05 February 2010

on-the-go oatmeal cups

oatmeal cups

I actually followed through! I said I was going to come up with more of a breakfasty oatmeal cookie thing based on the oatmeal macaroons I made a few posts ago, and here they are! Filled with pineapple juice-soaked prunes and slivered almonds, these are a perfect way to bring a bowl of oats with you no matter where you are.

oatmeal cups

A few changes were made to make these more suitable for breakfast, one being to keep half of the oats whole, two was decreasing the amount of sugar, and three was adding an extra egg white. While having whole oats made these look more like a traditional oatmeal bar, I preferred the consistency when all the oats were ground. Also, I think these benefited from having a bit more sugar, so next time I'd add a few more tablespoons, or maybe 1/2 cup. Another change was to increase the cooking temperature to 325° and bake the cups for about 20-25 minutes. Unfortunately, the oatmeal seemed to soften overnight after being stored in a ziploc bag for whatever reason, so maybe they needed to be cooked longer and at the lower heat (I should try adding a slice of bread to the bag). I didn't toast the oats and didn't let the mixture chill overnight. So a few changes could have contributed to the chewiness.

oatmeal cups

If you're looking for a protein-enhanced breakfast, this is it. Serve crumbled in a bowl and topped with milk or yogurt, or simply eaten as is, it's a delicious way to start the day, or a great snack that'll leave you satiated between meals.

Recipe after jump.




Print this recipe

oatmeal cups
Recipe by Christina Provo

Make 12

ingredients ~

3/4 cup California Dried Plums, sliced in quarters
1/4 cup pineapple juice
3 1/2 cups whole oatmeal
1/2 cup slivered almonds
4 large egg whites
1/3 cup granulated sugar

directions ~
  1. Preheat oven to 350° degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat pineapple juice until hot in microwave. Pour over dried plums in a small bowl and set aside.

  2. Place half the oats and half the slivered almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the oats are broken up but not a fine powder. Pour into a medium sized bowl with remaining oats and almonds and stir.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites and sugar until frothy, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in prunes with any remaining liquid, then stir in oatmeal until well mixed. Refrigerate mixture for 10 minutes.

  4. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, portion out oat mixture, packing slightly, and invert onto parchment-lined baking sheet, tapping the cup against the sheet gently to remove the oats. Repeat with mixture. If any oat mixture remains, press it lightly on top of cups.

  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. A longer baking time will yield crunchier oatmeal cups. Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Package individually and you're good to go!

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15 comments

  1. Looks simple yet delicious - sounds perfect! And great photos :)

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  2. You are so inspiring and creative, hon! I'm going to *attempt* to make these tomorrow morning. :)

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  3. It actually looks good. How do they taste in comparison to commercailly available products like Fiber One bars?

    Speaking of which, you could also put some melted chocolate on top like those commercially available fiber bars. That would accentuate the sweetness of the bar.

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  4. Jess ~ Yup, really simple. Thanks!

    Tiffers ~ Thank you, and I'm sure you won't have any problem "attempting" these!

    Jogger ~ I haven't had a Fiber One bar recently so I couldn't say, but it's probably not as granola-y as those, and this batch would probably have been better had the oats been toasted. It was rather chewy instead of anywhere close to crispy.

    That's a really great idea with the chocolate. !!! =P

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  5. These look really good...I think I will make them, but I will put cranberries in them instead of prunes...thank you for sharing!

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  6. These look great! I love this idea and how healthy they are. And how good are prunes?? They're so good.

    Thank you! I'm so happy about the giveaway! I really wanted to win. I'm going to message you my address on Facebook in a minute.

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  7. These sound delicious-I love finding new recipes that have oatmeal in them so I can't wait to try this out!

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  8. These look just amzing and healthy too. A crecipe which is a keeper for sure.

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  9. How would you alter the recipe if you wanted no fruit? These individual servings is exactly what I'm looking for! I like oats but I hate prepared oatmeal, so I have a baked oatmeal recipe that i make but its only good to eat immediately after leaving the oven, after an hour or two it sucks.. I'll definitely try this!

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  10. Em ~ Prunes are amazing. I don't know why people hate them, they're wrong.

    Megan ~ Glad I could help, and I hope you like them!

    Chef Catherine ~ Thanks!

    Kemi ~ I hope you see this: I'd just maybe add some extra oats to make up for the prunes, otherwise you probably wouldn't get 12 cups. Or more nuts, if you wanted.

    I've changed the recipe to hopefully make them less soggy/chewy. Basically bake at 325° for 25-35 minutes. It should be golden brown, and they might retain their crispiness longer.

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  11. I love this idea!! Awesome!

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  12. I'm going to forward this recipe over to my mother. She would really appreciate this. Thanks for posting!

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  13. well done! these are so cute AND sound delicious...coming to a grocery store soon? ;)

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  14. Wow these are awesome! My boyfriend just recently started eating healthier and going to a gym. I think I'll have to make these for him! ;)

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  15. Can I substitute orange juice for the pineapple juice?

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Thanks for taking the time to comment. Your thoughts are appreciated! ^,^

~Christina

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