Cottage Cheese Chocolate Hazelnut Oat Cups

If you love chocolate but still want something that feels a little more filling, these cottage cheese chocolate hazelnut oat cups are a great pick.

They are soft, chocolatey, and have a nice surprise of hazelnut spread hiding in the middle.

The cottage cheese is the real secret here. It gets blended until smooth, so you don’t taste it at all, but it makes each cup soft and moist.

I like making a batch of these at the start of the week. They work well for a quick breakfast or a small snack when you want something sweet.

They are also really simple to put together. You blend a few things, mix them with the oats, and let the oven do the rest.

Why I Love This Recipe

Rich Chocolate Flavor – Deep cocoa and creamy hazelnut spread give these oat cups a dessert-like taste that still feels wholesome.

Soft and Moist Texture – Blended cottage cheese keeps every bite tender and never dry, so they melt in your mouth.

Gooey Hazelnut Center – A hidden spoonful of hazelnut spread creates a warm, melty surprise right in the middle.

Naturally Sweetened – Maple syrup adds gentle sweetness without any refined sugar, keeping the flavor clean and cozy.

The Ingredients

• 1 cup Cottage Cheese
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/3 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Rolled Oats
• 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Fine Salt
• 1/3 cup Hazelnut Spread

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

Step 2

Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract until completely smooth.

Step 3

Stir the rolled oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.

Step 4

Add the blended cottage cheese mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until evenly combined.

Step 5

Fill each muffin cup halfway with the oat mixture, add 1 teaspoon of hazelnut spread to the center, and cover with the remaining mixture.

Step 6

Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until the oat cups are set. Cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan.

Quick Tips

Blend the Wet Mix Until Fully Smooth

Cottage cheese has those little curds, and if you don’t blend them out completely, you’ll get lumps of cheese in your finished cups.

My favorite trick here is to blend for a full 30 to 60 seconds until the mixture looks like a smooth, thin batter with no white specks left. This also helps everything mix evenly with the oats.

Hide the Hazelnut Spread in the Center

You’ll get the best results if you make sure that teaspoon of hazelnut spread sits right in the middle and is fully covered by the oat mixture on top.

If it pokes out or sits too close to the edge, it can stick to the pan and make the cups hard to remove. A gooey, molten center is the whole point, so tuck it in well.

Let the Batter Rest Before Baking

From my experience, I’ve found that letting the mixed batter sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before scooping makes a real difference.

The rolled oats soak up some of the liquid during this time, so the cups bake up with a nicer, less soggy texture. If you skip this, they can turn out a little too wet in the middle.

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Quick Answers

Can I use quick oats or steel cut oats instead of rolled oats?

Quick oats will work but they soak up more liquid, so your cups may turn out a little softer and more cake-like in texture.

Steel cut oats are not a good swap here because they stay firm and chewy even after baking, so stick with rolled oats or quick oats for the best result.