About this Recipe

Although I am a big believer in a hearty, healthy breakfast, there are just some days that busy and full and in these cases - muffins make for a great morning on-the-go semi-breakfast. Each muffins has about 275 calories and so will hold you over nicely for a little while. This muffin recipe is also easy to pack and take on a hiking day out or road trip.

Grandmother's Kitchen Tips for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Honey Muffins:

1. After a couple of days (if the muffins make it that long) they get a bit dry, and so one somewhat decadent thing I love to do with these particular muffins once they hit that point is to fry them up in a little bit of butter. Just a gently short fry, but enough to moisten them up and almost turn them into a crunchy muffin. SO delicious!

2. If you want to make this recipe into an even more satisfying and nutritious morning breakfast type of food, then I highly recommend adding some walnuts or pecans which are high in good fats and other important nutrients. Add nuts to a sweeter recipe is also a good trick for diabetics or anyone with high blood sugar. The fat and protein addition to a sugary menu can encourage our bodies to digest a little bit more slowly and not take in all the sugar all at once.

3. Don't overfill the muffin tray. About 3/4 full is ideal since the muffins will rise and need some space for that yummy muffin top.

4. Don't overmix your wet and dry ingredients, you only really need about 10-15 stirs to incorporate.

5. Center your muffin rack in the middle of the oven for even baking of all your muffins.

6. Always check your muffins about 5 minutes before the suggested bake time. Use a toothpick to poke in the middle of the muffin to test if it comes out clean. If it is clean, the muffins are ready to remove from the oven to let cool.

---

Ingredients

(Print)

Makes 12 muffins

3/4 cup milk + 1 Tablespoon pure lemon juice (or buttermilk if you have)

1 cup all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup grape seed oil

3 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups quick oats

1 cup chocolate chips, we used Camino 71% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Line a 12 muffin tin with paper liners.

3. If you do not have buttermilk and are making your own, stir 1 tablespoon pure lemon juice into the milk and let sit for a few minutes.

4. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

5. Add the eggs to a mixing bowl and beat on low speed. Add the brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, honey and vanilla.

6. Turn the speed up to medium and mix in the quick oats.

7. Add the dry ingredient flour mixture and mix in.

8. Add the chocolate chips and continue mixing until incorporated.

9. Evenly divide the batter into the 12 muffin tins. Fill to aboutt 3/4 full.

10. Place into the preheated oven and set the timer for 20 minutes.

11. Test with a toothpick inserted inot the middle of the muffin. If it comes out clean the muffins are cooked.

12. Remove to a cooling pad. Leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

13. Muffins are always extra yummy still warm. Once cooled you can place them into a ziploc bag or container with a lid and keep on the countertop. These muffins are best eaten in the first 2 days.

ENJOY!

Return to this Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Honey Muffins recipe or check out more recipes at Grandmother's Kitchen

If there was a muffin equivalent for my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe it would be a toss up between this chocolate chip oatmeal muffin recipe made with honey and quick oats or possibly this super moist and yummy Blueberry Muffin Recipe.

Another great trick if you are eating any sugary, high carbohydrate meals is to finish it off with a cup of green tea. The antioxidants (called catechins) that are high in green tea help our bodies to reduce the effects of insulin resistance and lower the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates.(1) The key is truly moderation, taking your time to enjoy the delicious food on your plate and making mindful eating a practice for all of your meals.

Most muffin recipes are easy to make healthier by cutting the sugar, adding more sneaky healthy nuts and seeds, and choosing high fiber, nutrient rich berries or fruit to add into the muffins. They become more like a hearty breakfast than a dessert. That being said you can also make muffins quite decadent and dessert like by adding lots of chocolate and skipping the nuts and seeds.

References

"Does green tea inhibit nutrient uptake?," Examine.com, published on 4 April 2012, last updated on 22 October 2018, https://examine.com/nutrition/does-green-tea-inhibit-nutrient-uptake/