With 11 grams of protein in each cup, these customizable protein-packed oatmeal cups make for the perfect breakfast on the go. Customize, bake and then keep them in the freezer so you always have a healthy breakfast waiting for you!
This recipe nearly led to a nervous breakdown. It also led to the easiest, most-filling breakfast of all time, but a nervous breakdown nonetheless.
Protein powder and I have an odd relationship. We kind of like each other, don’t quite understand the purpose of one another and neither of us enjoy the process of baking together. And yet I still have it in my home at all times.
I’ve said in the past that I’m not a huge protein powder person. Our complicated relationship plays a huge role in that, but mostly I just don’t find myself needing it. I can almost always get enough protein from whole foods with every meal.
But with breakfast, I struggle. In the summer it isn’t so bad because I usually stick to fruit and greek yogurt or maybe a protein shake. But in the winter, I want ALL THE OATMEAL. But let’s be real oatmeal is only filling for about an hour…no matter how much peanut butter you top it with.
I want my oatmeal, and my protein and I want to eat it too.
So I set out on a mission to create a higher protein oatmeal that could easily be packed for breakfast on the go. Admittedly, I rarely eat breakfast on the go (unless it’s from my kitchen back into bed..) but at least 80000 of you have requested easy breakfast recipes that can be packed ahead of time and I’m certainly not complaining if I don’t have to stand over the stove in my pre-coffee phase so I happily obliged.
What resulted were these Customizable Protein-Packed Oatmeal Cups. Round 1 was not my fav. They were a little tough, which is basically always my experience with baking with protein powder. I thought about turning the towel in but then I thought about all of your shinning faces, and I got back to work.
I’m kidding. I’m just too stubborn to quit.
Round two resulted in these babies which taste delightful but I can’t get over the fact that they kind of look like muffins.
If you’ve interacted with me in the last couple of days, you’ve probably been asked if they look like cups or muffins. I still can’t decide, but the thought was literally keeping me up at night so I had to flip a coin.
Cups it is! But whatever you want to call them, they are delicious, easy to make, ultra-customizable and pack a serious punch with 11 grams of protein in each cup.
How To Make Protein Oatmeal Cups
Baking these oatmeal cups is similar to making muffins with a few swaps to increase the protein. The main protein punch comes from whey protein powder and greek yogurt.
The rest is all pretty straight-forward with rolled oats as the base, cinnamon and sea salt for taste and eggs and applesauce to help bind the protein cups together.
The customization is really up to you. I offered a few suggestions below but feel free to mix-in your favorites. Make them your own!
PrintCustomizable Protein-Packed Oatmeal Cups
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 cups
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats (gluten-free if necessary)
- 3 scoops protein powder (about 29 grams each)*
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup plain 0% greek yogurt
- 2 T coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 T hemp seeds
- toppings: chocolate chips, blueberries, peanut butter etc…
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine oats, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt.
- In a separate bowl combine eggs, vanilla extract, applesauce, greek yogurt, coconut oil, honey and almond milk.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.
- Grease a muffin pan very well with coconut oil.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin tin.
- Stir in toppings of choice into each one.**
- Sprinkle hemp seeds evenly across cups.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine took 18 minutes).
- Let cool for 20 minutes before removing to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
- *These freeze well. I take two out in the morning and microwave it for 20-30 seconds.
I use North Coast Naturals 100% ISO Whey in Vanilla **I did one row with 2 T of chocolate chips, 1 row with 1/4 cup of blueberries and 1 row with 1 tsp of peanut butter drizzle on each cup.
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76 Comments
Madeline
February 15, 2015 at 5:46 amThese look so wonderful, and exactly the recipe I was hoping to find to make today so I can take these to work! I don’t have protein powder on hand, but will try Maca powder and see how they turn out 🙂
Lee
February 15, 2015 at 9:07 amI really hope. Some how. There are some of these left when I get in tonight!
Georgie
February 15, 2015 at 9:53 amLove that you can so easily customize! It’s perfect for people like me who are cripplingly indecisive. NOW I CAN HAVE IT ALL.
Totally going to make these for snacks when my Whole 30 is over <3
She Rocks Fitness
February 15, 2015 at 10:53 amLately I have been ALL about green smoothies, because Greek yogurt has been making me feel super bloated…I just made a batch of Bob’s Red Mill steel cut oats for the week, so that’ll be on the list too. I haven’t made muffins in FOREVER…Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Miss Polkadot
February 15, 2015 at 1:45 pmLucky us that you’re stubborn! I’ll admit I’d have been likely to give up after the first fail because I get discouraged when it comes to kitchen fails easily, Mostly because every failed dish has to be eaten and it’s just me around here. Imagine a whole not-at-all-tasty cake needing to be eaten when I’d rather go for a second trial …
Alexis @ Hummusapien
February 15, 2015 at 3:04 pmMuffies, cups, whateva… I’m loving these. The hemp seed addition is on point!!
Ellen Campbell
June 8, 2015 at 8:11 amJust looking at your flourless chia cookies,- is there something else I can use instead of almond butter? I have a
daughter allergic to all nuts, treenuts, peanuts. Thanks!
Shannon
February 15, 2015 at 8:41 pmthese sound fab! But I am wondering if you have any suggestions for egg & dairy free substitutions? I think I could use gelled chia seeds to sub eggs. Maybe coconut yogurt for the Greek yogurt? Maybe I just answered my own questions lol! I think I will try!
Mary Frances
February 15, 2015 at 9:41 pmYou know you’re a food blogger when recipe names stress you out! These are totally cups and they’re totally adorable. I’m darn glad you stuck with that protein powder because these are just what I need! Thanks for taking the pain out of baking with protein powder for the rest of us, you’re a dear Davida! 🙂
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious
February 15, 2015 at 9:46 pmWhatever they’re called, they’re beautiful and sound delicious too!
Lauren
February 16, 2015 at 12:16 amLoving the addition of the hemp seeds – I try and whack those into loads of things for extra protein! These are going to be great for school snacks in 3 hour lectures boom!
Arman @ thebigmansworld
February 16, 2015 at 3:12 amMmmm. You should totally make a bacon one 😉
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
February 16, 2015 at 7:06 amthese look wonderful, something i need to get on board with.
Julia
February 16, 2015 at 10:48 amI’ve never baked with protein powder and I’m so glad you troubleshooted the whole thing for me, because these breakfast cups look marvelous! And I LOVE how customizable they are. Just brilliant, girl! So glad all of your efforts panned out. 😀
Consuelo | Honey & Figs
February 16, 2015 at 11:36 amCall ’em what you want, they actually look delicious (and super cute!). I’m not one to have breakfast on the go either, but I would happily accept to have a couple of these under laying in bed under my blanket (is there any other way to have breakfast or?)… they sound SO good!
Have a nice week gal! xxx
Charlotte
February 16, 2015 at 11:52 amThese look amazing!
Could you recommend a substitute for the applesauce? It’s tricky to get hold of here in the UK!
I was thinking maybe half a small banana or an egg?
Thanks!
Charlotte
Danielle
March 10, 2016 at 11:47 pmMake your own applesauce! It’s so much easier than you think 🙂
Davida Kugelmass
March 13, 2016 at 12:24 pmI’ve got a recipe on the blog if you need one 🙂
Gabby @ the veggie nook
February 18, 2015 at 8:36 amI have s complicated relationship with protein powder too- mostly my stomach hates it! But these look delicious 🙂
Also, just realizing I missed the meet up! I didn’t get the emails confirming when it was and I guess I spaced on checking in about it 🙁 if you plan another one though please count me in!
Heather
February 18, 2015 at 12:49 pmThese are by far the best muffins I have made. I susbititued the dairy with the solid coconut milk on the top of the can, and used applesauce in place of the coconut oil – they are super duper yummy! Must freeze or I will eat them all 🙂
Lucy
February 19, 2015 at 3:53 amFirst attempt at these didn’t go to plan after leaving them in the oven for 25 minutes to long. A little black and crispy!! Second go and they are DELICIOUS! Thanks!
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen
February 19, 2015 at 6:52 amYum! I love keeping little bites and muffins like this in the freezer for a quick snack or breakfast!
Cat
February 21, 2015 at 5:18 amI hear you on the protein powder relationship! like to think I have a kind of booty-call relationship with it. Sometimes, it takes my fancy, but I won’t have it again for a week or two.
On a less x-rated note, I love the look of these! Can you be diplomatic and call ’em cuffins?
Probably not because that’s a stupid word…
With 11 grams of protein in each cup, these customizable protein-packed oatmeal cups make for the perfect breakfast on the go. Bake then and then keep them in the freezer so you always have a healthy breakfast waiting for you! - FoodFoni
March 3, 2015 at 5:46 pm[…] the recipe here – Via: […]
Liz
March 27, 2015 at 3:33 pmThanks for sharing! I love food that can be made in easy to handle form for eating on the go!
stacie
April 14, 2015 at 12:58 pmI am wondering what the T means?
2 T of coco oil and hemp seeds?
whats a T?
Davida Kugelmass
April 14, 2015 at 4:36 pmTablespoon!
Healthy Portable Breakfasts Roundup - Food Faith Fitness
May 5, 2015 at 4:02 am[…] Customizable Protein-Packed Oatmeal Cups – The Healthy Maven […]
MSUcarol
May 19, 2015 at 11:48 pmI am really loving your recipes, but why you don’t include the nutritional info. with them?
Lisa
May 25, 2015 at 9:02 pmIve tried to find nutritional info for these muffins , I other than 11grams of protein each , could you tell us how many calories, fat, carbohydrate ,sugar levels?
High-Protein Breakfast Recipes - Fit Foodie Finds
June 22, 2015 at 5:00 am[…] Protein Oatmeal Cups from The Healthy Maven […]
Sarah grace spann
February 2, 2016 at 2:44 pmI LOVE that you are sharing a recipe for this because I make something like it all the time!!
Davida Kugelmass
February 2, 2016 at 5:42 pmWonderful! Great minds, my dear 🙂
Mary
July 2, 2015 at 2:28 amlooks great. can i substitute anything for the protein powder?
Davida Kugelmass
July 8, 2015 at 6:42 amI haven’t tried it myself but you could try some ground up rolled oats (oat flour) in place. But again I’ve never tested it. Let me know if you have any luck!
Eric beaudoin
July 14, 2015 at 12:26 amHi there! These cuffins are excellent! For those of you asking about the nutritional facts, here what I came with: (for the protein powder, I used Vega Protein vanilla with 15 g of proteins/scoop… Which might explain why I only got 8g of protein/cup. I also didn’t have any hemp seeds on hand.)
So 148 cal per “cuffins” ; 4.5g of fat; 19g of carbs; 8g of proteins.
Thanks for the recipe!!!
Lorie
September 17, 2015 at 2:32 pmlove the oatmeal cups. one question – what is the calorie count per cup?
Sim
September 19, 2015 at 12:35 pmCan these be made without the protein powder?
Heather Lohnes
February 16, 2016 at 8:26 pmYes I used flour for my muffins
Carrie
September 20, 2015 at 4:50 pmI was worried about the batter because it was very liquidy…but at 21 minutes they came out okay! A little more chewy than my go to oatmeal muffins (which are half oatmeal half whole wheat flour) but they are still good. Protein and nut free! Just what I need for nutrition break with my decaf at school!
Davida Kugelmass
September 22, 2015 at 8:29 amAwesome! So happy to hear you enjoyed them 🙂
Kimberly
November 18, 2015 at 2:39 pmI have made a batch of these every week for the last month – they’re easy, tasty, and give me the basic recipe proportions so that I can change them up a little each time. Bottom line, thank you for sharing this awesome, time-saving breakfast idea!
Davida Kugelmass
November 19, 2015 at 9:31 pmAw I’m so happy to hear that! I’m working on a dairy-free version so I’ve had a bunch of testers laying around that I’ve been munching on. Glad you love them!
Courtney B
December 14, 2015 at 2:56 pmDo you know how many calories are in each cup?
GSan
April 20, 2016 at 10:06 amJust a note – while it may seem obvious to most cooks that the wet and dry ingredients should be mixed together to make the batter, your recipe skips that step. I taught myself to cook by just following online recipes. Without any experience in the kitchen, that missing that step could cause some confusion. That said, I made these for my daughter this morning and they are really delicious!
Davida Kugelmass
April 20, 2016 at 12:42 pmYou are so right! Just went in and updated the recipe. Thanks for pointing out the confusion. Glad you enjoyed!
Servings Blog
June 10, 2016 at 6:19 amThe Protein Packed Shake Now
[…] e tough, which is basically always my experience with baking with protein powder […]
Sekuc Blog
July 3, 2016 at 5:19 pmThe Protein Packed Shake Now
[…] towel in but then I thought about all of your shinning faces, and I got back to […]
Michelle Ovalle
July 9, 2016 at 5:14 pmHello,
I was just wondering if you had the full nutrition information for these muffins. They sound delicious, and just want to make sure they fit into my diet. Thanks so much!
Michelle
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
July 11, 2016 at 11:04 amHi Michelle! Unfortunately I don’t. You can read more on my stance regarding nutrition charts here under “approach to health”: https://www.thehealthymaven.com/about-me
Katie
August 1, 2016 at 12:34 pmWhat do you think about subbing out with oats with cooked quinoa? or maybe quinoa flakes?
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
August 1, 2016 at 9:44 pmquinoa flakes would be a great replacement!
Ewvar Blog
August 6, 2016 at 12:01 amThe Protein Packed Shake
[…] ing with protein powder. I thought about turning the towel in but then I thought […]
Chelsea
September 5, 2016 at 5:26 pmAre these suppose to be super moist? I cook mine for 35 minutes and they are still very moist on the inside – seems almost undercooked.
I do like them though – I’ve done chocolate chip, pumpkin (1 can of pumpkin puree), blueberry, and banana (3 bananas) nut. Just want to know if they are suppose to be this moist or if I’m doing something wrong.
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
September 6, 2016 at 10:05 amThey’re definitely moist, but adding pumpkin and banana is probably what’s making them seem more moist than usual.
Sarjay
February 2, 2017 at 10:52 amI have tried multiple attempts at making a tasty protein muffin, complete with protein powder, and this is the first recipe that actually accomplished that! Tasty, moist and customizable muffins. Thank you for this!
Cinthya
March 2, 2017 at 12:49 pmI followed the recipe exactly and was blown away. I am sharing this recipe with all my fitness friends. I didn’t expect much from a healthy, protein packed recipe, but they were genuinely really, really tasty. Thank you for sharing!
Vicki
March 7, 2017 at 10:02 amWhat do you think about switching out the protein for peanut butter powder? Do you think that would work? Baking can be so tricky!
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
March 7, 2017 at 1:37 pmIt’s hard to say when I haven’t tried it myself. I feel like it might work, but that may also make for a really heavy peanutty flavor. Let me know if you try it out!
healthyBlogger
March 14, 2017 at 10:40 amBrillant recipe! I love your muffins and with coffee it’s just fantastic 🙂 I eat them for breakfast or after dinner, great taste!
Yvette
March 20, 2017 at 12:15 pmCan’t wait to make these!
Is it ok for kids to have protein powder?
carmen
April 8, 2017 at 10:13 amrealize this recipe was posted some time ago but made them this morning and they are perfect! so glad to find a successful recipe using protein powder. stirred in some chia seeds and into my blueberry cups I added toasted pecans. Delicious! have some with chocolate chips – I am taking one on the road this morning for fuel during errands! thanks for sharing!
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
April 10, 2017 at 10:50 amSo happy to hear you enjoyed, Carmen!
Daisy
May 3, 2017 at 2:51 pmDo you have the nutrition information for these muffins? Thanks.
Kristen
May 22, 2017 at 8:52 pmThese were so delicious! I love baking with protein powder and this recipe was exactly what I was looking for. Made them last week with chocolate chips and blueberries. Didn’t have any hemp seeds on hand but added a T of ground flax seed. Turned out great! I wanted to know if I could add mashed up bananas as a new variety? Would I need to substitute anything for it? Maybe the honey and less applesauce? Can’t wait to make them again!
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
May 23, 2017 at 6:04 pmHey Kristen! So happy you enjoyed. Just sub the applesauce for banana and they should work out perfectly 🙂 Feel free to decrease the honey as well if you don’t want too much sweetness.
Liza V.
August 28, 2017 at 8:33 amThese cups are delish, I followed the recipe and everything works great together…first time using hemp seeds, and I love the crunchy nuttiness. Thank you for all the options, I’m sure the next batch will be just as yummy!
Theresa
February 12, 2018 at 8:54 amHow much is a scoop of protein powder? I only have packets
Tara
March 7, 2018 at 2:20 pmThank you for this recipe!! This has become one of my go tos for breakfast, I make a couple of batches and freeze them. I love that it’s customizable, I usually grind the oats in my bullet to give them more of a muffin consistency, and I have substituted the apple sauce for ripe banana and the protein powder for powder peanut butter and they’ve turned out great. Again, thank you for sharing this recipe!
Brandy Price
May 29, 2018 at 10:06 pmHow long do you think they last in the freezer, and how would you reheat them? 🙂
Dawn
July 28, 2018 at 11:22 amI am making these as gift jars. I know the customizable part is called “toppings” but could it be mixed right in? And what generic amount? I’d like to say “You may mix in 1/2 cup addition of your choice, for example, chocolate chips, walnuts, or blueberries.” Thoughts?
Julie
November 10, 2018 at 7:44 pmDo you know how much G protein is in each cup?
Just made them for my son for easy breakfasts and they are a big hit! 🙂
Rita
January 9, 2019 at 8:18 amIs this a mini muffin pan or regular size muffin pan?
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
January 9, 2019 at 12:36 pmregular!
Kristin E
January 20, 2019 at 10:29 pmI made these today and was really disappointed after reading so many great reviews. I make oatmeal muffins all the time, but they aren’t the healthiest. I thought this would be a great, healthier alternative. I found them to be extremely dense and the center seemed almost slimy. I even tried to put butter on them but just couldn’t eat them, and my family didn’t like them either. This recipe might be too extreme of a switch, we probably need something that’s in between what I usually make and these. I really wanted to like them. 🙁
★
Destry L Maynard
February 12, 2019 at 5:07 pmHi there. Do you have any nutritional values for these. I am diabetic and have to watch my sugars.