Make Ahead Freezer Oatmeal Cups are the breakfast idea you have been waiting for. They are satisfying, delicious, and so darn easy to make!
If you’ve been looking for a super-easy breakfast – this is it. I feel like I’m always saying that to you guys, but I’m always on a mission to save time in the morning, so this is my latest idea.
These oatmeal cups are portable (easy to take to work!), you can add your favorite toppings, and they can be made from leftovers!
I remember buying a box of steel cut oat cups from Trader Joe’s a while ago, and they were so handy, but I knew I could save a few bucks if I were to just make them myself.
🥣 Why This Recipe Works
Prepare enough to feed a crowd – Make a big batch of your favorites and freeze them all in one go. When we talk about meal prepping, this is about as easy as it gets.
Freezer friendly – Double the batch of your favorite recipe one morning, and freeze the leftovers.
Kid-Friendly – If you have trouble getting your kids to eat a healthy breakfast, offer them these. They will devour them.
🍽️ Instructions
Step One: Cook steel cut oats using your favorite method. Let cool. I placed one cup of steel cut oats into the rice cooker with four cups of water and turned it on to the “white rice” setting. If you have a “porridge setting” cook for two hours.
Here are a few alternative instructions:
- Old Fashioned Night Before Method: Boil one cup of water per ¼ cup of steel cut oats. Boil water and add the oats, stir and shut off the stove. Add the lid and go to bed. The oats are perfect the next morning.
- Pressure Cooker Method: Use two cups of steel cut oats to five cups of water and stir. Seal and cook for four minutes and let it naturally release.
- Stove Top Method: Boil 2 ½ cups of water in a saucepan. Once it comes to a boil, pour in one cup of steel oats and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes. Keep your eye on it as it likes to bubble up a lot.
- Slow Cooker Method: Place ratio of 1.5 cups of steel cut oats to four cups of water in a slow cooker. Turn on low for 7-8 hours.
Step Two: If you’d like to mix in any toppings (like fruit, raisins, cinnamon, etc.) add them in before portioning it into cups. Add the oatmeal into muffin tins and freeze for at least three hours, or until it is solid.
Step Three: Remove from freezer and press a spoon or a butter knife along an edge to pop the cups out. Put them into a gallon freezer safe bag. I also like to double wrap in saran these if I know I won’t eat them immediately.
I don’t grease the muffin tins, because I don’t want the extra “stuff” on the oatmeal cups, but I’m sure it would make popping them out easier. Definitely use a silicone muffin pan if you have one.
If you’re having trouble getting them out, carefully run the bottom of the muffin tin under cold water, being sure to not wet the oatmeal cups (cover the front with a dish cloth), then use a spoon or butter knife to pop them out.
If you want rounded tops, just add extra oats to the top and use a spoon to make a dome shape. I honestly just did that for the pictures. They look pretty while frozen, but it’s just going to look like a regular bowl of oatmeal in the end. 🙂
🔥 Heating Instructions
Place two oatmeal cups in a microwave-safe bowl. Add in two tablespoons of water. Microwave for about three minutes. Break apart the oatmeal cups. Stir in your desired amount of milk. Microwave for an additional minute.
❗ Expert Tips
The best tip I can give you when you make these is to use a silicon muffin pan so they will release once you have them frozen. The photos shown is how they’ve been made prior to realizing the error of my ways.
Add a little bit of sugar, fruit and nuts to these before you freeze them so you have a complete breakfast ready to microwave when you pull it out of the freezer. I used to put the toppings on later but this is a big time saver.
This is a great recipe to use when you have “a little of this and a little of that” left in your pantry. You know when you have just a smidge of sliced almonds left. Scour the pantry and clean out when you go to make these.
❓ Recipe FAQ
It is often said that because steel cut oats are minimally processed which gives them more fiber which results in the healthiest grain you can eat.
Yes, you can. Cook the oatmeal as you normally would and make the freezer cups and proceed as normal.
Make Ahead Freezer Steel Cut Oatmeal Cups
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Rice Cooker
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- Steel Cut Oats
- Water
Instructions
Old Fashioned Night Before Method
- Boil 1 cup of water per ¼ cup of steel cut oats. Boil water and add the oats, stir and shut off the stove. Add the lid and go to bed. The oats are perfect the next morning.
Pressure Cooker Method
- Ratio is 2 cups of steel cut oats to 5 cups of water and stir. Seal and cook for 4 minutes and naturally release. That may not seem like much time but the warming up takes some time and the natural release takes 10-15 minutes. Add in toppings or form into the muffins and freeze.
Stove Top Method
- Boil 2 ½ cups of water in a saucepan. Once it comes to a boil, pour 1 cup of steel oats in the pan and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes. Keep your eye on it as it likes to bubble up a lot. Test and make sure it is the consistency you like and if not, cook an additional 5-7 minutes. Add in toppings or form into the muffins and freeze.
Slow Cooker Method
- Place ratio of 1.5 cups of steel cut oats to 4 cups of water in a slow cooker. Turn on low for 7-8 hours. Add in toppings or form into the muffins and freeze.
Rice Cooker Method
- Put one cup of steel cut oats into the rice cooker with 4 cups of water and turn on the "white rice" setting. If you have a "porridge setting" cook for 2 hours.
Add Toppings and Freeze
- Once you chosen your way to cook the steel cut oats, and they are done, add in any toppings, (like fruit, raisins, cinnamon, etc.) before portioning it into cups. Scoop the oatmeal into muffin tins. Freeze for at least three hours, or until they are solid.
- Remove from freezer and press a spoon or a butter knife along an edge to pop them out. Put in a gallon sized freezer safe bag. I also like to double wrap these if I know I won't eat them immediately.
Heating
- Place two oatmeal cups in a microwave-safe bowl. Add in 2 tbsp. of water. Microwave for about three minutes. Break apart oatmeal cups. Stir in your desired amount of milk. Microwave for an additional minute.
Notes
Hi!
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
so easy and yummy
How else could you hear these up? Would stove top work?
Would this work with regular rolled oats?
What nice oatmeals freeze in a cup.