My husband and I got a great deal on our house.
We bought it back when the market was in an ebb, so in addition to the price, we got a great interest rate.
The house is in a nice section of town, in a great neighborhood, close to all of our most frequented stops, including my husband’s station, my daughter’s school, and our gym.
The only thing is that the house was previously owned by an older retired couple, and that fact was highly reflected in the decor.
Ordinarily, I would actually describe my personal ‘decorating’ style as a bit ‘grandma-ish’, but I would mean that more in the sense of liking curtains, wallpaper, and rocking chairs.
The former owners, however, were a bit more eccentric.
Plush green carpet, bulky, too-big-for-the-room curtains, mismatched chair cushions, and monotone peach walls are just a few of the makeover hurdles we’ve encountered.
What really sold me on the house, though, was the kitchen.
No expense seemed to have been spared with the walnut cabinets, stone tile countertops, and stainless steel appliances….and everything was clean.
Cleanliness was a huge selling point for me. If any house we looked at wasn’t clean, I was out the door!
In addition to pantry and cupboard space galore, I have room for all of my recipe notecards and notebooks, where I am constantly doodling some new idea.
In one of the books, I had written ‘overnight oats muffins’, which basically describes these soft beauties.
By soaking the oats overnight, a la the popular breakfast recipe, they become soft and more digestible, though you can soak them for as little as 20 minutes if desired.
The added lemon juice gives a desirable buttermilk taste and the touch of honey provides the perfect amount of sweetness needed.
- 1 c. rolled oats (I use Country Choice Organic Oats)
- 1 T. lemon juice
- 1 c. milk of your choice (I use hemp)
- ¼ c. olive oil
- ¼ c. honey
- 1 egg
- 1 T. vanilla extract
- 1 c. flour (barley and oat are my favorites)
- 1½ t. baking powder
- ½ t. sea salt
- ¾ c. blueberries (defrosted, if frozen)
- Mix the oats, lemon juice, and milk.
- Cover and let soak for as quick as 20 minutes or as long as 12 hours (overnight) on the countertop.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix the soaked oats with the oil, honey, egg, and vanilla (stir in the blueberries last).
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the dry ingredients with the wet just until combined.
- Dollop the batter into 12 paper muffin cups.
- Bake 15-16 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
Notes:
I was most impressed with barley flour in terms of taste, but if you are gluten-free, oat flour (grind your own gluten-free oats) is great, and I’m sure any GF all-purpose mix would work.
If you substitute coconut oil for the olive, keep in mind that the muffins will get hard in the fridge and need to be warmed to restore their soft bite.
If you’re vegan, I imagine these would work with an all-purpose GF mix or a gluten-based flour, such as barley, spelt, or whole wheat. Applesauce would replace the egg, and maple syrup would be subbed for the honey. I haven’t tried this though.
I’m a sucker for anything ‘blueberry’ and these are no exception. I tried pairing the flavors with cinnamon, but really enjoyed the vanilla and BB combo the best. It’s damn near addictive!
What kind of decorator are you?
Shared with: Full Plate Thursday, Create It Thursday, Hearth and Soul
April J Harris (@apriljharris)
I’m a sucker for anything blueberry too, Lauren! Your Soaked Oatmeal Blueberry Vanilla Muffins look amazing – I love the idea of soaking the oats. Pinned. Thank you for sharing with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop. My decorating style is pretty traditional – I like neutral colours with warmer accents, plush sofas and curtains with valances and swags. And anything blue…
Miz Helen
Your Muffins look great! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a fantastic day!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
quianna
Anyway to make these truly soaked? The 1 cup flour is added at the end not soaked. Thanks!
betterinblack
I made these with GF quick oats, homemade cashew milk, and a GF flour blend. They came out really good, though I wish they were just a tad more sweet. A great breakfast snack — thanks!
Katie (The Muffin Myth)
Soaking the oats is a great idea! That way they’ll add moisture to the muffins rather than soaking it up during baking. I love the flavour of barley flour as well. Can’t wait to try these out!
Lauren
Thanks Katie! They did come out nice and moist. 🙂
Bekka
Do you think steel cut oats would work in this instead of the rolled oats? It is just what I have on hand, and wanted to avoid buying something if I could. Also, do you think gluten free flour would work?
Lauren
Hi Bekka,
I’m not sure about the steel cut…they’d probably work, but you’d end up with a completely different texture. The GF flour should work though! 🙂
Lisa O.
These came out great. My kids love them. Any thoughts on how to store them (counter or fridge) and how long they might last? Thanks for a great recipe. (Love that this was using soaked oats!)
Lauren
That’s great Lisa! I would keep them in the fridge as they do contain perishable ingredients. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen
These muffins look wonderful Lauren – I love that you soaked the oats!! Pinned!
And I am totally an old lady at heart with my decorating as well. Haha, I have a tendency towards flowery things and rocking chairs – they are just so homey!
Mike @TheIronYou
Those are some great looking muffins my friend, I’m definitely going to try the GF version.
PS I can’t really comment on decorating, I really don’t care about furniture. In my bedroom, for instance, I’m happy if there is a bed with pillow and duvet and if I can open the window. The rest is superfluous, right? 😉
Lindsay
I’m more of an old Hollywood glamour meets shabby chic decorator. Which sounds strange and awful. Mainly, I just like white things, neutral things, and sparkly things.
Lauren
Lol, it actually sounds pretty cool Lindsay. I’m kind of obsessed with old Hollywood! 🙂
Ingrid
I made these with the coconut milk and used apples instead of blueberries and they were delicious! My kids loved them! Making them again tomorrow for breakfast!
Lauren
That’s great Ingrid, I’m so happy you all enjoyed them! 🙂
Ingrid
Can you use coconut milk in place of dairy or another kind? Wondering how it would react with lemon or if you can still leave it out? Love your recipes!
Lauren
Coconut milk would be great! Thanks Ingrid! 🙂