Leftover Oatmeal Muffins with Salted Honey Butter

Don’t throw away that leftover oatmeal after breakfast! Instead, make these Leftover Oatmeal Muffins with Salted Honey Butter. You won’t be sorry! 

For years, we’ve had a love-hate relationship with oatmeal at our house. I love it. The kids hate it. 

I make it, and sometimes I can get the kids to eat it . . . or not. 

When I was left with uneaten oatmeal in the pot (or an untouched bowl at the table, ahem), I used to stick it in the fridge with an intention to reheat it later. But if my kids can sometimes tolerate a bowl of fresh oatmeal for breakfast, they most certainly never warm up to the idea of old, reheated oatmeal. Fair enough. 

And so I created these Leftover Oatmeal Muffins. They are, hands down, everyone’s favorite way to eat oatmeal at our house. 

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins

The texture of a leftover oatmeal muffin is it’s best feature. It’s tender, moist, and has just a little bit of chew. They’re bread-like, but there’s also something extra special that takes them up a notch. 

You can use whatever kind of oatmeal you like best. These work with steel cut oats, rolled oats, and even quick oats if that’s what you have. Leftover oatmeal is often what I have around here, but you can most certainly cook up a serving of oatmeal just for these muffins. They’re delicious enough to go the extra mile!

I like to mix in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and 1/4 cup of cacoa nibs (the crunch is spot on!), but really you can put whatever you like in Leftover Oatmeal Muffins. These are good with fruit, berries, raisins, or even chocolate chips. Make ’em how you like ’em. 

Salted Honey Butter for the Win

Now, the Salted Honey Butter is not strictly necessary . . . but also, it’s necessary. It’s just so so so good and I don’t want you to miss out on something delicious. 

Really, a smear of salted honey butter on a warm, fresh-from-the-oven leftover oatmeal muffin has the power to spread little rainbow bursts of happiness to all who taste it. And I’m only slightly exaggerating. 

It’s just butter, honey, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of cinnamon. But oh my, it’s tasty! 

The Best Part

And I saved the best part for last. You can make them in one bowl (aside from the pan you used to cook your oatmeal), so easy clean up. And, you can probably make these from start to finish in 30 minutes or less. That’s my kind of recipe. 

These muffins are the perfect antidote to the dreary January weather, so I hope you’ll give them a try! 

Yield: 12 Muffins

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins with Salted Honey Butter

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Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or berries, fruit, raisins, chocolate chips, etc.)
• 1/4 cup cacoa nibs (optional)
• 1 cup cooked oatmeal
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg

For the Salted Honey Butter

• 5 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature (very soft)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 generous pinch of salt (I like Maldon Sea Salt Flakes)
• 1 pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin tin, or line with muffin papers.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk together. Stir in the nuts and cacoa nibs if using.

3. In the same bowl, add the oatmeal, butter, honey, milk, and egg and stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

4. For larger muffins, scoop about 1/3 cup of batter into each muffin tin cup (for 9 or 10 muffins). For smaller muffins, scoop about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin tin cup (for 12 muffins).

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until the tops spring back when gently pressed and the muffins are lightly golden. Remove from oven and let sit in muffin tin for 3 to 5 minutes. Gently turn them out and cool just enough to enjoy them. Serve warm or at room temperature.

6. For the Salted Honey Butter, just mix everything together and serve at room temperature.