I’m not really a muffin person. And since we are disclosing things, I’m also not really a cupcake person. That being said, I’m not going to turn down a cupcake really. They are pretty great – but not as good as strawberry shortcake or a piece of pie or cheesecake. Muffins feel like a convenience food. They are great for “to go” food and most certainly have their place. I think I prefer my muffin to be buttered and tossed on the grill. There aren’t many things better than a grilled muffin?
The pros to muffins are that they are great for sharing and for the mail… exactly the two things that I was hoping to accomplish with this blessed batch of baked goods. While I would have loved to use my extra buttermilk from last weeks scones on some breaded chicken… that I would smother in buffalo sauce … I elected to make these oatmeal blueberry muffins. The catch? The oatmeal is soaked in buttermilk overnight. Overnight oats are all the rage these days with mommy bloggers and Pinterest pinners … and I’ll admit that I’m a fan as well. The oats becoming amazingly plump and pretty much the opposite of instant oatmeal.
While I’m not a giant fan of whole wheat baked goods, these muffins are pretty decent. They can most certainly be considered a “healthy” option. Plus they come with these big ole giant blueberries. Win.
Here’s how it goes…
(Step 1) Combine oats and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. I actually didn’t cover mine and they got a smidge icey. Either way you’ll be fine in my mind.
the next day….
(Step 2) Preheat oven to 350°.
(Step 3) In your mixing bowl (or stand mixer), mix your eggs, oil, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar and salt.
(Step 4) Add in your flour. The original recipe I was looking at called for all wheat flour… but I really don’t like wheat flour so I went with a combo. 1 cup regular flour, 3/4 cup wheat flour. Life is a compromise.
(Step 5) After blending in your flour, add in the buttermilk mixture. Mix at a medium speed until well blended and smooth. Obviously you have oats in there … so there will be lumps but that’s cool.
(Step 6) Add in your frozen blueberries. Fold those babies in gently-ish.
(Step 7) Spoon your batter into the muffin tin (coated with cooking spray). If you want small muffins, 1/4 cup = 23 muffins. Upping the batter to 1/3 cup will yield about 18 … I would guess. I actually kind of like the smaller muffins but you can be your own batter police.
(Step 8) Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Shopping List
1 cup regular oats
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 2/3 cups flour (whole wheat / white combo of your choice)
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup frozen blueberries
Cooking spray