Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins

The first time I made these muffins it was on a random Saturday when some family was coming over for breakfast. I really wanted to make some sort of muffin to go with my egg casserole so I leafed through my cookbooks and found this recipe. I chose it simply because I already had all the ingredients on hand. They turned out exceptionally good for a very simple muffin and quickly turned into one of my favorite muffins ever.

Now anytime I have an extra cup of buttermilk leftover from another recipe I make these muffins. Even if I’m not planning on eating them right away I still make them and stick them in the freezer for later. It’s a great way to use up an extra cup of buttermilk.

I had an extra cup of buttermilk from my cupcake baking extravaganza so I decided to make these muffins last night. Since they are one of my most favorite muffins I thought for sure I had already posted a blog about them. But I haven’t! I couldn’t believe it!

I love these muffins because they are really moist, have a great flavor and are super simple to whip up. They go great with breakfast but I also think they go great with dinner. Actually I pretty much eat them anytime. This recipe comes from the cookbook Baking by Carole Clements. It’s the same cookbook that houses the recipe for Buttermilk Wheat Rolls.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup raisins (optional)

In a bowl, combine the oats and the buttermilk and let soak for one hour. Set out the butter and egg at this time so they can come to room temperature.

Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or use paper liners. I don’t use liners for this recipe. I just spray my pan with nonstick spray.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. I never sift. I put all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together.

Stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture, alternating with the oat mixture. Fold in the raisins if desired (none for me thanks). Do not overmix. I do this part by hand. It is very important not to overmix the batter. It will be very thick and clumpy. The dry ingredients only need to be just moistened. Over-mixing is what makes a dry, tough muffin.

Fill the prepared cups two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20-15 minutes (18 minutes for me). Transfer to a rack to cool.


So is it worth it? Well I already said this was one of my favorite muffins so of course it’s worth it to me. Even if you don’t have an extra cup of buttermilk laying around you can still make these muffins with the “homemade buttermilk trick.” Stir one tablespoon of white vinegar into a cup of milk and let stand for a few minutes. Then use as directed in the recipe for buttermilk.

Have I told you yet that I love these muffins? I think I might have to go eat one right now…