Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Apple Oatmeal Muffins make an ideal fall breakfast.  With applesauce and oatmeal incorporated into the batter, they're a delicious and nutritious way to start any morning.  These hearty muffins are best enjoyed warm from the oven, although they also freeze and reheat well.  

Growing up, I loved whenever my mother made buttermilk pancakes for breakfast.  My excitement wasn't solely about the pancakes themselves.  Don't get me wrong -- those pancakes are a family favorite and they're the best pancakes I've ever had.  But I also knew that those pancakes were a harbinger of another delicious breakfast treat: oatmeal muffins.



See, after my mother made pancakes, she'd have about two cups of buttermilk left over.  That meant she had enough buttermilk to make a double batch of oatmeal muffins.  Like any kid, I was happy to eat Honey-Nut Cheerios or Rice Krispies for breakfast.  But Monday mornings seemed so much better whenever they started with a warm oatmeal muffin.

The original recipe for these muffins is a tad bit decadent.  I know that seems like a strange way to describe an oatmeal muffin.  But the original recipe called for an entire stick of butter for just 12 muffins.  That seems pretty decadent (ie, delicious) to me.  For my version of this recipe, I replaced half of the butter with applesauce.  The resulting muffins are still just as moist, and the apple flavor stands out.  If you don't have old-fashioned oats, it's fine to substitute quick cooking oats.  But the old-fashioned oats create a delightful texture that is part of what makes these muffins so enjoyable.

(click here for printable recipe)

Apple Oatmeal Muffins
(adapted from this recipe in Gourmet Magazine 1995)

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes


Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg, beaten lightly

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup applesauce

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cinnamon


Instructions

1. Combine oats and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl.  Cover and let stand for one hour in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
3.  To the oatmeal mixture, add beaten egg, sugar, butter, and applesauce.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together remaining dry ingredients.  Stir dry ingredients into oatmeal applesauce mixture, and stir just until blended.
5. Fill muffin tin, using a scant 1/4 cup batter for each.  Bake muffins until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.

Yield: 12 muffins

(click here for printable recipe)

Thanks for reading, friends!  I hope your week is starting off well.