These old fashioned Oatmeal Cinnamon Muffins are made with maple syrup and only a tiny amount of refined sugar. Perfect for a quick breakfast, to tuck into a lunch box or for afternoon snack with a cup of tea.

I get asked a lot what my favourite thing to bake is. And, honestly I love baking all the things. But, when it comes to baking something quick and easy I would have to say muffins and quick breads, like this Cranberry Zucchini bread, are my favourites.

As with all muffin recipes, these oatmeal cinnamon muffins require just a couple of bowls, a wooden spoon or spatula, and of course muffin tins!

These have been my go-to muffins for a while now. I love that they only have 1 tablespoon of refined sugar. Maple syrup is what gives it just the right amount of sweetness and a subtle maple flavour. They’re made with common pantry ingredients, and are so much better than store bought!

Ingredients You Will Need

How to Make Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and spices, add oats and sugar, mix well.

Beat egg, add maple syrup, vanilla, milk and oil. Whisk until well blended.

Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients. Pour in egg mixture and stir just until combined. Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes while your oven preheats. Scoop into muffin tins filling almost to the top.

Optional; sprinkle a bit of raw sugar on top. Bake at 400, reducing to 350 after 5 minutes.

Is Butter or Oil Better for Muffins

Personally speaking, I prefer to use oil in my muffins as it results in a more moist muffin than when I use butter. Butter has a lower fat content than oil and therefore can result in a slightly dryer muffin. However sometimes a recipe just tastes better with butter flavour that you can’t get with oil, like these Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Muffins!

You can use whatever type of vegetable oil you like. I tend to use organic high oleic expeller pressed sunflower oil in most of my baking. It has a healthier fat profile, and no chemicals are used in expelling the oil from the seed. It is a neutral tasting oil which makes it perfect for baking. I have used extra-virgin olive oil when baking some recipes, with good results, like these Blueberry Oat Bran Muffins.

How to get Muffins to Rise High

Start them at a higher temperature

Everyone loves a good muffin top (unless it is around the waist however!). Getting your muffins to rise nice and high is easy to do. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake the muffins for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 for the remainder of the baking time. This initial burst of heat gets the baking powder or other leavening agents activated quickly allowing for the muffins to rise up.

Fresh Leaveners

Make sure your leaveners are fresh and not out of date. Baking powder and baking soda both come with expiration dates and you won’t get a nice rise if you use them past their best-before date.

Fill the tins

I always fill the muffin tins almost to the top. At the very least, 2/3 full should be the minimum. More muffin batter in the tin, the higher they will rise. I may not always get 12 muffins, but I do get nice high, fluffy, bakery style muffins.

Don’t over mix the batter

Over mixing causes dry muffins that won’t rise as well as you would like. Combine wet and dry ingredients gently, just until no streaks of flour remain. Using a rubber spatula to stir allows you to scrape the bottom of the bowl with each stroke, bringing up the flour from the bottom, and hence helps to incorporate the ingredients with minimal mixing.

With the yummy flavors of maple syrup and cinnamon combined with healthy rolled oats, these muffins are sure to become a family favorite. Whether enjoyed fresh out of the oven or warmed up with a pat of butter, they are guaranteed to satisfy your craving for a sweet treat.