These healthy breakfast granola cups call for just six ingredients, and you can fill them with fruit, yogurt, or anything you wish!
Oatmeal breakfast granola cups
If you are looking for a fun and healthy snack or breakfast for the entire family, vegan granola cups are the perfect choice.
Just look at how cute they are!
The recipe is packed with whole grains and fiber. And it’s super easy to customize, so you can try out different flavors each morning to suit your cravings.
Chocolate chip, apple cinnamon, banana bread, and pumpkin pie are just a few of the unlimited options you can choose to create.
Breakfast will never be boring again.
Readers also love this Protein Banana Bread
Healthy granola cup filling ideas
These fancy breakfast cups are one of my go-to recipes for brunch parties.
Serve them with a bowl of Greek yogurt or vegan yogurt, fresh mint leaves, and an array of berries, and let guests assemble their own.
Or make them up ahead of time and fill the cups with Lemon Mousse, mashed banana, chocolate pudding, Strawberry Mousse, or coconut whipped cream.
They are also great for dessert. Fill each with Brownie Batter Dip or Oreo Fluff or Pumpkin Dip, or with no bake Peanut Butter Mousse.
Garnish with shaved dark chocolate, raw cacao nibs, shredded coconut, fresh blueberries, blackberries, and sliced mango, or mini chocolate chips.
Step by step recipe video
Above, watch the full recipe video.
Ingredients
With just a few basic ingredients, these oatmeal cups are surprisingly easy to make.
Oats – Old fashioned rolled oats make up the base of the recipe. You may substitute quick oats or instant oats if you prefer.
For gluten free granola cups, use certified gluten free oats or replace them for an equal amount of rolled quinoa flakes.
Applesauce – Use sweetened or unsweetened applesauce. Or change up the flavor by swapping it for mashed banana or sweet potato, canned pumpkin, or yogurt instead.
Cinnamon – Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon adds flavor depth and natural sweetness without extra sugar.
I also sometimes like to add a tiny pinch of ground cardamom, or ginger. If you do not have any cinnamon or spices on hand, you may leave them out.
Sweetener – The recipe works with either honey or agave. Pure maple syrup will yield more crumbly results but still tastes great.
You might be able to replace the liquid sweetener with sugar free powdered stevia or erythritol if you increase the applesauce to make up for the decreased moisture. I have never tried a version without sugar, so let me know if you experiment.
Pinch of salt – Adding a little salt compliments the sweet oats and heightens the flavor. While I recommend following the recipe to the letter the first time, you may be fine leaving the salt out if you are accustomed to low sodium baked goods.
Vanilla extract – As with the cinnamon, this ingredient can be omitted without a change in texture or structure of the oat cups. I include it to achieve the best flavor.
Protein breakfast granola cups
While two mini granola cups already provide over five grams of protein, you can easily boost the protein content even more.
Simply exchange the applesauce for a fourth cup of softened almond butter or peanut butter. Replace two tablespoons of the oats with one tablespoon of your favorite protein powder.
This new high protein breakfast recipe gives you thirteen grams of protein for two granola cups or over six grams each!
Sprinkle a handful of chia seeds in with the dry ingredients and garnish with hemp seeds for even more protein, fiber, antioxidants, omega-3s, iron, and calcium.
How to make breakfast granola cups
Begin by greasing a muffin tin or a mini muffin tin very well. Set this pan aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the applesauce, agave, and pure vanilla extract until evenly combined.
Add the rolled oats, salt, and cinnamon to the bowl, and stir well.
Use a spoon to portion the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Press up the sides as firmly as you can, either with a small bowl, a spoon, or your hands.
Preheat the oven to 330 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake the healthy granola cups on the oven’s center rack for twelve minutes, then carefully remove the muffin pan.
Let the cups cool for ten minutes or longer before carefully going around the sides with a knife and popping them out of the tins. This step helps the granola cups to firm up and be less likely to crumble.
Fill with yogurt and fruit for breakfast or Homemade Nutella and raspberries for a healthy snack or dessert.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Or freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw fully before serving and enjoying.
Note: The recipe makes six servings. If you are feeding a family or meal prepping for the week, you can easily double all of the ingredients to yield a dozen.
- 1/4 cup applesauce or mashed banana
- 1/4 cup honey or agave
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats
- yogurt or fresh fruit
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*If you are feeding a family or meal prepping for the week, simply double all of the ingredients to yield a dozen.To make the breakfast granola cups, first grease a muffin tin or mini muffin tin. Set aside. Whisk together the first three ingredients in a bowl. Then stir in all remaining ingredients until evenly mixed. Portion the batter into six muffin cups, pressing up the sides as firmly as you can. Preheat the oven to 330 F. Bake the granola cups for 12 minutes, take out and press the sides into the muffin tins again with a spoon. To prevent crumbling, let sit 10 minutes before attempting to remove from the tins. These can also be frozen and thawed, if desired.View Nutrition Facts
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