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Vegan baked steel cut oatmeal cups are a perfect way to enjoy breakfast on the go. Packed with apples & dried cranberries, they are oil-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free.
Let it be known: I take requests. Happily.
This one comes direct from Denise, who asked if I might consider some portable versions of steel-cut oats, as opposed to rolled oats. It is my pleasure to share the delicious results of my recipe testing: Vegan Steel Cut Oatmeal Cups, loaded with apples and cranberries and made in a muffin tin.
If you have not tried steel-cut oats before now, I hope that this recipe will encourage you to give them a try. They are made from the entire oat groat that has been cut rather than steamed and rolled (rolled oats). The results are hearty, rich and so satisfying.
They have great eye appeal, which is an added boost for beginning the day.
Table of Contents
- Recipe Benefits
- Ingredients
- Step by Step Instructions
- Step One: Pre-Soak the Steel Cut Oats
- Step Two: Preheat the Oven & Prepare Muffin Tin
- Step Three: Combine the Ingredients
- Step Four: Portion the Oat Mixture
- Step Five: Bake
- Storage
- Variations
- FAQ
- Serving Suggestions
- Related Recipes
- Steel Cut Oatmeal Cups Recipe
Recipe Benefits
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Oil-free
- Gluten-free (be sure to use certified gluten-free steel cut oats)
- Refined sugar free
- Fruit sweetened
- Easy to make
- Frugal
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- uncooked steel cut oats
- 2 large apples
- dried cranberries
- whole psyllium husks (see notes for using psyllium powder)
- ground cinnamon (more or less to taste)
- nondairy milk (e.g., oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk)
You will also need some regular tap water for baking the oats. Salt is optional/adjustable, but I recommend adding it to bring out the flavors.
If you are wondering about the psyllium: it acts like a vegan “egg” to hold these together. It makes them firm enough to be hand-held (i.e., portable breakfast on the go!).
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
Step One: Pre-Soak the Steel Cut Oats
Pre-soaking is exactly as it sounds: cover the oats with water, refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours), and then drain when ready to use. This soaking dramatically plumps the oats and slashes the subsequent cooking time.
- Fast-Soak Option: You can also fast-soak the oats. Cover the oats with boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes, then drain.
Step Two: Preheat the Oven & Prepare Muffin Tin
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Grease or spray all 12 cups of a standard size muffin tin.
Step Three: Combine the Ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine the drained oats, chopped apples, cranberries, psyllium, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
The sweetness from the fruits eliminates the need for added sugar and keeps the oats creamy and flavorful.
Step Four: Portion the Oat Mixture
Divide the steel cut oat mixture evenly between cups (the cups will be nearly full). Pour 2 tablespoons of milk over each cupful of oats mixture.
Step Five: Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 24 to 27 minutes until tops are golden brown. Cool completely in the tin tin before removing (run a dull knife around the edges to loosen).
Storage
Store the cooled steel cut oats cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Variations
You can change the type of fresh fruit and dried fruit in the recipe. For fresh fruit, consider replacing the apples with peaches or apricots in summer, and then pears or persimmons when fall approaches.
The dried fruit options are vast: swap the dried cranberries for raisins, chopped dried apricots, dried blueberries, dried cherries, chopped dried figs, or chopped prunes.
FAQ
- I only have psyllium husk powder, not whole psyllium husks. How much should I use? If you have psyllium powder, rather than whole psyllium husks, you will need to use 1 teaspoon of the powder. This is the same weight (5 grams) as 1 tablespoon whole psyllium husks.
Serving Suggestions
These are wonderful cold, or gently re-warm in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, and they make a great snack in addition to a (literally) handy, filling breakfast to-go.
Happy Baking!
Related Recipes
Steel Cut Oatmeal Cups
Equipment
- 1 standard size muffin tin (12-count)
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked steel cut oats
- water for soaking
- 2 large apples, peeled and chopped (pretty fine)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon whole psyllium husks, (see notes for using psyllium powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, more or less, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, more less, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups nondairy milk, divided use (e.g., soy milk, almond milk, oat milk)
Instructions
- The day before making these, place the oats in a bowl or container and fill with water to cover the oats. Refrigerate at least 8 hours. When ready to proceed, drain the oats, discarding water.Fast-Soak Option: You can also fast-soak the oats. Cover the oats with boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes, then drain.
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Grease or spray all 12 cups of a standard size muffin tin.
- In a medium bowl, combine the drained oats, chopped apples, cranberries, psyllium, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Divide the oat mixture evenly between cups (cups will be nearly full). Pour 2 tablespoons of milk over each muffin cup of oats mixture.
- Bake in preheated oven for 24 to 27 minutes until tops are golden brown. Cool completely in tin before removing. Serve room temperature, chilled, or re-warmed (microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds).
This was great! The one time I served steel cuts to my husband, he barely ate it and said he didn’t like eating rice for breakfast :)) so I was skeptical he would eat this. He loved it! And so did I. I doubled the recipe and used my Silpat 6 Hole Large Round Tray molds to batch cook. I didn’t have psyllium so I doubled the amount of ground flax (did not pre-mix, just threw it in), only had 3 medium size apples (left skins on) and only had unsweetened raisins. I cut the amount of oat milk by a 1/2c bc it filled up the mold. Next time, I’ll try exactly as written (probably using flax though) and add a lot more soaking water to see if I can get a better ‘cake’ out of it – I suspect I will. Slightly labor intensive – mixed all dry ingredients into a jar night before) but this was delicious and totally works for batches. Repeating another comment, be sure to use a sheet pan underneath for when the milk spills over. Thank you, Camilla!!
I am so happy they were a success, Rosie! Thank you so much for sharing your techniques 😊
Could I use water instead of milk
That should work fine, Natalie! 😊
I really wanna make this, but I dont really have plant based milk as an option, would dairy milk also work ?
Hi Noora,
Yes, you can definitely use dairy milk 🙂
I haven’t made this yet, but I intend to. What’s the best method for draining the oats? Thank you!
Hi Darcey,
You can strain them through a mesh sieve, or a colander, to remove the soaking liquid. Cheers!
I made these with dried apricots (chopped), dried cranberries, 2 Tbsp chia seeds (soaked in water) and pumpkin seeds. I used oat milk to top them off. I baked them in silicone muffin pans and they were perfect. I had no trouble getting them out of the pan. I placed the silicone on a cookie sheet for stability and it also caught some overspill. I’m putting these on my breakfast rotation.
Your variation sounds so delicious, Karen! Thanks for sharing the chia seed option , in particular. So glad that these worked so well for you 😊
Hello! Is there a version of this that is sliceable or spoonsble? in a pan? I don’t want to do individual
Hi Rebekah,
You can make this in an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan (same quantities), and leave out the psyllium husk so that it is spoonable. Should still be same temp and time (may need a few more minutes, but not much, if any) 🙂
I don’t have psyllium husk in my pantry, but I have flax seeds and xanthan gum . Would either of those be a good substitute?
Hi Dani,
I think the flaxseed should work fine— I suggest two tablespoons to replace the psyllium. Just let them cool before attempting to remove them and I think all will go well! 😊
Hiya, I tried making these this evening. I substituted chia seeds for the psyllium husk (because I worry about the studies linking psyllium to cancer) but it didn’t seem to work. Do you have any suggestions as to other binding agents that might work?
Thanks,
Jessamine.
Hi Jessamine,
Shoot, I’m sorry that chia seeds did not work. Do you mind my asking how much you used? The psyllium husk is pretty powerful; I would double the amount of chia seeds, ideally crush or grind them, and let them soak in the milk to gel before adding to the oat-apple mixture. But you could also use flaxseed meal here. I would use 3 tbsp. and add it to the milk (increase the milk by about 1 tbsp.) and let sit about 5 minutes to thicken slightly before adding to the oats. Hoe these help, Jessamine, let me know! 🙂
Hi Jessamine,
I have not been able to find any clinical scientific research linking psyllium to cancer; if there is some, please let me know! (I have seen some discussion boards and alt health websites, but not any research to back up the claims). University of Maryland Medical Center has a good review of the uses and health benefits of psyllium, and concludes with an extensive list of the supportive research from sources including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Assoc, Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, and the American Journal of Public Health.
AFAIR the study was on the use of psyllium as a laxative rather than in cooking, so I might be being unnecessarily paranoid. I will see if I can find it again and post the link.
Thanks Jessamine, I will look for it! 🙂
Thanks for the tips. As it happens, I left the pucks on the worktop overnight, thinking I would scrape them out of the muffin pan and into the compost in the morning, only to find this morning that, although they were not quite as ‘portable’ as I had hoped, they had firmed up quite a bit and tasted great. Half have since been devoured by my husband and I, and the rest are in the freezer (not sure if freezing will work, but I thought it was worth a try). I think if I double the chia, as you suggest, they should be perfect. Thanks for the recipe and the helpful response.
Oh, that’s great, Jessamine! Oats have a lot of sticking power in and of themselves, so I can see how the sitting time would add some firmness. Thinking about that…for you and others who do not want flax, chia OR psyllium, adding some ground oats to the mix (about 3 tbsp ground oats) will likely make these hold together, too. I’ll test it for certain and post the results 🙂
Yay! This was my request. Thank so you much! I made them this morning and they are dee-lish! I subbed raisins for the cranberries (because I didn’t have any), and added 2 T of pure maple syrup (so 1/2 t per puck) but next time I will try them without the maple syrup.
Yippee whahoo! Thanks for the inspiration, Denise 🙂 Another steel cut oats recipe is coming tomorrow 🙂
I heard you take food requests Camilla… That is great! I have tried all of your pucks so far but 5 and since half of them are my favourite, I have few wishes. I would be happy to see more pucks using peanut flour, more savory using almond flour, like the mushroom breads that I love so much (even I put some carrots in). I really love the nut based pucks like the superseed breads and mushroom-rosemary. And one more thing – I am hoping you could include some avocado in the pucks. I understand the problem here that it does not last long fresh and will not be suitable as a portable puck.
I wish you all well! You are amazing cook and I am waiting forward to your future posts.
I am on it, Daniela! New posts per your request starting this week! 🙂
Looks good! Will try this with gluten free certified oats.
Great, Cinji! Let me know how they turn out 🙂
I have never cooked steel cut oats or any other type of oats. For my oatmeal, I put the steel cut oats in a container, add raisins and cinnamon, and then cover with milk. I keep in the fridge overnight. Next morning, I put the mixture in a bowl, add a tiny bit of milk, and warm in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes because I don’t like my oatmeal cold.
I love them that way, too, Fareeda 🙂 I have a recipe for no-bake steelcut oats on the site