This week, muffins have just made it better. The “it” being studying, snacking, breakfast preparing, everything. Between all of this studying, I needed a pick-me up. Is it just me, or does anyone else ever feel like they just NEED a muffin?  Or a sweet little pick-me-up of some kind? I feel like this pretty much all the time thanks to my massive sweet-tooth, but when you add being in the middle of finals on-top of a sweet-tooth, my cravings have been out-of-control. Things got even worse this past weekend after seeing ‘National Donut Day’ mentioned on nearly every blog I read! After seeing picture after picture of delicious-looking donuts popping up, there was no question that I had to bake something for a Sunday brunch and get-me-through-the-week treat. With no Dunkin’ Donuts or Krispy Kreme’s in Australia, Brandon and I were out of luck on the donut front, but not on the muffin front.  This week, homemade muffins have just made studying better, and I’m very thankful for that!

These aren’t just any muffins, these are Blueberry Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins, and they are definitely a healthier alternative to your traditional bakery muffin. I combined three of my favorite things for these muffins: blueberries, oats, and cinnamon. The result was a tasty, sweet and satisfying baked treat. These are perfectly good to eat on their own, but I’ve also been crumbling mine on top of my oatmeal in the mornings, as well as eating them warm as a snack, too.

Need for muffins=fulfilled : –)

Blueberry Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

makes 12 muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup milk, divided (I used skim)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup cinnamon chips (or chips of your choice- I used Hershey’s Cinnamon Chips)

Directions
1)Preheat oven to 350 F (176 degrees Celsius), and line 12 muffin tins with muffin liners.
2) Add the oats to a small mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup of milk. Let the oats soak for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare the first few steps of the muffins.

3) In a large bowl, combine the egg and brown sugar and whisk together until it’s smooth and caramel in color.

4)Next, add in the vanilla and the butter (make sure it’s at room temperature), whisking well. Try to smooth the batter as much as possible; there still may be some small butter chunks but try to get as many out as you can.

5)Add the flour, soaking oats, baking soda and cinnamon to the mixture and stir it all-together. Add the remaining 1/2 cup milk and combine until smooth.

6) Now fold in the blueberries and cinnamon chips (or the chips of your choice). Be careful not to over-mix.

6)Spoon the batter evenly into each muffin tin. Sprinkle the top of each with cinnamon sugar if desired. (I like to do this because it adds a nice crunch to the top! )Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until cooked through.


Cinnamon-sugar topping

Finished Product!

These muffins are delicious whether they’re served warm or cold, and the possibilities for toppings are endless. Enjoy them with margarine, a nut-butter, jam, plain or with topper of your choice, it’s up to you!

What’s your favorite muffin?
At a bakery, my favorite is  a coffee-cake muffin. Blueberry is a close runner-up!

When do you crave sweets the most?
I crave sweets in the worst way when I’m stressed!

P.S. Countdown to home: 9 days : –)