Baked Oatmeal Muffins

I'll be the first to admit that I have a picky palate. I typically like almost anything, but sometimes my taste buds sort of freak out on me. Take breakfast, for example. A lot of people like having sweets in the morning, but even a banana is too sweet sometimes; I need savory eats to satisfy me...usually. I do like French toast and pancakes on the weekends for brunch and occasionally oatmeal when it's cold outside. See, I told you I have a picky palate!

So when Natalie posted a recipe for a Baked Oatmeal that didn't look too sweet, I was intrigued. I made it right away and actually liked it! But here's the weird thing: I actually wanted it a little sweeter. Since she posted the recipe I've made it just about every week, tweaking it every time and trying to get it just right. Finally, after several attempts, I have a version I really enjoy eating.

The original recipe calls for making this casserole-style, but for the past few weeks I've been making them in muffin tins and I'm loving the convenience of having muffins ready throughout the week. My husband usually grabs two (or three or four) and eats them for breakfast on his way to work. If I have it for breakfast I'll heat a couple up and pour milk over them or I'll have one muffin along with an egg for some protein. They're also great as a snack before or after a workout.

If you make these keep in mind that they're not traditional muffins, so they won't really rise. Also, play around with the extra ingredients; use what you have on hand already! The amount of muffins you'll get in a batch will also vary depending on your add-ins.

Baked Oatmeal Muffins

adapted from Oven Love

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1/4 cup butter, melted (can use butter substitute)

1/4 cup agave nectar or honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons flax seeds

4 ounces applesauce (one small container)

1 apple, peeled and grated

1 1/4 milk

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1/4—1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1/4—1/2 cup dried fruit (optional; I've been adding dried apples and dried cranberries)

1/4—1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit (optional; I've been using frozen blueberries—I don't thaw them before adding)

Directions:

Line two muffin tins with muffin/cupcake liners. Preheat oven to 375f (180c).  

In a large bowl stir together all ingredients except oats and add-ins. Once everything is combined, mix in oats nuts and dried fruit. Carefully fold in fresh or frozen fruit.

 

Let oat mixture sit and soak for 30 minutes at room temperature. After 30 minutes, scoop mixture into muffin cups (using 1/4 or 1/3 cup servings). Bake for 15-20* minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean. (*Mine are done after about 15 minutes, but I have a tiny oven, so yours may need longer.) Pop the muffins out of the tin and let cool completely on a cooling rack. Will keep in the fridge in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to a week.

Oat Waffles

When my husband was a little boy, his dad would wake up early every Sunday morning to make waffles for the family. My husband loved this tradition, so when he requested we put a waffle maker on our wedding registry, I happily went along with the idea, thinking that we'd maybe eat waffles a couple times a year. Little did I know that when he said he liked waffles he really meant that he wanted to make them almost every Sunday. And even better (for me!) it meant he'd make them while I was still sound asleep. Can anyone see where I'm going with this? Almost every Sunday I get breakfast in bed! Have I mentioned we're still newlyweds?!

Anyway, back to the waffles. He started out making waffles *gasp* from "the box," but once he saw this recipe, "the box" hasn't made it back out of the pantry to see the light of day. He likes making the batter the night before so he can sleep walk to the kitchen Sunday morning and not have to worry about measuring and whipping up the mix. I highly suggest following in his footsteps.

And since we're also all about watching our figures over here, he makes several substitutions to the recipe below. We've had both versions several times, and I can honestly tell you that I can't taste a difference between the real and the better-for-you waffles. His substitutions will be in parenthesis.

If you own a waffle iron, take it out of your cabinet, dust it off, and take a few extra minutes to make these. They taste better than a box or the frozen variety any day! 

Oat Waffles

adapted from Alton Brown

makes about 8

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 ounces old fashioned rolled oats
• 4 ounces all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 large eggs, beaten (or 3/4 cup egg substitute)
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (2 ounces Brummel and Brown)
• 16 ounces buttermilk at room temperature (or powdered buttermilk)

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread oats on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Cool oats in pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Grind toasted oats in a food processor until their the consistency of whole-wheat flour, about 3 minutes.

Heat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.

Whisk together the toasted oat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs, melted butter together, and vanilla in another bowl, then add buttermilk. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; stir until combined. Rest the batter for 5 minutes (or cover and leave in fridge overnight).

Coat waffle iron with cooking spray before each use. Ladle waffle batter into the hot iron (amount will differ per waffle iron—we use about 1/2 cup). Close the iron top and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from the iron. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately or keep warm in a preheated 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.