My Spice Muffins with Oatmeal Topping recipe is a mildly sweet treat for breakfast or snack. I’ve made it with some updated substitutions for a lighter, better-for-you version. But you’ll never know the difference because they taste so good! Make these for brunch entertaining at home and serve them with coffee or milk.

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx. com on behalf of Mazola® Corn Oil

Make these oatmeal topped spice muffins for a delicious on-the-go breakfast or snack

I think muffins are one of the greatest food groups in the breakfast or brunch category. There are so many varieties and flavors, and they are the perfect size. I partnered with Mazola Corn Oil to create this yummy muffin recipe that’s a little lighter and better for you. A clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2 times more than extra virgin olive oil. It also has cholesterol-blocking plant sterols for heart health. To learn more about this claim, see MAZOLA.com.

Spice Muffins with Oatmeal Topping are great to serve for brunch entertaining at home

Make these muffins from scratch when you’re hosting overnight guests or a brunch party, and the first think they’ll notice is the crunchy oatmeal topping. That’s my favorite part.

Next, you’ll find that these muffins are not overly sweet. They’re just sweet enough! A dollop of honey or preserves goes really well with these. Then you can wash it down with a cup of hot tea or coffee, or cold skim milk.

Speaking of fruit preserves, 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.  

This spice muffins with oatmeal topping recipe has some ingredient swaps that you can feel good about.

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. 

For this recipe I made a few swaps that make the muffins a little healthier. For instance I used some whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour throughout. And I used low-fat buttermilk rather than whole fat. And as I mentioned above, I used spreadable fruit rather than traditional jam or preserves.

Using Mazola Corn Oil is another smart and heart-healthy choice. The taste is light and neutral so it lets the flavors of the food shine through. It’s a great choice for baking, sautéing, and grilling. You can even use it in marinades and dressings. 

With spring on the way, these would be terrific for Easter brunch or Mothers Day brunch. Include my favorite delicious deviled eggs with bacon and a family friendly sparkling fruit punch.

The flavors of cinnamon and cloves come through in these muffins. And the oatmeal streusel topping is addictive! Make them for holiday entertaining such as Easter or Christmas brunch.

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.