No Flour Oat Muffins

Yum

This recipe was originally published on April 27th 2020, but after a year of making these, I’ve made some improvements to the recipe included below!

A bowl of oatmeal with all the fixings in a portable, pre-portioned size.

I’ve been making these muffins for years, but this recipe came especially in handy when I was looking to satisfy my baking itch during the beginning of quarantine when everyone bought up the flour. These No Flour Oat Muffins taste like a cinnamon-y, loaded bowl of oatmeal, and are crazy easy to make using just 8 ingredients you likely already have in your house.

They’re especially great to have as a snack (I sometimes eat them before a work out) or as part of a weekday breakfast! They’re also PERFECT for kids because they’re low-sugar, and easy to eat, plus, oats are a lot easier to clean up than mashed crumbs from flour muffins. You’re welcome.

Why You Should Make No Flour Oat Muffins

I don’t know about you, but first thing in the morning—especially on weekdays—I barely know my own name, let alone what I want to make for breakfast. That means I definitely don’t want to be cooking anything before I need to hop online or be out the door. These are perfect because:

• They’re filling: these muffins will keep you satisfied until lunch without feeling sluggish at your computer.
• They’re so quick to make: basically, if something takes longer than 30 minutes to prep, I’m not making it. Luckily these muffins come together in 5 minutes and bake in 15, making them perfect for meal prep.
• They’re perfectly portable: You can even eat these on the commute to work!

Now that I’m thinking about it, maybe a shorter explanation would have been why you shouldn’t make these…

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make No Flour Oat Muffins?

Like I said, you probably already have these ingredients in your house, especially if you’re a mom, or eat like a toddler:

• Quick Oats—these help make sure that the liquid gets absorbed, and that they cook quickly.
• Water—this will allow you to make the ‘½ cup of cooked quick oats’ that the recipe calls for, which will help bind the muffins together. You can also substitute water for the milk of your choice, including dairy-free milks, like almond milk (which could add some extra protein to these muffins)
• Applesauce—This will help the muffins retain their moisture when they bake and add a little extra sweetness. Personally, I like using pre-sweetened cinnamon apple sauce (and honestly, I make my own so that I can control how sweet it is, but I get that not everybody has that kind of time). BUT if you’re looking to make these super low-sugar, you can always use unsweetened apple sauce and add a few tablespoons of honey as you like.
• Raisins—These will add a little extra (natural) sweetness to the muffins without having to add additional sweeteners
• Pecans—obviously, if you’re allergic, you can omit these, no problem and continue making the recipe as-written. I like them because they add a little extra texture to the recipe, as well as added protein.
• Honey—for a little extra sweetness. My favorite thing about this batter is that you can taste as you go before you bake (duh, no eggs!) and adjust as desired.
• Vanilla extract—for that je ne sais quoi!
• Ground cinnamon—for a spiced kick!
• Oil—to grease muffin tins. It’s best to use any flavorless oil or cooking spray

What Baking Equipment Do I Need to Make These Muffins?

• Cutting board
• Knife
• 1 Large mixing bowl
• 1 Stirring utensil (like a wooden spoon or a fork) to combine all ingredients together.
• One regular-sized muffin tin (holds 6 muffins)

How Do I Make No Flour Oat Muffins?

1. Preheat your oven to 365 degrees f.
2. Mix ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients with a fork or wooden spoon. It’s best to start with the dry and cooked oatmeal so that the other ingredients can be incorporated more easily, but I’ve also thrown the ingredients in pretty haphazardly before stirring and still got a good result. This recipe is maintenance to its core.
3. Combine ingredients. Stir until fully combined and all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the batter. 
4. Grease muffin tin. Use cooking spray or dip a clean paper towel in a flavorless oil to evenly distribute in each muffin tin.
5. Fill muffin tins. Fill each muffin tin to the brim and use the back of a spoon to smooth the tops of each muffin to ensure even baking. 
6. Bake muffins. Place muffins in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.
7. Cool muffins. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before enjoying.

What To Eat With No Flour Oat Muffins

‘No Flour Oat Muffins are an important part of a balanced breakfast!’ No but seriously, they’ve got fruit, carbs and protein covered. What you eat with these really depends on what you’re going for. When I’m looking to add to my breakfast while eating these muffins, I usually have:

• One piece of fruit, like an apple, to help fill me up a little more without adding any more carbs to the mix. P.s. Yes, I know these are made with apple sauce, but I swear, once they’ve baked, it’s hard to tell.
• A serving of greek yogurt to up the protein factor
• A cup of tea—these honestly pair perfectly with a hot breakfast drink. I usually heat one of these muffins up in the microwave for about 20 seconds (pro tip!) and enjoy with a hot cup of mint tea.

How to Store No Flour Oat Muffins

Once you’ve baked your muffins, and allowed them to cool, you can stack the muffins on top of each other and wrap them in foil then store in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can store them in a Tupperware and keep in the refrigerator. I prefer to wrap them in foil versus keeping them in Tupperware to keep too much condensation from forming and making the muffins soggy while in the refrigerator. Wrapping them tightly keeps them protected from coming into contact with too much moisture.