Did you know it’s National Oatmeal Muffin Day?
I bet ya didn’t. That’s why I’m here to send over a quick n’ easy recipe for oatmeal muffins that you can whip up and pop into your oven for a sweet treat tonight.
And breakfast tomorrow.
And a snack mid-afternoon around 3:00 when your tummy starts rumblin’…
These here muffins aren’t just any oatmeal muffins; they’re packed with fresh lemon juice, orange zest, dried cranberries and almonds.
I was gunna save this post until the morning after Thanksgiving because these are just the most perfect lil’ muffins to serve after you’ve eaten your heart out the night prior – but I just can’t. I mean, it’s National Oatmeal Muffin Day, people!
Plus, you probably need an excuse to eat another muffin.
You down? Goodie. Let’s chat about these here muffins then, shall we?
I got the idea for this moist little cuties last week when I was out walking the streets of Manhattan and I stumbled upon an orange scone. Not the color orange but one made with orange juice and zest.
So I thought, “What can I make that’s warm n’ fluffy, gluten-free, dairy-free and of course, delicious?”
Are you still with me?
Good.
We’re starting the day of with these oatmeal orange cranberry muffins and they are gunna blow your mind. Yep, consider it blown. Far far away. But, you can come back for Christmas because it’s only six days away. (Smile!)
A crunchy golden crust and a moist, sweetened inside – these guys are much better than the muffins at the store. Heck, they’re even better than the fresh ones at Dean & DeLuca. And they’re incredibly easy to make, too.
I’m sure you can picture me in my tiny Manhattan apartment, baking away for my neighbors and pals. These freeze well too, so if you’re anything like me, you’ll go ahead and hide them from your family in your freezer until you are alone and ready to toast one up and savor each bite.
Get the picture?
I thought so.
That’s when no homemade muffin is safe – just don’t tell anyone my secret that they’re always stashed in the freezer, hehe.
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten-free oats such as Bob's Red Mill separated
- 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tsp. fresh orange zest
- 1 1/3 cups dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup So Delicious Coconut Milk
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup coconut oil at room temperature
- 1/4 cup agave nectar
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Prepare a muffin tin with nonstick baking spray.
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Combine 2 cups of oats in a blender; pulse on high speed until mixture forms a flour consistency. Remove from blender; transfer to a large mixing bowl with remaining 1 cup of oats, chia seeds, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, almonds, orange zest and dried cranberries.
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In a separate bowl, combine So Delicious Coconut Milk and lemon juice; set aside for 7 minutes, then add to the dry ingredients along with the coconut oil and agave nectar.
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Mix well to combine; set aside for 5 minutes.
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Transfer mixture into prepared muffin tins.
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Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
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Remove from oven; set aside for 10 minutes to cool before serving.
can i substitute flax seeds for the chia? do i have to make any other alterations?
Yes you can use ground flax seeds instead! I’d use 1 Tbsp. instead because they may soak up more of the water!!
Mine did not turn out this pretty! They came out with more of a granola bar consistency than a muffin — but I’m thinking my blender didn’t grind up those oats too well. But whatever, these are still delicious! I had two for breakfast that I dipped in coconut milk and now piggy me is wishing I had brought a third to work with me, lol. Thanks! I’ll be making these again very soon! (:
Thanks Britt; SO happy you enjoyed them! Have a great week!
Hi,
I just discovered your website and I can’t wait to try your recipes.
Claire
Thanks Claire; have a great night!
TERRIFIC recipe! Thank you!
Thanks Melanie; enjoy!
These are great muffins! I just pulled a batch out of the oven and are very very yummy. I should have let them cool longer though as they kinda crumbled apart on me. But no matter, they were still delish!
By the way, I used whole chia seeds and it came out fine.
So happy to hear that Rosanna! Have a great day and enjoy; glad the whole chia seeds worked for you!
These look amazing, going to make them this coming weekend.
Do you use the chia seeds whole or ground?
Anna, I used ground chia seeds. Enjoy!
Amie, thank you for your prompt answer.
Can’t wait to try them
The muffins turned out delicious. Dough works well for cookies too, just spoon onto a greased baking sheet (had some dough leftover after I stuffed the muffin tin). Made them into plain oat cookies today by taking the cranberries, almonds and cinnamon out of the equation and spooning onto a baking sheet. Again, delicious. Going to try and make a savory version and shape them into biscuits to have with a nice bowl of soup as a replacement for a slice of brown bread. Can’t wait till I have some time to experiment with that.
Thank you Amie for making my life with allergies easier
Thank YOU Anna; so nice to hear from you! So great to receive your comment and happy you enjoyed the muffins! Love the idea of making a savory version. Enjoy and have a wonderful night! xo
Hi Amie, made the savory version this morning to try with soup for dinner and I’m just dying to tell you about them. The only change I made to the original recipe was I added another 0.5 teaspoon of salt and left out the sweet ingredients. I shaped them into little balls purely for laziness reasons (I don’t have to wash up a muffin tin now). Couldn’t wait till the evening to try them so had one with butter as soon as they cooled down. This recipe just keeps on giving. Savory version was again delicious. It was as good as (if not better than) a slice of fresh Irish brown soda bread. Mind you my version turned out a small bit too salty so I’ll probably add just a pinch extra next time.
Have a great day! xx
Sounds amazing Anna; so happy to hear that! Have a lovely day!
it looks really marvellous but we dont get glenten free oat can i use the regular one sure i will make it thanks Amie we loved all your healthy receip
Thank you! Yes you can use regular oats if you are not gluten free. Enjoy!
I just made these and they are SOOOOOOOO tasty, however, I only cooked them for 20 mins and when I went they were SUPER brown (almost burned) and they didn’t rise at all. They look like little hockey pucks! Any idea? I followed the recipe perfect!
Anyways they are delish, I’m going to have troubles not eating them all right now! haha 🙂
So happy to hear! Hope you enjoy them all weekend; maybe it was the different gluten-free flours we used. At least they taste great. Have a fabulous weekend!
Thanks so much for the response, Amie! We will just enjoy the amazing scent of orange and cinnamon in the house whilst we eat the delicious muffins with our eyes closed. Works for me! Thanks again!
Hi Amie – I have made these twice now and they aren’t rising? I was so excited for them to look as pretty as your puffy, golden muffins, but they’re just not turning out that way. They taste delicious, but they look more like hockey pucks than muffins. We live in Denver, do you think the altitude could be the problem?
Thanks Kim; the altitude is probably the cause of this. I am SO glad to hear that they taste great. Just close your eyes and dig in! xoox Have a great night!
These look wonderful. I have fresh cranberries, is there a specific reason why you used dried? Could I use fresh or dry them somehow? Thanks!
Thanks Jodiann; you can surely use fresh cranberries! Hope you enjoy it!. I had dried cranberries at my home so I used them! Fresh can be too tart for me sometimes!
Hi Amie,
I came across your recipe and was wondering if flax seeds will work in place of chia seeds? I don’t have any chia seeds on hand but can’t wait to try these!
Thanks Cindi; you can try ground flax seeds; they may work. Enjoy!!
AMIE,
MADE THESE TWICE AND I LOVE THEM. ONLY THING I HAVE TO FREEZE THEM SO I DON’T EAT THEM ALL. HAPPY NEW YEAR
OMG. I tried those today and they are amazing. I agree that they are almost like scones. The taste is wonderful. I love that they are Vegan! I made a batch for Christmas presents so now I have to make them again for us!
I used Oart Flour, to answer the previous comment
I am so happy to hear that. Yipee! Glad you enjoyed them; Happy Holidays!
Thank you! To you too. I made them again today and added chocolate chips and make them look like scones! I promoted your recipe on my blog post here http://buddabamama.wordpress.com/2012/12/23/my-kind-of-holiday-afternoon-fun/
So happy to hear! Enjoy and happy holidays!
Hi Amie
I would love to make this but I’m oat and wheat intolerance .What can I substitute for oat? Can I use Spelt flour?
Hi Taepin! I haven’t tried spelt flour so I’m not sure. If you can tolerate gluten-free oats, that would be my recommendation.
Will use regular ol’ oats, they look so tasty…perfect for the holidays!
Thanks Diana; enjoy!
These are going to be made in my kitchen! They look so good. We’re still loving your chocolate oatmeal waffles.
Awe; so glad you like the waffles too. Thanks Barb!
How is the mixture supposed to look like. Mine was not liquidy at all. Look like moist granola, with loads of bits. And didn’t rise at all. What can I have done wrong?
Mmm….I’ve been thinking about scones. Fluffy tender cinnamon scones……. Oh, sorry I’m back now!
I like how you make “buttermilk” out of the lemon juice and coconut. Would almond milk work the same way? And do the chia seeds take the place of eggs? These sound really yummy!
Thanks Lisa! You could try the almond milk and see if it works! Yes the chia seeds replace the eggs. Enjoy!
This looks amazing! Could you just use oat flour? if so how much? Not sure my blender would make it into a flour.