Grab and Go Muffins

It’s not often David makes a special food request, but when he does want something particular, I generally jump on it and his wish is granted.

He recently had a craving for blueberry muffins which stumped me as I don’t have a go-to blueberry muffin recipe that meets all of my nutritional demands–gluten-free, as paleo as possible, as dairy-free as possible, free from refined sugars, etc. So I started exploring some options to develop a recipe that met my standards of good + good for you.

After reviewing at least half dozen “healthy blueberry muffin” recipes and then assessing what I had in the pantry, I developed a recipe that is a cross between baked oatmeal and a muffin that is gluten-free, dairy-free and has no refined sugars.

Couple those benefits with the fact that this muffin is utterly moist (even day 2 and day 3 after making them), flavorful and filled with fiber, this muffin is decidedly a keeper and worthy of sharing.

What I love most about these muffins is the inherent adaptability to use a wide variety of seasonal ingredients and flavor combinations (replace the blueberries with dried cranberries and walnuts), as well as the fact that they are easily transportable which makes them an ideal muffin for kids and families on the move.

These muffins can be made on Sunday night and ready to grab on the go for a healthy breakfast and/or snack during the week. I have kept them in a ziploc bag on the counter and they are as tasty and moist today as they were fresh from the oven three days ago.

With everyone moving in different directions these days and struggling to eat a balanced diet with enough fiber and fruits, these muffins are something everyone will crave and you can feel good about eating on the go when you have these at the ready.

Buen provecho!

Print

Baked Oatmeal-Blueberry Muffins

If you are looking for a healthy muffin that can be adapted depending on what is in season and what you have in the pantry, this is the one. A cross between baked oatmeal and a blueberry muffin, it is well flavored without using any refined sugars, it's moist, gluten-free, dairy free and absolutely good + good for you. I have kept the muffins in a plastic ziploc bag on the counter and we enjoy them at room temperature or heated up in the toaster oven for a few minutes. This is an ideal grab and go food for families on the move.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 10 muffins

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup oat flour, plus 1 tablespoon for dusting blueberries (you can make your own by grinding it in a Vitamix or food processor)
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Wet ingredients

• 1 cup milk or nut milk of choice
• 1 egg or flax egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Add-ins

• 1 cup organic blueberries (or seasonal fruit of choice)

Streusel topping

• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon heaping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper cups. Spray the muffin tin and cups with oil, such as Pam coconut oil or similar. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, add all of the dry ingredients including oats, oat flour, almond flour, brown rice flour, salt and baking powder.

3. In a bigger bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk to combine well--milk or nut milk, egg, vanilla, maple syrup, lemon zest and apple cider vinegar--making sure the egg is well incorporated.

   

4. Add the dry ingredients in to the wet ingredients and stir well to combine.

5. In a small bowl, place the blueberries (or seasonal fruit of choice) and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of oat flour. Toss to coat and then add blueberries to the batter. Gently fold in the blueberries.

   

6. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to each muffin liner and then divide any remaining batter so they are 2/3 full.

7. In a small bowl, mix the coconut sugar and ground cinnamon so it is well blended. Sprinkle evenly on top of each muffin and then place muffins in the oven.

   

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then remove the muffins from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. 

   

9. Preserve any leftover muffins in a sealed container or ziploc bag and store at room temperature. I would think these can easily be frozen as well.

Recipe Notes

Possible add-in combinations include:

• dried cherries and chopped walnuts;
• dried cranberries and slivered almonds;
• diced apples and cinnamon;
• diced pear and whole hazelnuts;
• chocolate chip and chopped pecans;
• blackberry or raspberry;
• mixed berries