Fresh strawberries, oats, and buttermilk combine in these healthier breakfast muffins that are perfect for breakfast, a snack and even dessert!
It finally feels like spring in Atlanta and for me that means strawberry season. Bursting with flavor and packed with nutrition, strawberries have a lot to offer. Since they are abundant right now, I’m sharing the nutrition benefits of strawberries and my Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins recipe.
Ingredients
- Old fashioned oats
- Buttermilk
- All-purpose flour whole wheat
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Brown sugar
- An egg
- Oil
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Fresh strawberries
Directions
Making these muffins is easy.
The most important thing is to soak the oats with the buttermilk. Hydrating the oats is critical for maintaining tenderness.
Once you have the wet and dry ingredients ready, fold the berries into the batter carefully so they don’t break apart.
Though it may seem like a good idea to add more strawberries, don’t. Too many berries will cause the muffins to fall apart.
If you don’t have buttermilk… You can use other types of milk. Buttermilk adds a lot of flavor and moisture so there will be a slight difference in texture.
Readers have even tried almond milk and other non-dairy milk and it works!
With whole oats, fresh strawberries and a secret ingredient to keep them super moist, these healthy breakfast muffins are a satisfying morning treat.
Though the recipe can be adapted for special diets, these muffins are easy to make – no special flours, oils or seeds. They are also freezer-friendly. I made these a few weeks ago, and put a couple of batches in the freezer. I’m still happily enjoying one for a snack or quick breakfast every now and then.
Tips for making healthy muffins
- Add nuts or seeds. Adding in a source of healthy fats like walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds or flaxseed can add a little health boost to your favorite muffin mix.
- Add fruit. Pieces of fruit can add flavor, color, and even a little fiber to the mix. These healthy pear muffins are especially high in fiber and flavor!
- Swap the flours. Try whole grain flour or almond flour to add more fiber and/or protein to your muffins. Wheat pastry flour offers a lighter, less dense result compared to regular wheat flour. I’m also a huge fan of oat flour or oats added to muffins. And remember that you can but don’t have to make a 1:1 swap. Start with half to see how you like it.
- Cut back on sugar. I’m not a fan of removing sugar altogether. These are muffins after all. Plus, sugar helps with browning. That said, many muffin recipes have way too much sugar and end up tasting like cake. You might try cutting back by 25% to start then test out smaller amounts.
- Add fruit puree for some of the oil. Sub in up to half the oil in a recipe with pumpkin or banana puree or unsweetened applesauce.
Can you freeze muffins?
Yes. You can freeze muffins. And I highly recommend it! To freeze muffins:
- Allow the muffins to cool completely.
- Store in a freezer-safe bag or container that’s tightly sealed.
- Freeze in a single layer.
When you’re ready to eat the muffins, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, for a couple of hours on the counter or pop them into the oven or toaster oven for 10-15 minutes for a toasty morning treat. The last method is my preferred way to reheat muffins.
More healthy breakfast muffin recipes
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins
Healthier Blueberry Blender Muffins
White Cheddar Zucchini Muffins
And now, get the recipe for these Strawberry Oat Muffins below!
Note: A previous version of this recipe appeared on the now-closed KitchenAid blog as part of a 2015 partnership.
Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
Equipment
- muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all purpose flour can sub up to ½ cup whole wheat or almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- ¼ cup avocado or olive oil (or any neutral tasting oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cup diced fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F*. Lightly spray or grease a standard 12-well muffin tin. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine oats and buttermilk to soak 15 minutes. In a second bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Stir the oil, egg, brown sugar and vanilla into the soaked oat mixture. Add dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold strawberries into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of 1-2 muffins comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
- I recommend skipping the paper muffin cups in this recipe. Baking directly on the muffin tin produced the best results – keeping the moisture in and creating a nice crust on the outside.
- These strawberry oat muffins are best served warm but also freeze and reheat well.
Judy
These look like my kind of muffin, Marisa! Not too sweet nor too much fat. Love the fruit and oats.
Marisa
Thanks, Judy! I rarely bake but I was very pleased with how these turned out. The buttermilk really adds something special to the entire thing!
Marlynn | Urban Bliss Life
We’ve got lots of strawberries right now and I can’t wait to make these! Love your tips for making muffins healthier, too.
Dannii
we love muffins for breakfast. A great way to get extra fruit in to my daughter too.
Beth Pierce
Such a quick and flavorful breakfast recipe! My whole family loved this; it has quickly become a family favorite!
Sophia
I love muffins in the morning, but they’re normally so full of sugar. This recipe is perfect for a healthier alternative! And the strawberries are so good for spring and summer. Yum!
Heidy L. McCallum
I made these and tey totally came out wonderful. I will be making these more often. The entire family was thrilled!
Martha Vranesevic
Can you use frozen strawberries?
Marisa
Frozen strawberries wouldn’t be my first pick because they tend to add extra water to the mix. But if it’s what you have on hand, thaw the strawberries and drain in a colander before adding to the batter. That should help.
Brandi
Made these to have healthier options for my kids for breakfast, and they quickly became their favorite go to snack. Really love these! A new staple for sure
Marisa
I’m so happy to hear that these work for the entire family! Thanks for the note!
Kay
Can this recipe be made into a loaf instead of muffins? If so, how long should I bake and at what temperature?
Go Jackets
Mel
Made these with an apple sauce cup instead of an egg (I ran out) and they came out delicious. Going to share with my sister who’s daughter is allergic to eggs. (Also decided to randomly add shredded coconut for a twist lol)
Marisa
That coconut add sounds perfect. I’m going to try that next!! Thanks for your note!
Heather Smith
Holy moly these are delicious. I made them vegan by subbing a flax egg and they’re perfect! Fantastic recipe!
Marliss Desens
The strawberries at the local farmers’ market are excellent this year, so I pulled out this recipe that I have been wanting to try. These muffins are delicious.
My notes: I chose to use half white whole wheat flour. I used canola oil. I reduced the salt to 1/4 tsp., since there is sodium in the baking soda. I reduced the brown sugar slightly to 1/3 cup, which is the usual amount I use in my muffins. I halved the vanilla, since I’m trying to conserve my supply. My other change was to add a tablespoon of Bob’s Red Mill milk powder, to increase the calcium. I baked these as six jumbo muffins, since I know that I would eat two anyway, and it is easier to grease a large muffin tin. I baked for 20 minutes. I plan to freeze three of the muffins for quick breakfasts.
Thank you for another great recipe!