Homemade Spice Muffins with Oatmeal Crunch Topping Recipe

These spice muffins with oatmeal topping are mildly sweet for breakfast or snack. This homemade recipe includes cinnamon, cloves, low fat buttermilk, and whole wheat flour. Make these muffins from scratch the night before a brunch party, and serve them with hot coffee.

Cinnamon Spice Muffins with Oatmeal Crunch topping

I think muffins are one of the greatest food groups in the breakfast category. There are so many varieties and flavors, and they’re the perfect size. 

I recently updated an old recipe with some healthier substitutions and the result is this scrumptious muffin.

You get the flavors of cinnamon and cloves lightly sweetened with brown sugar. And the oatmeal streusel topping is addictive!

Make these homemade muffins from scratch when you’re hosting overnight guests and need something for breakfast entertaining. They also make a delicious on-the-go breakfast or snack food for kids and grownups alike. Everyone will love the crunchy oatmeal topping!

Delicious Brunch Party Recipe

These cake-like muffins are terrific for Easter brunch or Mothers Day brunch.

• These make the perfect treat for a tea party and entertaining with tea.
• Include our favorite delicious deviled eggs with bacon for a protein boost on the side.
• Serve this family friendly sparkling fruit punch to wash it all down.
• And of course you’ll want to have plenty of coffee and tea or a hot beverage bar.

You’ll find that these muffins are not overly sweet. They’re just sweet enough! A dollop of honey or jam goes really well with them. 

Speaking of jam, these muffins have a surprise inside. A thin ribbon of spreadable fruit is hidden inside! It’s the kind that’s made with natural fruit juices so there’s no added sugar.

PARTY TIP: To save time you can make these as directed and omit the fruit spread inside.

How to Make Cinnamon Spice Muffins 

Even though I don’t obsess about diet, I do like to make better choices when I can. Simple things like using whole wheat, or fat-free dairy products are easy to incorporate into everyday meal plans. And for this recipe I made a few swaps that make the muffins a little healthier.

• Use whole wheat flour for some of the all-purpose flour normally called for. You can’t substitute completely but this guide tells you how to make adjustments.
• Add low-fat buttermilk rather than whole fat.
• Incorporate spreadable fruit in natural juices rather than traditional jam or preserves.

When you make these muffins you’ll combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately before combining them together. NOTE: brown sugar is mixed with the wet ingredients.

1. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cloves together in a bowl. Use a whisk to incorporate everything together. 
2. Combine the buttermilk, oil, molasses, egg, and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl. 
3. Gradually pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
4. Fill 12 muffin tins 1/4 of the way full. Make a small depression in the center of the batter by pressing in with a spoon. Add a dollop of spreadable fruit to the center depression. Top with more batter to about 2/3 full.
5. To make the topping, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, and butter into a crumbly mixture and sprinkle on to the top of each muffin. Press the topping down a little so it adheres to the batter.
6. Bake as directed.

You can also make these without the fruit center. Just fill the muffin tins with the batter and bake as directed. They’ll be delicious and you can always serve them with the fruit on the side.

Spice Muffins with Oatmeal Topping Recipe

Yield: 12 muffins

These spice muffins combine cinnamon and cloves with an oatmeal streusel topping for a delicious breakfast or snack. Make these for brunch parties or when hosting overnight guests.

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Ingredients

• 11/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Mazola Corn Oil
• 1 Tablespoon molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1 small jar of spreadable fruit preserves

For topping:

• 2 Tablespoons quick-cooking oats
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon butter, softened

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Mix well with a whisk.
3. In a large bowl whisk together buttermilk, brown sugar, corn oil, molasses, and egg, until well combines.
4. Gradually add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture and stir until moistened. DO NOT OVER MIX.
5. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups, filling about 1/4 inch.
6. Add a dollop of preserves to the center of the muffin cup, on top of batter.
7. Divide remaining batter among muffin cups to cover the fruit preserves; about 2/3 full
8. Combine oatmeal topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over each muffin cup pressing down gently to adhere to batter.
9. Bake 18 - 20 minutes.
10. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn muffins out to cool completely.

Notes

You can eliminate the spreadable fruit if you want to save prep time. Serve the preserves on the side along with the muffins.