Baked Oatmeal Muffins

Jim and I have a new favorite breakfast - baked oatmeal muffins.  They look like muffins, but their texture is not muffin-like.  They are almost puddingish, but they hold together and taste very good.  One of these muffins and some fruit will pretty much get you through the morning.

I found the recipe on Pinterest, but after reading the comments, I made it with a few of the many variations the readers suggested.  Here is how I make them.

Baked Oatmeal Muffins
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup pumpkin (I use half a can)
3/4 cup brown sugar
5 cups oats
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, pumpkin, and brown sugar.  Add oats, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix well.  Pour in milk and add chocolate chips.  Stir to combine.
Spray muffin pans with non-stick spray and scoop mixture into cups.  I fill mine pretty full because these muffins don't rise.  I also press a couple of chocolate chips onto the top of each muffin.
Bake 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and enjoy or freeze.  This recipe makes 24 muffins.
These muffins taste great warm, and they freeze very well.  I usually pull out a few from the freezer and let them thaw overnight.  They taste fresh and delicious each morning!

 I baked a batch of these muffins this morning, and while I was baking I had Maddie sitting in the Bumbo seat on the kitchen table.  She was fussing toward the end of my baking and kitchen clean-up, but I wanted to finish, so I let her fuss.  She had gotten quiet, and when I turned to check on her I saw that she had fallen asleep in her Bumbo!

 Drew finished up his Wednesday night program at church last night.  They celebrated by having a carnival for the children.  Drew also got a medal (we weren't told exactly what it was for), and he was SO proud of it.  When Jim and Drew met me by the baby nursery after church, Drew strutted over to me with his chest puffed out to show me his medal.  After he showed it to me, he bent over to Maddie, who was in her car seat, and showed it to her.  It was adorable!

 Our big boy with his medal!

 After I took Drew's pictures with the medal, he took one of me!

I hope you are all having a good week!  Let me know if you try the baked oatmeal!