We’re always playing around with new muffin ideas at work, and that’s how this one was born (pretty sure my Sous came up with the original concept). We started baking this cherry oat muffin once the weather got colder, because it’s hearty and filling. The tart acidity of the cherries balances well with the sweetness and baking spice notes of the batter, and I’ve added pine nuts just because I love pine nuts and think it adds a good dimension to this muffin. Not much more to say but get baking!
recipe notes
step-by-step method
recipe card
recipe notes
Anytime you use alternative flour, you have to be cautious and aware of how that flour will react. In this case, we’re using oats, which have lots of natural starch. The more you chop the oats, the more surface area is available to the liquid in your area, and starch granules are exposed and broken down. Both of these things means that the dry ingredients in your batter will rapidly absorb liquid you add, and that can turn into gummy batter and a dense, chewy texture.
To avoid this, it’s best to limit the processing you do of your oats, only chopping them roughly or even leaving them mostly whole. In the end, trust your instincts since no two oats are alike and “rough chop” isn’t an exact science. If the batter seems slightly gummy, add a little extra milk, but keep in mind that a little goes a long way.
cherry oat muffin
oat streusel
90g brown sugar dark
120g kettle oats
35g all purpose flour
60g butter unsalted
100g pine nuts
4g salt
Toast the kettle oats at 350F/156C for 15min. Let the oats cool.
Combine all of the ingredients in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix until the ingredients bind into a coarse texture.
Reserve the oat topping to use later.
muffin batter
70g kettle oats
225g sour cream
250g whole milk
120g vegetable oil
120g whole eggs about two and a half eggs
100g sugar
125g brown sugar dark
200g dried cherries
405g cake flour
8g baking powder
1g baking soda
4g salt
1g cinnamon
8g vanilla extract
Bring the sour cream, whole milk, and whole eggs to room temperature before getting started.
Toast the kettle oats at 350F/156C for 15min. or until golden. Let the oats cool and roughly chop them by hand. Chopping the oats too finely will cause rapid water absorption and turn the batter and baked texture gummy.
Combine and sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Combine the sifted dry ingredients with the sugar, brown sugar, kettle oats, and salt.
Combine the sour cream, whole milk, vegetable oil and whole eggs, whisking well to homogenize the mixture.
Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix until almost fully combined.
Add the dried cherries and complete mixing the batter until fully combined.
Let the batter rest for a minimum of 2hrs. up to overnight. I cover the batter with plastic to touch to slow oxidation.
Pipe the batter into baking molds and top the batter with raw oat crumble.
Bake the muffins at 350F/156C for 30-40min., rotating the baking pan half way through. For mini muffins, bake for 10-15min.
- 90 g brown sugar dark
- 120 g kettle oats
- 60 g butter unsalted
- 35 g All-purpose flour
- 100 g pine nuts
- 4 g salt
- 70 g kettle oats
- 225 g sour cream
- 250 g whole milk
- 120 g vegetable oil
- 120 g whole eggs about 2 1/2 eggs
- 100 g sugar
- 125 g brown sugar light
- 200 g dried cherries
- 405 g cake flour
- 8g g baking powder
- 1g g baking soda
- 4g g salt
- 1 g cinnamon
- 8g g vanilla extract
- Toast the kettle oats at 350F/156C for 15min. Let the oats cool.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and mix until the ingredients bind into a coarse texture.
- Reserve the oat topping to use later.
- Bring the sour cream, whole milk, and whole eggs to room temperature before getting started.
- Toast the kettle oats at 350F/156C for 15min. or until golden. Let the oats cool and roughly chop them by hand or by briefly pulsing them in a food processor.
- Combine and sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Combine the sifted dry ingredients with the sugar, brown sugar, kettle oats, and salt.
- Combine the sour cream, whole milk, vegetable oil and whole eggs, whisking well to homogenize the mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix until almost fully combined.
- Add the dried cherries and complete mixing the batter until fully combined.
- Let the batter rest for a minimum of 2hrs. up to overnight.
- Pipe the batter into baking molds and top the batter with raw oat crumble.
- Bake the muffins at 350F/156C for 30-40min., rotating the baking pan half way through. For mini muffins, bake for 10-15min.
Hello chef, how are you? Thank you for sharing your recipes and encouraging us to have a go.
We don’t get cake flour here so canI substitute plain flour?
Hi Sheila,
You’re welcome! I’m glad you’ve decided to check the blog out 🙂 Absolutely, you can use plain flour and the muffin should work just fine. Where is it you’re from?
Cheers – Chef Scott