Almond Butter Steel Cut Oatmeal Muffins

Steel cut oats are my latest obsession! I love the crunchy, chewy, nutty texture of these little gems, all rolled into one! These are a little messy to make but really are worth it. Two of these make a nice "breakfast on the go"!

Ingredients

2 large eggs

1/2 cup almond butter

¼ cup whole wheat flour.

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

3 cups Steel Cut Oats, uncooked

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup chopped nuts + ½ cup chopped dried cranberries

10 cups water

 Directions

1.      Bring oats and water to a boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes (depending on how "chewy" you like your oats, then drain through a sieve, rinse with cold water and allow to cool. Press out as much of the water as you can by using the back of a spoon and the sieve. Mix the nuts, cranberries, cinnamon, allspice, salt, flour and baking powder in with the oats and set aside.

2.      Mix the half and half, vanilla, and sugar. Heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Allow to cool slightly.

3.      Using a stand mixer and paddle attachment, beat the eggs, the half and half mixture and almond butter. Beat until smooth. Add the oat mixture to the liquid and mix at low speed until everything is mixed together.  

4.      Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray (if desired)

5.      Fill jumbo sized muffin liners about 2/3 full. 

6.      Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown in color and look dry. I use a thermometer to test that the center of the “muffin” is 164 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 45 minutes (this helps dry out the mixture further). Store in airtight container or freeze. The frozen “muffins” can be put in the fridge to thaw out overnight and warmed up in the microwave prior to eating.