Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins {Real Food Friday}

Did you miss my Real Food Friday last week? I did! We were on Spring Break and this week has been so crazy busy I’m not sure if I’m coming or going!

I’m hoping to make up a new batch of these blueberry oatmeal muffins. Last time I did, they didn’t even last long enough for me to put any in the freezer. That’s what I really like to do so I have them ready to warm up in the microwave on busy weekday mornings.

I’ve been making these muffins for over a decade. I originally found the recipe in a Healthy Cooking magazine from Taste of Home but have altered it very slightly for my family by using whole oatmeal rather than the quick-cooking variety.

We like to go blueberry picking every summer at a local blueberry farm to stock up on the berries so I always seem to have some on hand (find a place to go picking for local fruits near you by clicking here). You can also buy them frozen at your grocery store or for a pretty good price at a wholesale club.

I store the picked blueberries in bags and label. You can see I've had these for awhile--we pick A LOT!

My whole family likes them but recently my daughter was BEGGING for the box variety. So to prove a point I bought and made that box variety. Then kept the box. And the next week I made these. And pulled out the recipe. I asked her to first read the ingredients from the box. There were several that she could not pronounce. Then she read the homemade version’s recipe. Every ingredient pronounceable and recognizable. “Hmmm…what do you think of that?” I asked. Then I could see it in her eyes, the lightbulb go on and she said, “Ok, Mom, now I see why you like the homemade version.” Yep, point made.

Comparison of the box mix variety vs. easy to read from scratch version ingredients.

BLUEBERRY OATMEAL MUFFINS
Adapted from Healthy Cooking magazine
Yield: 12 Servings

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oat meal
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, you can add as is–no need to thaw first)

Topping
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, beat egg whites, water and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups or muffin cups coated with cooking spray three-fourths full. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 400° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.

Just a few simple ingredients.

I measure my oil first and then add the water into one measuring cup. Since their weird fractions I use two cups but really only get one dirty.

Don't those nice big berries look SO yummy?

I use and ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the muffin tin. Easy, not messy and even distribution for better baking.

I keep the cinnamon sugar mixture ready in a spice container so it's easy to sprinkle on to all kinds of things. Although I mainly just use it for this!

Nutritional Analysis: One muffin equals 177 calories, 7 g fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 131 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1-1/2 fat.

These are light and delicious! Sometimes I do half whole wheat flour too. Why don’t you give them a try yourself?