I’ve got a brand new, fun, festive breakfast recipe to warm your home this holiday season. We’re on a bit of a gingerbread kick here at AK, and I know how much you all LOVE baked oatmeal and oatmeal cups (especially this time of year).
These easy gingerbread oatmeal cups are baked up with warming spices and sweetness from a little blackstrap molasses and pure maple syrup. You know I had to jazz them up a bit, too, so I mixed juicy chunks of pears right into the cups and topped them with the glorious salted brown butter glaze that I can’t stop adding to baked goods.
They’re truly the perfect holiday brunch recipe or just a cozy, nourishing breakfast to make during the week. Freezer-friendly, and a guaranteed hit with the kiddos!
Ingredients in these gingerbread oatmeal cups
These easy oatmeal cups have a few key ingredients that make them perfectly sweet and spiced:
- Butter: we’re browning that butter, of course! It adds moisture and cozy, rich flavor to the oatmeal cups. You’ll reserve a little for the icing as well.
- Eggs: you’ll need 2 eggs to help the oatmeal cups baked up properly.
- Sweetener: we’re sweetening these oatmeal cups with pure maple syrup and blackstrap molasses. The molasses is what gives them that true gingerbread flavor!
- Milk: feel free to use any milk you’d like to keep the oatmeal cups moist. I like to use unsweetened almond milk.
- Oats: the key to oatmeal cups is (of course) old fashioned rolled oats. Use gluten-free rolled oats to keep them gluten-free.
- Spices: we’re packing these cups with warming spices like ground ginger, cinnamon, and allspice.
- Baking staples: don’t forget the salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract.
- For the glaze: I’ve been adding this incredible glaze to lots of desserts, and it takes these oatmeal cups to the next level. You’ll use reserved brown butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
- Mix-ins: I love adding a chopped pear or apple for even more seasonal flavor!
Molasses = the key to gingerbread
A lot of people ask if they can skip the molasses in gingerbread-flavored recipes, and the answer is no! Not only does molasses provide delicious sweetness to these oatmeal cups, but 1 tablespoon of it has 20% of your daily iron needs.
Can I make them dairy-free or vegan?
- To make dairy-free: you can use vegan butter or melted coconut oil instead of real butter. However, do not try ‘browning’ either of those options, as it will not work. For the glaze, I recommend using ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla then spooning over the cups.
- To make vegan: I haven’t tried using flax eggs in this recipe but let me know if you do! Learn how to make flax eggs with this tutorial.
Can I use steel cut or quick oats?
I would not recommend using steel cut or quick oats in these gingerbread baked oatmeal cups as the texture will be much different. Rolled oats keep the oatmeal cups light and fluffy, whereas steel cut oats will likely give them a gritty texture.
How to brown butter
The brown butter adds such an incredible flavor to the gingerbread oatmeal cups themselves AND to the glaze. It’s easier to make than you think! Get all of my tips and tricks for browning butter in this post and get ready to add it to literally everything.
Yes, you can make regular baked oatmeal
Not into oatmeal cups or muffins? Feel free to use this recipe to make regular gingerbread baked oatmeal:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×9 inch pan with oil or nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Make the oatmeal “batter” as directed, and pour it into your prepared baking pan.
- Bake it up for 35-45 minutes until the center is set. Let the baked oatmeal cool before slicing and enjoying!
How to store these gingerbread baked oatmeal cups
- To store: you can make these oatmeal cups ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Once ready to eat, just reheat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
- To freeze: simply allow them to cool completely after baking, then place them in an airtight container or reusable bag such as these and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to eat, you can microwave them for 45 seconds-1 minute or until warm.
More oatmeal recipes
Get all of my oatmeal recipes here!
I hope you love these gingerbread oatmeal cups! If you make them, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal Cups with Salted Brown Butter Glaze
Cozy gingerbread oatmeal cups baked with plenty of spices, sweet molasses, and rich brown butter. Top these festive gingerbread baked oatmeal cups with an easy, delicious salted brown butter glaze for the ultimate holiday breakfast kiddos will love!
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons (57g) salted butter
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (78g) pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- 1 ¾ cups (420g) unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of choice)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups (225g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional mix-ins:
- 1 medium ripe bartlett pear (or apple), diced (about 3/4 cup diced pears)
- For the brown butter glaze:
- 1 tablespoon reserved brown butter (from above)
- ½ cup (52g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons milk of choice, to thin glaze
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners and then spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.
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First, brown your butter: add butter to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Once melted, the butter will begin to crackle, and then eventually foam. This will take a few minutes. Make sure you whisk constantly during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown and turn a nice golden amber color on the bottom of the saucepan. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
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Remove 1 tablespoon of the brown butter from the pan and transfer to a small bowl. We’ll use this later for the glaze.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pure maple syrup, molasses, almond milk and vanilla extract.
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Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients: oats, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Mix until combined, then stir in diced pears (if using) and the remaining 3 tablespoons of brown butter that has slightly cooled in the pan.
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Evenly divide the mixture into the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the edges are slightly golden brown and the center is set, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
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Make the brown butter glaze: In the bowl with the 1 tablespoon of reserved brown butter (make sure it is still liquid and hasn’t solidified but if it is solid just warm in the microwave for 10 seconds or so), add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon milk and stir until well combined. If necessary, add additional milk, ½ teaspoon at a time, to thin out the glaze so you can drizzle it over the oatmeal cups. Drizzle back and forth over the muffin cups, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Enjoy with a cup of coffee!
Recipe Notes
To make gluten-free: Be sure to use gluten free rolled oats if you’d like to make this recipe gluten free.
See the full post for tips, tricks & freezing instructions!
Nutrition
Serving: 1oatmeal cupCalories: 195calCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 4.1gFat: 6.4gSaturated Fat: 2.9gFiber: 2.7gSugar: 13.6g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
