Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

Name: Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 21 min
Total time: 36 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ cups (135 g) old-fashioned rolled oats; 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, cool or at room temperature; ¾ cup (110 g) raisins; 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder; ½ tsp (3 g) baking soda; ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt; 1½ tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon; ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed, lumps broken up; 2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes; 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract; 2 tbsp (18 g) old-fashioned rolled oats; 1 tbsp (13 g) turbinado or coarse sugar

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, hearty muffins made by soaking rolled oats and plump raisins in tangy buttermilk, then spicing the batter with cinnamon and brown sugar. Crunchy oat-sugar tops make them bakery-worthy.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 21 min
Wait: 30 min
Total: 1 hr 6 min
Makes: 12 standard muffins

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the muffins
1½ cups (135 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, cool or at room temperature
¾ cup (110 g) raisins
1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
½ tsp (3 g) baking soda
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
1½ tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon
¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed, lumps broken up
2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the topping
2 tbsp (18 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tbsp (13 g) turbinado or coarse sugar

Equipment (8)

12-cup standard muffin tin (about ⅓ cup / 80 ml per cup)
12 paper liners or nonstick spray
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk and rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale
Wire cooling rack
Toothpick or thin skewer

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they mix smoothly into the batter.
The oats and raisins soak for 20 minutes, so start there; preheat the oven near the end of the soak.
Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant or steel-cut, for the right chew.
Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, or use the gram weight, so the muffins aren't dry.

1
Soak oats and raisins
- In a large bowl, stir together the 1½ cups (135 g) rolled oats, the buttermilk, and the raisins.
- Press the oats down so they are submerged.
- Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Oats look swollen and the mixture is thick like loose porridge
Tip: Don't skip the soak; unsoaked oats pull moisture from the batter and make dry, gritty muffins.
2
Preheat and prep panOven 375°F / 190°C
- About 10 minutes before the soak ends, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C).
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or spray the cups and the top of the pan well with nonstick spray.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 375°F (190°C)
3
Mix dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon for 20 seconds until the cinnamon is evenly distributed with no streaks.
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Ready when: Mixture is uniformly beige-brown with no pale streaks
4
Whisk wet ingredients
- Add the brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla to the soaked oat mixture.
- Whisk for about 1 minute until smooth and no sugar lumps remain.
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Ready when: Mixture is glossy and uniform, with no streaks of egg or butter
Tip: Cool the butter first; hot butter can scramble the eggs.
5
Fold into batter
- Tip the dry ingredients over the wet mixture.
- With a rubber spatula, fold just until no dry flour remains, about 12 to 15 strokes.
- The batter will be thick and lumpy.
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Ready when: No dry flour patches visible; a few small lumps are fine
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes muffins tough and tunneled.
6
Fill muffin cups
- Divide the batter among the 12 cups, using a heaping ¼ cup (about 80 g) each so they are filled nearly to the top.
- Mix the topping oats and turbinado sugar in a small bowl, then sprinkle about 1 teaspoon over each muffin.
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Ready when: Cups are filled evenly, with batter domed slightly above the rim
Tip: A spring-loaded ice cream scoop gives even portions fast.
7
Bake the muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) on the center rack for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan front to back after 12 minutes for even browning.
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Ready when: Tops are deep golden and spring back when pressed; a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs
Tip: Avoid opening the oven in the first 10 minutes or the domes may sink.
8
Cool and serve
- Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes so they firm up, then lift them onto a wire rack.
- Cool another 5 minutes before eating; they are best warm.
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Ready when: Muffins release easily from the pan and are warm, not steaming hot
Tip: Leaving them in the pan too long traps steam and makes the bottoms soggy.

Good to know

Tips

Fill the cups nearly to the top for bakery-style domed muffins; the thick batter doesn't spread much.
For taller domes, bake the first 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C), then lower to 375°F (190°C) for the remaining time.
Fold the batter gently and stop as soon as the flour disappears for a tender crumb.
Ovens vary; start checking at 18 minutes and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.

Make ahead

Soak the oats, raisins, and buttermilk covered in the fridge overnight (up to 12 hours), then bring to room temperature for 20 minutes and continue. Baked muffins also freeze very well.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature in an airtight container: up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days. Freezer: up to 3 months, wrapped individually in plastic then in a freezer bag. Reheat a thawed or refrigerated muffin in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or microwave a frozen muffin for 45 to 60 seconds.

Substitutions

buttermilk → plain whole-milk yogurt thinned with milk, or milk plus lemon juice. Use 1 cup (240 ml) of milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, rested 5 minutes, or ¾ cup yogurt plus ¼ cup milk.
raisins → dried cranberries, chopped dates, or chocolate chips. Use the same weight; chocolate chips needn't be soaked, so stir them in at the end.
unsalted butter → neutral oil such as canola. Use ½ cup (120 ml); the crumb will be slightly more tender but less buttery.
all-purpose flour → white whole wheat flour. Replace up to half the flour; the muffins will be a bit denser.