Oat Muffins with Pecan Streusel Topping
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy. These hearty muffins have a wholesome “oatey” flavor and a crunchy streusel topping. These are my husband, Michael’s, favorite muffins — and when they mysteriously disappear from the countertop, I know who is the likely culprit! They’re hearty with a wholesome “oatey” flavor and crunchy streusel topping. I love them because they bake up so nicely. Typically, homemade muffins don’t rise as high as bakery muffins. It’s not the fault of the home baker; it’s simply difficult to create those dazzling high domes without an industrial convection oven. But these oat muffins dome beautifully — guaranteed — and will make you proud. What You’ll Need To Make Oat Muffins Step-by-Step Instructions Begin by making the streusel topping. Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture should be clumpy. Set that aside, then move on to the oats. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the oats and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the oats and fragrant and golden. This step enhances the oat flavor. Transfer the oats to a food processor. Process until the oats are finely ground. Then add the remaining dry ingredients. Process again until uniform. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the milk and eggs. Whisk to combine. Gradually add the flour, stirring with the whisk, until the mixture is evenly moistened. It will look a little lumpy — that’s okay. The batter will be quite thin. Let it sit for 20 minutes to thicken; it will thicken up quite a bit. Using an ice cream scooper with a wire scraper or a spoon, fill the muffin cups to the rim with the batter. Then top with the streusel. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for ten minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Serve warm. Note: My starting point for this recipe was this oatmeal muffin from Cook’s Illustrated. I found their version to be a bit too dense, so I adjusted the ratio of oats to flour (increasing the flour and reducing the oats), and I also increased the leavening agents. For flavor, I added more cinnamon and reduced the salt. You May Also Like Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Muffins Morning Glory Muffins Blueberry Maple Bran Muffins Apple Spice Muffins Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Muffins Morning Glory Muffins Blueberry Maple Bran Muffins Apple Spice Muffins RecipeComments (32)Add Comment Recipe Comments (32) Add Comment Ingredients For the Topping ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats ⅓ cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar ⅓ cup finely chopped pecans 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats ⅓ cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar ⅓ cup finely chopped pecans 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted For the Muffins 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off 1¼ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1⅓ cups packed light brown sugar 1¾ cups milk 2 large eggs 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided 1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off 1¼ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1⅓ cups packed light brown sugar 1¾ cups milk 2 large eggs Instructions For the Topping Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over top and stir to combine. The mixture will be clumpy. Set aside. Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over top and stir to combine. The mixture will be clumpy. Set aside. For the Muffins Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners (or grease with a nonstick baking spray with flour in it). Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the oats and cook, stirring frequently, until the oats turn golden and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the oats to a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process into a fine meal. Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda to the oats and pulse until the mixture is uniform. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the milk and eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth (if you have lumps, I find it helpful to warm the mixture a bit in the microwave.) Gradually add the flour/oat mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with the whisk until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Do not over-mix; the batter will look a little lumpy -- that's okay. You will notice that the batter is very thin; let it sit for 20 minutes to thicken (don't worry -- it will thicken quite a bit). Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Using an ice cream scoop with a wire scraper or large spoon, divide the batter equally into the muffin cups; they will be filled to the rim. Evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter. Bake until golden and domed, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. (If your oven has hot spots, rotate the muffin tin halfway through baking.) Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Serve warm or after they are completely cooled, store in an airtight container. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 – 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners (or grease with a nonstick baking spray with flour in it). Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the oats and cook, stirring frequently, until the oats turn golden and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the oats to a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process into a fine meal. Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda to the oats and pulse until the mixture is uniform. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the milk and eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth (if you have lumps, I find it helpful to warm the mixture a bit in the microwave.) Gradually add the flour/oat mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with the whisk until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Do not over-mix; the batter will look a little lumpy -- that's okay. You will notice that the batter is very thin; let it sit for 20 minutes to thicken (don't worry -- it will thicken quite a bit). Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Using an ice cream scoop with a wire scraper or large spoon, divide the batter equally into the muffin cups; they will be filled to the rim. Evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter. Bake until golden and domed, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. (If your oven has hot spots, rotate the muffin tin halfway through baking.) Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Serve warm or after they are completely cooled, store in an airtight container. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 – 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm. Nutrition Information Powered by Per serving (12 servings) Serving size: 1 muffin Calories: 423 Fat: 17g Saturated fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 62g Sugar: 32g Fiber: 3g Protein: 7g Sodium: 377mg Cholesterol: 65mg Per serving (12 servings) Serving size: 1 muffin Calories: 423 Fat: 17g Saturated fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 62g Sugar: 32g Fiber: 3g Protein: 7g Sodium: 377mg Cholesterol: 65mg This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. See more recipes: Breakfast & BrunchFreezer-FriendlyMake-AheadMuffins & SconesAmerican Breakfast & Brunch Freezer-Friendly Make-Ahead Muffins & Scones American