Super Simple Blended Oatmeal Spice Muffins

Why muffins…

Making someone breakfast is a great way to let some human know you care about them. If you want them to know you care without forking over bacon – may I suggest this tasty muffin recipe. People will be so grateful for it they won’t even notice that you’re pushing them out the door so you can get on with your day.

Why this recipe…

Let’s be real, most muffins are generally just frosting-less cupcakes, with a little less sugar. This recipe still has plenty of sugar in it, but it’s got oatmeal which can make you feel full for hours. That oatmeal is ground up in the blender so you don’t have some dense chewy muffin to fight through. Just a soft sturdy muffin with a buttery crunchy top.

Ingredients

muffin

1 cup old fashion oats

1 cup milk

1 cup brown sugar (you can use less if you like)

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1tbs molasses (optional)

1tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp coarse salt ( if using table salt use 1/2 tsp)

1 cup flour

topping

1/2 stick butter melted

1/4 cup flower

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oats

1/3 cup sunflower seeds or chopped nuts (optional)

pinch of salt

sprinkle of whatever spices you want

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle. Place all the muffin ingredients in the blender and blend until oatmeal is broken down but not completely pulverized. If your blender has a hard time handling thicker mixtures wait to add the flour until after the oatmeal is broken down. As the mixture sits the ground oatmeal will absorb the milk creating a thicker batter so it’s best to get the batter immediately into an oiled and flowered muffin tin.
2. Mix all the topping ingredients in a smaller bowl with a fork or your fingers. Sprinkle distribute the topping over the pre-muffins and pat into place.
3. Bake for 18-20 minutes, let cool for a few minutes the free those muffins from the pan and enjoy.
   

   Extra credit…

   You really can just throw all the muffin ingredients in the blender, add the topping and bake, but if you’re willing to go the extra mile you should.

   toasted oats

   You can dry fry them in a pan or stick ’em under the broiler, but I think the easiest way to add some more warm flavors to this recipe is to nuke the oats in the microwave. Just spread them out on a plate and let them go for 4 to 7 minutes, stirring every minute or two. They should kinda smell like popcorn and deepen in color. Just be careful if you push them too far or don’t stir often enough your oats will burn and you’ll have to start all over again.

   bloomin’ spices

   Most of the flavor compounds in these spices are actually volatile oils in the powder. So if you have a little extra time you can bloom those flavor in the oil used in the recipe, this will give you a more pleasant well-rounded taste overall. So after my oats are toasted I drop the spice in the middle of the plate pour on some of the vegetable oil and pop it back in the microwave for around 30 more seconds till my microwave smell like a next level cinnamon pop tart.

   go for a double

   For some reason, most recipes are designed to feed Mormon sized families. Which is great if you’ve got 7 people under your roof, but I don’t. So most of the time I like recipes that are a little more modest. But if you’ve got a big team and a blender that can handle it. Feel free to double this recipe that normally only makes 10-12 muffins.

   fresh ground wheat

   I’m not gonna lie to you it’s not gonna make a more pleasant muffin. There will be more nutritional value and a nuttier flavor…but you pay the price with an inferior texture. But if you feel so inclined and you have a fancy ass blender that can grind whole flour go for it…just wait till those wheat berries have been pulverized before you add the rest of the ingredients.