When you are craving oatmeal raisin cookies, but want something a little healthier instead, make these Oatmeal Raisin Muffins! Packed with wholesome oats and juicy raisins, they’re a delicious and nutritious breakfast or snack. Quick and easy to make, this recipe is a must-try for any muffin lover.
Muffins for breakfast are a favorite of ours! If you want more healthy-ish muffin recipes, also try these Bran Muffins or these Oatmeal Muffins.
Raisins – love them or hate them?
I’m not sure why, but raisins seem to be one of those things that people freak out about. Picking the plain cinnamon rolls over the ones with raisins, or only eating oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips instead of raisins. Or turning down my favorite Oatmeal Raisin Bars.
But me? I love them. And usually, the more the better. I love them in my cookies, in my cinnamon rolls, and a love a good slice of cinnamon raisin bread.
If you like oatmeal raisin cookies, you will love these muffins. And I like to think that they are a little healthier than cookies, because they are made with half whole wheat flour. That makes them healthy, right??? 🙂 But really, I will take advantage of anytime I can eat something for breakfast that tastes like dessert.
Ingredients
- Oats: You’ll want to use old fashioned oats. Quick oats may work, but I have not tested this recipe with them.
- Milk: I use 2% milk, but this is a recipe where most milks will work, including dairy free milk, like almond milk.
- Raisins: I use regular raisins, but feel free to swap in golden raisins or even craisins!
- Brown Sugar: You will want to use light brown sugar.
- Egg: This is one large egg.
- Butter: The butter will be halfway melted, so you can start with cold or room temperature butter.
- Vanilla: Real vanilla extract is best.
- Flour:This recipe calls for half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour. You could sub in all all-purpose flour, if that is what you have on hand. All whole wheat could probably be used, but your muffins will be a little heavier.
- Baking Soda: This gives the muffins their lift.
- Cinnamon: A good oatmeal cookie has cinnamon, so of course we’ll add a little bit of cinnamon to these muffins.
- Salt: The salt will balance the flavors.
- Turbinado Sugar: This is optional, but gives a little crunch and extra sweetness on top of the muffins.
How to Make Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
1: Soak the oats in 1/2 cup of the milk for about 10 minutes.
2: While the oats are soaking, soak the raisins in 1/4 cup of the milk.
3: Partially melt your butter. It should be liquid on the sides but still have some solid in the middle.
4: Whisk together the egg and brown sugar, then whisk in the butter.
5: Add both flours, the baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the sugar mixture. It will be a bit stiff – no need to completely combine it at this point.
6: Stir in the remaining milk, along with the soaked oats.
7: Fold in the soaked raisins.
8: Divide the mixture evenly between 12 muffin cups, and bake until a tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
Tips and Tricks
I like to reserve a few of the raisins to add to the top of each muffin just before baking.
As with all muffin recipes, make sure you don’t overmix the batter.
No need to drain the oats or the raisins – add the extra liquid into the batter when you add the oats and the raisins.
Storage and Freezing
Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature.
They should last about 4 days, but will have the best texture when they are fresh.
These muffins freeze well! My favorite way to freeze them is to place the cooled muffins on a baking sheet and place in the freezer until they are mostly frozen. You can then place them in a freezer safe container or freezer bag without having them stick together.
Muffins can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.
Thaw the muffins before serving. You can leave them at room temperature or throw them in the microwave for a few seconds.
More Favorite Muffin Recipes
Zucchini Muffins
Cinnamon Muffins
Banana Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Morning Glory Muffins
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Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 1/4 cups milk divided
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Turbinado sugar for topping
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the oats with 1/2 cup of the milk. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- In another bowl, combine the raisins with 1/4 cup of the milk. Let them sit while the oats are sitting.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg and the brown sugar, mixing until smooth.
- Melt the butter slightly – it should be part liquid and part solid. You can do this in the microwave or on the stove.
- Add in the butter, along with the vanilla, to the sugar mixture. Stir together. The mixture may have a few lumps, but should be mostly smooth.
- Add in the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the remaining milk and stir to combine.
- Add the soaked oats and raisins, along with any milk in the bowls, to the mixture. Fold together until combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a little bit of turbinado sugar on top of each muffin.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs, about 16-18 minutes.
- Let the muffins cool slightly before removing from the tin.
Lorraine Gentleman says
Great texture, next time I will add the sugar on top get a bit more sweetness. or just add some jam to these! Good quantity as well. I usually make banana muffins but this time I felt like trying another favorite with my excess supply of raisins. 😉
Steph says
I believe this recipe was published incorrectly. The batter was absolute liquid with raisins and oats sunk to the bottom. I tried to save it, so doubled the flour to get it to batter texture. I got the muffins to set, but they were bland of course. After tasting them and thinking about the recipe, I think this is supposed to have half as much milk.
Deborah says
Hi Steph – I just want to make sure you soaked the oats in 1/2 cup of the milk and soaked the raisins in 1/4 cup of the milk. If you didn’t soak them first, I could see how you’d have an issue. But the oats and raisins soak up a lot of that liquid.
Kaila Gareau says
Great recipe! I tripled the batch. Hearty grab and go breakfast or snack for all the men in my house. They were a hit!!!!
Deborah says
I’m so glad they were a hit!
Weller says
I made 24 mini muffins. Baked for 14 1/2 minutes. Absolutely delicious! I will now check out your other recipes. thank you!
Deborah says
I’m glad you enjoyed them!