Do you remember those huge muffins from Costco, each one about the size of your face? I loved those things growing up. Especially the blueberry muffins.
The lower cake portion was always moist and tender, and the muffin top was sweet and slightly gooey, with a nice crunch from the dusting of sugar.
Now that I’m gluten-free, I don’t eat many muffins (though we have some amazing options at local gluten-free bakeries here in Portland). But I had a huge bag of frozen blueberries, and I needed to use them up.
I’ve been trying to eat fewer eggs because they’ve gotten so expensive, so I’ve been eating a lot of oatmeal. I’m always exploring new ways to doctor it up.
Sweetener, salt, cinnamon and lemon juice are non-negotiable when I make oatmeal. And I always want some chopped nuts for crunch.
The other day, I added some blueberries, too, and immediately got a craving for those huge blueberry muffins of my childhood. With a few extras, I had blueberry muffin oatmeal.
I added some vanilla, swapped my usual maple syrup for brown sugar and topped my creation with a pat of butter, some pecans and a little lemon zest.
It was decadent, and tasted just like a blueberry muffin. The butter and vanilla really brought out that indulgent, cake-like quality, and the zing of the lemon juice and zest balanced the sweetness from the berries and sugar.
Tips for making Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal
- Wait to add your blueberries until the very end. Otherwise your oatmeal will turn to purple mush.
- It’s fine to skimp on the sugar if 2 tablespoons seems like too much, but don’t skip the butter or lemon zest. Those two ingredients really bring it together and give the oatmeal the genuine blueberry muffin taste.
- And don’t skip the salt. It makes the flavors pop.
- If you want to take things up a notch, you can add a little cream or half-and-half to the oatmeal after serving.
Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Salt
- 1/2 cup (heaping) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 teaspoon salted butter
- 1/4 cup roasted pecans, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Bring the water and a pinch of salt to boil, then add oats and reduce to heat to medium for a simmer.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, about five minutes or until most of the water has absorbed. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon or pumpkin pie seasoning and lemon juice. Stir and taste, adding more lemon juice if it seems too sweet, a pinch of salt if the flavors seem subdued or more sugar or spices if desired.
- Carefully fold in blueberries. Allow blueberries to cook without stirring, to avoid breaking the berries.
- When blueberries have thawed and begin to release their juices, spoon into two bowls and top each serving with half the butter, pecans and lemon zest.
If you liked this blueberry muffin oatmeal recipe, try my rhubarb blood orange oatmeal or my spiced Greek yogurt.