Spiced Oatmeal Muffins
Wholesome and delicious Spiced Oatmeal Muffins are perfectly flavored with crunchy tops and pillowy centers, making them a delicious breakfast on-the-go or anytime snack!
I realize that there have been an overabundance of muffins shared on the blog over the past couple of weeks, but bear with me here...these Spiced Oatmeal Muffins are worth it! I wanted to make something yummy and easy for after-school snacks last week, and this recipe hit it out of the park.
What Makes Them So Good
These Oatmeal Muffins are not overly sweet and they have amazing texture. They're golden and crunchy on the outside yet pillowy and almost creamy on the inside (thanks to a secret step...see below!).
They're wholesome, loaded with protein- and fiber-rich oats.
And they're perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Let me just warn you that your kitchen will smell goooood while these babies are baking!
Ingredients
This oatmeal muffin recipe is made with pretty standard ingredients, but there's a special trick involving two of those ingredients that yields muffins with incredibly moist interiors.
The secret is soaking your rolled oats in buttermilk before stirring together the batter! If you have an hour to let them sit, great! But if not, 30 minutes will do just fine.
And be sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats (NOT quick oats) in this recipe for the best texture.
How to Make Buttermilk
But is it really necessary to use buttermilk, you may be asking? Can you just use milk if you don't have any buttermilk?
The answer is YES, you need to use buttermilk. Regular milk does not have enough acidity to start breaking down the oats during the soaking step.
Fortunately, if you don't have any buttermilk on hand, it's easy-peasy to make your own! For this particular recipe:
- Pour 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (or white vinegar) into a 2-cup (or larger) liquid measuring cup.
- Fill the measuring cup up to the 2-cup line with milk. Whole milk is preferred but low-fat/skim milk will work.
- Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened and slightly curdled. Stir well before proceeding with recipe.
And that's it!
(Also, for future reference, the formula to make buttermilk is 1 tablespoon of acid for every 1 cup of milk.)
How to Make Oatmeal Muffins
So we already covered the first step:
- Stir rolled oats into buttermilk until well-combined, and allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat the oven, line the muffin pans, and whisk together the dry ingredients.
- After the oats are finished soaking, mix in the brown sugar and the eggs. Stir in the melted butter and the vanilla, and then blend in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Evenly divide the batter between muffin cups and pop in the oven.
- Bake until golden and ENJOY!
Substitutions & Add-Ins
You can boost the nutrition of these Spiced Oatmeal Muffins even more by making them with whole wheat pastry flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
I have also made this recipe gluten-free by using GF rolled oats plus a GF baking mix (I used Bob's 1-to-1) in place of flour.
Another nice thing about these oatmeal muffins is that you can jazz them up should you so desire.
- Tweak the spices to your liking...you could increase the cinnamon and/or decrease the nutmeg.
- While preparing the simple batter, feel free to stir in a cup of your favorite chopped nuts, raisins, or even chocolate chips (if you're feeling naughty).
- You can also sprinkle the tops with a shower of cinnamon sugar.
Or leave them perfectly plain like I did here today!
Nope...you really can't go wrong with these unassuming little gems.
So whether you need a quick, easy, on-the-go breakfast for busy school mornings (or teacher treats!), OR a relatively wholesome snack to boost energy throughout the day or welcome the kids home from school, a batch of these amazing Oatmeal Muffins will fit the bill.
And if you don't have kids and could care less about school-related recipes? Well, this recipe is for you, too. 😉
Indeed, Spiced Oatmeal Muffins FOR ALL!!!
More Yummy Muffin Recipes
Spiced Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats, not quick oats
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups flour, all-purpose OR whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
OPTIONAL ADD-INS:
- 1 cup chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together oats and buttermilk. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line 22 to 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
- After oats have finished soaking, stir brown sugar and eggs into the oatmeal/buttermilk mixture. Mix in melted butter and vanilla, and then blend in flour mixture and optional add-ins (if using) until just combined.
- Evenly divide batter between prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until tops of muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for a few minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Equipment Needed
Video
Notes
- If you don't have any buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by pouring 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (or white vinegar) into a 2-cup (or larger) liquid measuring cup. Fill the measuring cup up to the 2-cup line with milk (whole milk is preferred but low-fat/skim milk will work). Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes and stir before proceeding with recipe.
Nutrition
Adapted from Food.com
Post originally published on August 25, 2015, and updated on February 20, 2020.
I made these exactly as recipe states. I added 1 cup of pecans. Delicious!!
Made these this morning, pretty much following the recipe. Added half cup whole wheat in place of all purpose and used dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries and raisins. Very happy with the results. I was concerned they would not be sweet enough so I sprinkled a touch of vanilla sugar on top, but did not really need it. The muffins are moist and delicious with a slight crunch to the top. Perfect snack or breakfast for the grandkids. Will definitely make again and a bit more cinnamon (because I really like it).
Made these this morning, they were very good. I used 1/2 butter 1/2 applesauce, also added 1/2C raisins, 1/2 C nuts and 2 shredded apples,. Next time will add more spices for a stronger taste.
Yummy! I cannot wait to try it. Could I double the recipe and spread it out in a 9X13 pan?
Hi Selina! I imagine that would work, but since I haven't tried it, I can't say for sure. Please let us know if how it turns out if you decide to give it a go! 🙂
I have made these three times now. I substitute one cup of whole grain wheat for 1 cup white. Delicious. I love the spice and moistness of them.
i cut the recipe in half and made sure i followed exactly. is the baking time correct. Mine are falling apart.
Hi Connie...I'm sorry to hear that. The baking time is correct, and it should stay the same even if you cut the recipe in half. You do need to let these muffins cool a bit before enjoying them. They are soft out of the oven but will firm up as they cool. Hope that helps!
I made these this morning and my family loved them. I added raisins to half and enjoy them both with and without
Make these often! I use half oil, half butter to keep them a bit more moist. I also leave out the nutmeg as my toddler isn't a fan.
Delicious
Made only 1/2 recipe. Used 8 x 8 pan. Sprinkled sugar on the top before baking. It was delicious. My husband does not like oatmeal and said that I had found a way to make it taste great! Next time I will make full recipe and maybe add apples or cinnamon chips. Thank you for a great recipe!
I made half the recipe because it was the first time. I used coarse raw sugar instead of brown sugar. I left out the nutmeg. I added 1 cup of dried cherries and about 1 cup of walnuts. They turned out wonderful!!! I froze them and take out as I choose. I just defrost in the microwave for a minute or 2 depending on the microwave. These are one of my favorite muffins, and I make a lot of muffins. Thank you for this recipe.
I am trying to cut bad carbs out. Wondering if you could replace the flour with almond or coconut flour, if so how much would I need? Also, instead of brown sugar could I substitute that with honey? Would 1/2 cup honey work? Don't want it overly sweet plus removing refined sugars when I can.
Thank you in advance.
Hi, Helen! I'm afraid that making your requested substitutions would result in a fairly different recipe. So since I haven't tried this recipe using any of those alternate ingredients, I'm not able to answer your questions regarding amounts or guarantee how the final muffins would turn out. But if you decide to try any of these changes, I wish you luck and I hope you'll let us know how things turn out! 🙂
Okay thanks for replying back to me. I will let you know if I try the substitutions out. Will try your recipe too.
I’ve made these so many times since finding this recipe a few weeks ago. I use gluten free flour, sub apple sauce for some of the oils. I’ve added apples or chocolate chips. They are so filling and not too sweet. Thank you!
Made these today and boy are they good! I put raisins in most of them (since that's how I like them lol) and in a few i added dried cranberries instead for my son who's visiting for the time being. He hates raisins and loves cranberries....the complete opposite of me 😛 I think next time I might toss in some chopped peaches and/or blueberries. It seems to be very versatile!
I'm so glad they were a hit, Jane! And I have to admit, I'm with your son on the dried cranberry vs. raisin debate -- ha. 😉
I made these today and they are absolutely perfect. Moist and full of taste.
I'm glad you enjoyed them, May! 🙂
We love these muffins! My toddler devours them. Have you ever tried to add veggies like zuchini or carrots? Would I need to alter the other ingredients or just go ahead and add 1/2 cup of shredded zuchini?
Hi Kate! I haven't tried adding shredded veggies to these muffins, so unfortunately I don't have a recommendation for how to adapt the recipe. But it sounds like a great idea and I hope you'll let us know how it turns out if you decide to give it a try! 🙂
Could these be made plain without the spices? I'm looking for a recipe to work as a "base" for different fruit/spice combinations, and your recipe looks the best by far 🙂
I don't see why not! 🙂
Do the muffins freeze well? I usually bake food for mornings throughout the semester and get them out of the freezer as needed. I'm wondering if that would work for this recipe. Thanks!
Hi Brooke! We always eat these muffins as soon as I make them, but I think they would freeze just fine. 🙂
Hey so I've made this a few times now and thought I'd share what I did different. I always substitute 2 eggs with 1 banana in recipes (I like the texture better), I also put the cinnamon and nutmeg into the milk and oat mixture while the oats soaked, which gives a more flavorful bite in our opinion. Love this recipe, thanks so much for sharing it!
Mmmm these sound lovely. I think they might be good with shredded apple in them!