Maple Bacon Oatmeal Muffins

Maple Bacon and Oatmeal Muffins

These are the best breakfast muffins, ever. You read that right. These muffins are for all of you who can’t make up your mind in the morning. These muffins are like four breakfasts rolled into one: they are a stack of pancakes, a bowl of oatmeal, bacon and eggs or just a muffin, thank you very much.

Just when I’m trying to avoid eating greasy things like bacon, or pancakes slathered with butter and maple syrup, here I go combining them. No, I’m not trying to kill you, or me either, I’m just full of contradictions. But there is meaning in my madness: the oatmeal is in there for a purpose. Oatmeal provides fiber, and the fiber cleanses out the greasy bad stuff. Oh, the power of oatmeal. It’s feeling the weight of responsibility on its shoulders. But I know it can handle it, else I wouldn’t be using it. Maple syrup? It’s there to take the place of sugar. You know, sweeten things up a little. And living in maple syrup country as I do, I try to include it when ever possible. Bacon? Well what can I say about bacon that hasn’t already been said by a million other people. Bacon makes everything better. That’s all there is to it.

You must try these muffins —- and think how healthy they are for you!

MAPLE BACON OATMEAL MUFFINS

Yield: This recipe makes about 17 -18 muffins. It can easily be halved for a yield of about 8-9 muffins.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups quick cooking or regular rolled oats
A trio of great ingredients: maple syrup, oatmeal and bacon.
1 1/2 cups milk (any kind, I used almond milk)
2 cups flour (I recommend using 1/2 white whole flour and/or spelt flour for additional nutrition and fiber)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 egg ( when making half a recipe, I still used 1 whole egg)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbsp. maple syrup for brushing tops

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Line muffin tin(s) with paper liners and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine milk and oats, then let it sit while you cook the bacon to allow the oats to soften.

Cooking the bacon.

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

4. Whisk maple syrup, melted butter, and egg into the oatmeal mixture. Lightly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients along with the bacon.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups until each is about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.