Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins with Crunchy Sugar Tops
Finished with a generous sprinkle of coarse raw sugar, these hearty muffins bake up with a gorgeous, bakery-style crunchy crown. Soaking the oats first guarantees a tender, moist crumb, while plenty of fresh blueberries ensure bursts of jammy fruit in every single bite.
- Total Time40 minutes
- Yield12 muffins (serves 12) 1x
Ingredients
Scale
Oat Mixture
- 1 ½ cups (135g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup (240ml) unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (70g) packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (120g) unsweetened applesauce
- 3 tbsp (45ml) neutral oil (such as avocado or canola)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients & Mix-Ins
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups (190g) fresh blueberries
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (for tossing berries)
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar (coarse raw sugar), for topping
- Nonstick cooking spray (for the muffin tin)
Instructions
- Soak the oats: In a medium bowl, stir together the rolled oats and almond milk. Set aside to soak for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature while you prep the remaining ingredients and preheat the oven. (This softens the oats so they bake directly into the crumb).
- Prep the oven and pan: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and lightly mist the insides of the liners with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dark brown sugar, applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and cohesive.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the ½ cup all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- Toss the berries: In another small bowl, toss the fresh blueberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour until evenly coated. This helps suspend them in the batter so they don’t sink to the bottom of the muffins.
- Combine the batter: Pour the soaked oat-and-milk mixture into the large bowl with the wet ingredients, stirring well. Add the dry flour mixture and stir gently with a spatula just until no streaks of dry flour remain. Fold in the flour-dusted blueberries.
- Fill and top: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups (they will be quite full). Sprinkle the top of each muffin generously with the turbinado sugar.
- Bake (high-low method): Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes. Leaving the muffins in the oven, immediately reduce the heat to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 14 to 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool: Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Why it works: Starting the bake at 425°F gives the baking powder an immediate thermal shock, forcing the muffins to spring up and form a tall, rounded dome. Dropping the temperature allows the centers to bake through without drying out.
- Make-ahead & storage: These store exceptionally well. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 2 months and thaw gently in the microwave.
Nutrition (per serving — estimates)
Calories: 141 | Total Carbs: 22g (Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g) | Fat: 4.5g (Saturated: 0.5g) | Protein: 3g
Nutritional values are approximate, based on standard reference data (USDA FoodData Central). Actual values vary by brand and exact measurements. For precision, use a tracker like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 141
- Sugar: 10g
- Fat: 4.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g