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Oatmeal Get Up and Go Muffins

October 3, 2012 by The Runaway Spoon 5 Comments

When the reality of the new school year and the end of summer hit, having a quick, portable breakfast on hand can be a serious boon.  And these muffins fit the bill.  I often find muffins labeled “healthy” to be leaden gut bombs, but these are light and tender, thanks to the magic of buttermilk.  Oats provide a nice, sustained energy level and soaking them in the buttermilk prevents that chewy, gritty texture you sometimes find in baked goods with oatmeal.  These are not excessively sweet muffins, so no sugar crash, and the applesauce keeps the flavor up and the fat content down.

But the real beauty of these muffins is their versatility.  While delicious straight up, the recipe below is really the blueprint for your own creativity.  When you stir in the applesauce*, add your  favorite dried fruit and/or nut combo, and any spice that tickles your fancy.  Try ½ cup dried cranberries and ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.  Or make that ¼ cup cranberries and ¼ cup chopped walnuts.  Or raisins and cinnamon.  Blueberries and nutmeg.  Pecans and apple pie spice.  I often scoop half a batch of plain batter to the tin, then add my additions to the second half.  These muffins are delicious fresh, but will last for three days in an airtight container.  When they are completely cooled, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and pop into the freezer in a zipper bag.  Just pull one out the night before and you are ready to go.

And one note on the yield.  I have been fiddling with this recipe for years, and I simply lack the mathematical skills to make it an even dozen.  If the anomaly truly bothers you, divide the batter between all 12 cups and you’ll get smaller muffins.

Oatmeal Get-Up-And-Go Muffins

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 egg

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsweetened apple sauce

Place the oats in a large bowl and pour over the buttermilk.  Stir gently with a spoon to cover the oats, then leave to sit for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Grease 10 cups of a muffin pan.

Stir the egg and brown sugar into the oat mixture until combined.  Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir until just barely mixed.  Add the applesauce (and any add-ins*) and stir until just combined.  Don’t’ stir too hard or too long or the muffins will be tough.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups (I use a large cookie scoop).  Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Yields 10 – 11 muffins

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Filed Under: Breakfast And Brunch, Snacks And Starters Tagged With: bread, breakfast, buttermilk, muffins, oatmeal

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barb says

    October 4, 2012 at 4:37 pm

    Hi there. I just love your site. I fell on it as a “happy accident” recently, and have shared it with many. My question is would these still come out if I used cupcake liners. It would make clean-up a breeze. Thank-you in advance. Barb

  2. The Runaway Spoon says

    October 4, 2012 at 4:43 pm

    Thanks for reading! And sure, you can use muffin papers, no worries.

  3. Nori Naylor says

    October 4, 2012 at 7:08 pm

    We prepare muffins for our guests every morning. Always looking for more easy to make recipes. Like the buttermilk instead of regular milk. Will definitely try this one.

  4. The Runaway Spoon says

    October 4, 2012 at 8:30 pm

    Buttermilk makes everything better! Enjoy!

  5. Nancie McDermott says

    October 6, 2012 at 8:32 am

    “…leaden gut bombs…” Yep, that says it. I will make these. I actually have everything except applesauce on hand. While getting (or making???) the applesauce, I will get some dried cranberries and walnut, which sound like a divine addition to a good thing.

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I'm P.C. I think I am like most people. Somewhere in the middle between food snob and food schlub. Just being in the kitchen makes me happy. I live, mostly in my kitchen, in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

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