An oatmeal muffin on a board.

My baby bro is really funny. Last month when he came to visit, I fixed him some breakfast, a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and sliced banana, my favorite way to start the morning.

I took a risk making him oatmeal — I knew that. I mean, it’s hard to compete with my mother who whips up plates of fried egg sandwiches on toasted homemade bread, slides them under her favorite child’s nose just minutes after he lounges into the kitchen mid-morning, not uttering a word but like some sort of magical magnet drawing cups of freshly brewed coffee and hot breakfast his way.

Oatmeal was a risk for sure. Even so, I expected a bit of a better reception. He took two bites, dipped his spoon in for a third, pushed it around a little bit, then scrunched up his face while nudging the bowl my direction and asked, “Will you eat it for me?” My baby bro is 25. I love him so much.

Well, like my mother, I feel this need to feed people — to make them happy with food — and when things don’t work out as planned, I feel disappointed. I felt a little depressed about the oatmeal.

Next time he comes, I’m going to make him these muffins, my latest fix. I discovered this recipe in the November Bon Appetit’s RSVP section. They are delicious. After I made a batch of the batter, I baked off one a day in a paper-lined ramekin for about a week straight. What a treat!

I also made a teensy discovery. I didn’t have enough rolled oats for the recipe, so I substituted in steel cut oats for about half of the total. To my surprise, the steel cut oats added a nice crunch and reminded me of a favorite muffin I hadn’t thought about in years. Metropolitan Bakery in Philadelphia makes the most incredible millet muffins, and when I lived there, it was hard to pass by its doors without stopping in for one. I think I know which cookbook I need to add to my wishlist. A millet muffin sounds so good right now. Santa, I hope you’re reading.

unbaked oatmeal muffins in ramekins

Baby bro with baby doll. She adores her uncle. It’s so cute.
My brother playing guitar with Ella.

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An oatmeal muffin on a board.

Oatmeal Muffins

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Description

Inspired by this recipe in Bon Appetit

Original recipe hails from Tazzaria

Note: You can make the batter ahead of time, stash it in the fridge, and bake off muffins as you wish.

Ingredients

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray or paper muffin liners
  • 2 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats (I have had success with all varieties of oats including using as much as a cup of steel cut oats)
  • 1 cup whole wheat or white flour
  • 1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons natural oat bran (if you have it)
  • 2 tablespoons wheat germ (if you have it)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup boiling water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8 large muffin cups (1-cup capacity) or 18 standard muffin cups (1/3-cup capacity) with nonstick spray, or line them with paper muffin liners. (Note: I baked off these muffins in paper-lined ramekins. It worked beautifully.)
  2. Whisk oats and next 9 ingredients in large bowl. Add buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla; whisk to blend. Stir in 1/3 cup boiling water and let stand 5 minutes. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
  3. Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 28 minutes for large muffins and 20 minutes for standard muffins. Cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins out onto rack; cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 28 minutes
  • Category: Muffin
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American