Fresh Orange & Oatmeal Muffins

We’re back to January. I don’t know about where you live, but it’s freakishly cold here. I’m not a fan of sub-zero weather. However, I shouldn’t complain to loudly because it’s the perfect time of year to BAKE! For whatever reason our kitchen is the coldest room in the house this time of year. Gotta get that oven running to take off the chill. Connor recently informed me breakfast is boring, so clearly it’s time for a new muffin recipe. After thinking about it for a while I decided to make Fresh Orange & Oatmeal Muffins.

I love that these muffins are a little off the beaten path from what I normally make. They are soft and light with a lovely citrus tang. I think I’ll add some orange zest as well the next time to bring out more of the orange flavor specifically. I wanted these muffins to feel indulgently healthy (is that a thing?) so they are packed with oatmeal, yogurt, pureed oranges and wheat flour. These came out so nice and flavorful that we didn’t even bother putting butter on them!

January is typically the season for re-evaluating our habits, eating included, and there’s a month or two where we push everything “healthy.” I do like to refresh and start over in the new year but I prefer to focus on a long term relationship with good food rather than hyper focusing on health for a short time. For us that means good portion sizes, limiting the number of sweet foods and drinks in a day and working to keep a balance of protein/carb/fruit/veggies in our diets.

Speaking of balance, I do think it’s time for me to focus on a more regular exercise routine for the year. Yoga is becoming more necessary now that I’m in my thirties! This year my goal is to find a conglomeration of exercises that I’ll actually stick with. If it’s too long I will write it off because I “don’t have time.” If it is too repetitive I’ll get bored and quit. Apparently I’m high maintenance when it comes to working out.

I decided to try the app 8 Fit for a few weeks and see how I like it. So far I like the short daily exercises and boy have I felt it in the mornings! Yesterday I took the kids sledding instead. While we were out I ran up the long hill multiple times to get my heart rate up (and keep warm). I was able to log that into the app as a daily exercise toward my weekly goal. Basically my goal is to be intentional about staying active this year.

What are your goals for 2018? If you haven’t decided yet, whip up a batch of these Fresh Orange & Oatmeal Muffins and ruminate over a cup of tea! Call me, I’ll be right over. . .

Thanks for pinning and sharing. If you want to hang out between posts join me on Instagram.

-Erin

Fresh Orange & Oatmeal Muffins

• Author: The Teatime Baker
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 16 servings 1x
• Category: Breakfast

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Description

Start your day with a healthy muffin and hot tea. Packed with yogurt, pureed oranges, and oatmeal these muffins are soft and delicious with a citrus tang.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1–1/4 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup orange puree (see notes below)
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F (190 C) and put liners in your muffin pans.
2. Whisk the sugar, egg, orange puree, oil, and vanilla.
3. Add the flours, oats, baking powder, and salt and combine.
4. Last, add the greek yogurt and stir.
5. Fill each liner with 1/4 cup of batter and sprinkle the tops with sliced almonds and a pinch of raw sugar.
6. Bake for 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

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Notes

For the orange puree I peeled three mandarin oranges and blended them to make 1/2 cup of puree.

Keywords: orange and oatmeal muffin recipe, healthy breakfast muffins, sliced almonds on orange muffins