Recipe: Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

A quick and healthy grab-and-go breakfast that is tasty and guilt-free.

This weekend was one of those magical times where we had an entire day that was a clean slate. After knocking out a few errands in the morning, the rest of the day was designated chill time. Which meant it was the perfect opportunity to do some baking. Namely to take care of two goals: find a use for a ridiculous amount of overly ripe bananas (some that were ours and some that were gifted to us by a friend) and to make a batch of muffins for a grab-and-go breakfast for the week.

Usually when I’m making muffins, my go-to recipe is the one for Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip muffins, which the kids devour. But since I made a batch just last week, I was looking for something different. I had saved a recipe from Cooking Light awhile back, and as luck would have it, I had all the ingredients on hand.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins it is.

A short list of easy-to-find ingredients, one bowl mixing, and these muffins were in the oven in no time flat. With only eight days left of school to go, breakfast still revolves around items that we can grab and go. A slice of banana bread. Homemade granola bars. And muffins. It’s just what works best for our family at this stage. Everyone gets their sleep. Everyone gets a healthy breakfast. Everyone is happy. These fit the bill.

Almost.

I would be lying if I said these muffins were completely kid-approved. Because they weren’t their favorite. Let’s be honest. They taste healthier than our usual fare. Most likely because they are. But they are still pretty tasty, and I’ve been splitting them in half, toasting them, and adding the tiniest smear of soft butter.

#everythingisbetterwithbutter

Low calorie, low fat, and just the right amount of juiciness when you bite into a plump blueberry. Truth be told, I’d add in just a few more blueberries next time. And even if the kids didn’t rave about them, I’ve got breakfast for the rest of the week.

PS – And with some of the bananas, I made a few loaves of this delicious banana bread, so the kids are set too.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light magazine, 2010

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups quick-cooking oats
3 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2/3 cup)
2.33 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 large eggs
2 cups frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Place oats in a food processor; pulse 5 to 6 times or until oats resemble coarse meal. Place in a large bowl.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flours and next 5 ingredients (through salt) to oats; stir well. Make a well in center of mixture.

4. Combine buttermilk and next 3 ingredients (through eggs). Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist.

5. Toss berries with 2 tablespoons flour, and gently fold into batter. Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle 2 tablespoons granulated sugar evenly over batter. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.