Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
These are hearty muffins with texture from the oatmeal and full of chocolate chips. They are slightly sweet, will rise and bake to a golden brown top, and can be frozen for a month. They double as breakfast muffins and afternoon snacks.
Servings 12 regular muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ cups traditional rolled oats
- ½ cup white or brown sugar packed
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature, see Notes below for substitutions
- ½ cup oil I used sunflower
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Turn on the oven at 350°F (180ºC).
- Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Or butter and flour them if not using paper cups. Reserve.
- Sift 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda and 1 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder into a large bowl.
- Add 1 ½ cups traditional rolled oats ½ cup white or brown sugar and stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup oil, 1 egg and stir to mix. Integrate everything well without beating.
- Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or hand mixer until just combined. Don't be tempted to beat it as it will result in tougher and less fluffy muffins. Fold in 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips.
- Fill the muffin tins or paper cups no more than ¾ full, dividing the mixture as evenly as possible.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a tester comes out dry.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Store muffins that are left in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and reheat briefly before eating. Or in the freezer for a month.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Homemade buttermilk: mix 1 cup of milk (preferably whole milk) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes at room temperature until it thickens and slightly curdles. Stir it once more, and measure it again before using.
When are the muffins done? Check with a cake tester or toothpick for doneness in the center. When it comes out clean, the muffins are done. Don't be tempted to overbake them. Cool on a wire rack without the pan. You might have to wait 5-10 minutes before removing them as they will be too hot and too tender, especially if you didn't use liners.
