Good Morning Muffin!

 

See this face? I wake up to this face every morning. She doesn't really pertain to this post, but I hate posting without a picture. It's like a sundae without the cherry.

I hate oatmeal. Not the actual oats, but the mushy, flavorless, gelatinous breakfast dish. Seriously, why is it that you can pour heaps of sugar on top and stud it with fruit yet it still tastes like paste? It's a flavor black hole. The strange part is that I WANT to like it. I know it's good for me. I know it would be a great, healthy, quick breakfast. But I just. cannot. do it. 

That being said, I love when oats are in things. Oatmeal cookies, the heavenly crumbly-wumbly topping my mom puts on her cobbler, and granola with yogurt. I have been experimenting with oats because they are gluten free, filling and healthy. I decided an oatmeal muffin could be a good morning option. This recipe I stumbled over on Pintrest sent my mind running. Here is what I came up with: 

Fruit Filling Ingredients: 

• 3 apples
• 2 Tbsp. orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. sugar 
• Sprinkle of cinnamon 

Muffin Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. salt 
• 3 tsp. allspice 
• 1 tsp. baking powder 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 3 cups gluten free rolled oats (make sure they specifically say "gluten free"- I suggest Trader Joe's brand because they are cheap and grown in dedicated crops so they are not cross-contaminated)
• Fruit filling 

Peel the apples and dice them into small chunks about the size of dice. Place fruit filling ingredients in microwave safe bowl, stir to combine and cover with a plate. Microwave on high for about 3 minutes or until the apples are tender but not falling apart. 

Mix the muffin ingredients in a bowl in the order they are listed. Fill muffin tins to the top with the mixture. Be sure to evenly distribute the fruit, oats and liquid. They will look soupy at this point, but don't worry. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. 

They turned out great! Lightly sweet, the center was moist and chewy, and the tops were crunchy. 

You could easily switch these up. The possibilities are nearly endless:

• Apple, maple and pecan (add a few table spoons of maple syrup and 1/2 cup of halved pecans)
• Cranberry and orange (add 3/4 cup craisins and replace orange juice with milk)
• Raisin and walnut (add 3/4 cup raisins, 1/2 cup halved walnuts)
• Blackberry and almond (add 1 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup slice almonds) 
• Pina-Colada (add 1 cup diced canned pineapple, 1/2 cup shaved coconut and replace milk with half pineapple juice and half coconut milk) 
• Peaches and brown sugar (add one cup diced canned peaches and replace honey with brown sugar)
• Banana, walnut and peanut butter (add 2 mashed bananas, 1/2 walnuts halves and 1/2 cup peanut butter)