Strawberry-Pecan Oatmeal Muffins

Let me start by telling you this: this is the third batch of these muffins that I’ve made in three weeks–that’s the sort of muffins we’re dealing with today.  They’re the kind of muffin that’s good not only in the warm, comforting morning treat way, but also the I-don’t-have-to-feel-remorseful-all-day-over-what-I-ate-for-breakfast kind of way.  And, to be completely honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if I whip up another batch as soon as this one is gone.

In other words, I’m pretty smitten with these muffins.  They’re hearty and full of oats, sweetened with a touch of brown sugar and lots of strawberries.  Yogurt keeps them moist and chopped pecans add a touch of crunch.  Also, they hold up ridiculously well so if you hide them from your kids/husband/girlfriend/counter-surfing dog, the batch you make on Monday will carry you all through a whole week’s worth of breakfasts.  

These muffins play off a recipe I found in my King Arthur Flour Baking Companion Cookbook (which I adore!).  The original recipe calls for soaking oatmeal in buttermilk overnight–I’ve been using yogurt instead since I normally have it on hand.  The yogurt tenderizes the oats so you’ll get all the of the good, oaty, nutty flavor but your muffins will be moist and tender, not dry and chewy.  Just stir the oats and yogurt together, pop the bowl in the fridge, and go to bed.  You’ll sleep well knowing muffins are in your near future.

In the morning, mix the oat-yogurt mixture with an egg, brown sugar, a little melted butter, baking soda, powder, and salt.  Stir in flour, fruit, and nuts.  I’m into the strawberry and pecan combo though I imagine in a few months, I’ll be subbing out slices of fresh peach with coconut and, a few months beyond that, maybe dried apricots and ginger.

Spoon the batter into a muffin tin and bake while you have that all important first cup of coffee.  

Bake until the tops are golden.  Muffins like these need no further adornment.  No drippy glazes, not even a pat of butter–just grab your coffee, get in there, and gobble.  And then make plans to bake another batch next week.

4.0 from 1 reviews

Strawberry-Pecan Oatmeal Muffins

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

These wholesome muffins keep very well. Make a batch on Monday and you’ve breakfast covered for days!

Author: adapted from King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion

Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch, Baked Goods

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 c. Quick-Cooking or Rolled Oats
• 2 c. Plain Yogurt (*see notes)
• ½ c. Dark Brown Sugar
• 4 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• ¾ tsp. Baking Soda
• ¼ tsp. Salt
• 1 ½ c. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 heaping c. sliced Strawberries
• ½ c. chopped Pecans

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the oats and yogurt. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°. Grease (**see notes) a stardard 12-cup muffin tin.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt and oat mixture with the sugar, melted butter, egg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour and stir until mostly combined. Gently fold in the sliced berries and pecans and stir until they are evenly incorporated and there aren’t any large pockets of flour remaining.
4. Divide the muffin batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the tops are golden and a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Leftover muffins keep well for 5 days at room temperature.

Notes

*If using Greek yogurt, you’ll want to thin it with a little milk otherwise the batter will be too thick.
**Although you'll notice I used muffin papers, I wouldn't recommend it. I thought it might be "cuter" for the pictures (yes, that sounds crazy to me, too), but unless you let the muffins cool completely, they tend to stick a bit. Greasing the muffin tin is definitely the way to go.

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