the muffin cups. It makes it easy to distribute the batter evenly. If you want to make sure the berries are evenly distributed, before adding the berries to the batter, spoon a small amount of batter in each cup, add a layer of mixed berries, another layer of batter, more berries, and top with a final layer of batter.
Nutrition
More time-saving delicious baked oatmeal ideas:
- Cherry Vanilla Baked Oatmeal with Chia and Hemp. Packed with protein and naturally sweet cherries.
- Warm Apple Cranberry Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal. A hearty breakfast for a chilly fall or winter morning.
- Chocolate Espresso Baked Oatmeal. A healthy breakfast that tastes like dessert!
Billy
I love that you can make this with kefir! It sounds like such a delicious oatmeal cup. Can't wait to start making these for breakfast!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Billy! I always have a batch in the freezer ready to thaw in the microwave and top with extra kefir or Greek yogurt. Thanks for stopping by!