Blackberry Lemon Overnight Oatmeal Muffins are made with steel-cut overnight oats, whole wheat flour and almond milk, and are bursting with flavour from the lemon and blackberries!
This recipe was originally published in May 2017 and has been updated with new text and photos.
What are overnight oats?
Overnight oats have been a trendy make ahead breakfast for a few years now. If you’re into meal prepping, you’ve probably made your share of overnight oats. They’re simply oats soaked in milk, usually overnight, and topped with fruit, nuts and/or seeds for a quick and easy oatmeal breakfast. You can eat them cold, like in this Mango Avocado Oatmeal Smoothie, or warm them in the microwave for a hot bowl of oats.
What are overnight oatmeal muffins?
Overnight oatmeal muffins are essentially overnight oats with a few extra steps. The overnight oats are the base of the muffin batter, and if you enjoy oatmeal muffins, soaking the oats is a great way to ensure a creamy batter and soft muffin texture.
How do you make overnight oatmeal muffins?
Before you go to bed, just add one cup each of oats and milk to a glass container or jar, cover and let soak until the next morning.
Once the oats have absorbed the milk, you’re good to go. Whisk together the egg, oil, lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stir in the oats, and set aside.
Next, stir together all the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix the batter as this may result in tough muffins or cause them to bake unevenly. Fold in the blackberries and bake for 15 minutes.
You can also save yourself a few steps in the morning by preparing the lemon juice and zest the night before, and storing in a container in the fridge. And you can combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, and salt), and leave covered on the counter.
What kind of oats should I use for overnight muffin batter?
You can use rolled oats or steel-cut oats, just make sure they’re quick cooking. This will ensure the oats are extra mushy, which is perfect for the creamy muffin texture. Quick cooking steel-cut oats will take longer to absorb the milk, so you’ll definitely need to soak them overnight.
If you prefer your muffins with a nuttier texture, you should use steel-cut oats. If you prefer a smoother texture, rolled oats are the way to go. Quick cooking rolled oats will absorb liquid quicker, so if you’re short on time, just use rolled oats and soak them for 30-60 minutes.
What kind of milk works best in overnight oat muffins?
I normally use almond milk, but other types of nut milk work too. Cashew milk will add an even creamier texture. You can also use cow’s milk, if you’re not concerned with these muffins being dairy-free.
For a nut-free option, you can use seed milk. And while I’ve never used coconut milk, I think it would work well too, as long as it is the coconut milk from a carton, not a can.
What substitutions can I make in these overnight oatmeal muffins?
This recipe is versatile, so you can make a number of substitutions based on the ingredients you have available. As mentioned above, you can use different types of oats, as long as they are quick cooking. And nut, seed or cow’s milk will all work well in this recipe.
If you don’t have whole wheat flour or coconut sugar, you can use white flour, and substitute brown sugar or granulated sugar. This recipe would also work well with cane sugar.
While I love the blackberry lemon combination, feel free to substitute any kind of berry – strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, cherries or raspberries, would all be delicious.
Dried fruit is always an option too, especially if your favourite berry is out of season. And for added taste and texture, chocolate chips, seeds and nuts, are a great addition.
If you’re out of eggs, you can use 3 tablespoons of egg whites, or substitute in a flax egg.
Are oatmeal muffins healthy?
When you eat them in moderation, these oatmeal muffins are a healthier snack or breakfast option. Oats are a good source of fibre and help keep you full longer.
These muffins also use coconut sugar, which is less processed than refined sugar, and whole wheat flour, which has more nutrients than white flour. So be careful when you make substitutions such as white flour and brown sugar, as this will add more processed ingredients to the muffins.
Can I make these oatmeal muffins vegan?
As mentioned above, this recipe works well with a flax egg. So if you’re looking to make these muffins vegan, use a flax egg instead of an egg or egg whites. Minimalist Baker has a quick and easy tutorial on How to Make a Flax Egg.
If you make these Blackberry Lemon Overnight Oatmeal Muffins, I would love to hear about it in the comments below. And for other delicious recipes, be sure to follow Crumb Top Baking on Pinterest!
Other Overnight Oatmeal Muffin Recipes you might like:
PrintBlackberry Lemon Overnight Oatmeal Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes (plus time for oats to soak)
- Yield: 12
- Category: Breakfast; Snack
- Cuisine: American
Description
Blackberry Lemon Overnight Oatmeal Muffins are made with overnight oats, whole wheat flour and almond milk, and are bursting with lemon and blackberry flavour!
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick cooking steel-cut oats
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice and zest from half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut (medium desiccated)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup blackberries
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the oats and almond milk. Stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the oats to absorb the milk.
- Once the oats are soaked, pre-heat the oven to 425F and grease a 12-cup muffin pan. (or use cupcake liners).
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg and oil. Add in the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, along with the oat mixture, and stir until combined.
- In another medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda and salt. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the blackberries.
- Using a cookie scoop, add the muffin batter to the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the muffins comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container on the counter and enjoy within 2-3 days, or freeze for later enjoyment.
Notes
- You can use rolled oats or steel-cut oats, just make sure they’re quick cooking. Steel-cut oats will take longer to absorb the milk, so be sure to soak them overnight. If you’re short on time, use quick cooking rolled oats and soak for 30-60 minutes.
- Nut, seed or cow’s milk all work well in this recipe. Just keep in mind that if you use cow’s milk, these muffins will not be dairy-free.
- To make these muffins vegan, substitute a flax egg for the egg.
- Don’t over mix the batter as this may result in tough muffins or cause them to bake unevenly.
- To save yourself a few steps in the morning, prepare the lemon juice and zest the night before, and store in a container in the fridge. You can also combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, and salt), and leave covered on the counter.
Keywords: oatmeal muffins, muffins with overnight oats
Never would think to use overnight oats into muffins! These would be great to make over the weekend and then have as a quick grab and go breakfast during the week!
★★★★★
Thanks Heather! That’s exactly how I like them. Make a batch on Sunday to enjoy the rest of the week!
Yay blackberries! What a great surprise especially with the lemon! Delicious. 🙂 Take care.
Thanks so much Stacey!
I love the flavors of lemon and blackberry. This sounds like such a great brunch recipe! Pinning for later!
★★★★★
Thanks Lori! Yes, a basket of these muffins on a brunch table would be great!
Love this recipe.
The pictures are amazing!
★★★★★
Thanks Terry!
Confession – I’m the one person in the world who doesn’t like over night oats (something about the texture)! However, I LOVE baked oatmeal and muffins (go figure!) And these muffins look like my breakfast dream come true! Pinning for this weekend when I meal prep!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Kylie! Soaking the oats helps create a soft muffin texture. Hope you like these as much as we do!
These look so good! I’m going to swap out the wheat flour for a gluten-free alternative. I’ll let you know how it goes! 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks Krista! Please do. I haven’t tried this exact muffin recipe with gluten-free flour alternatives, so I would love to know your thoughts!
I would so love to start my mornings with these muffins Leanne! Love the blackberries in them!
Thanks Marisa! I always enjoy these for busy mornings!
Man I need to get baking, these are a perfect way to start the day and I love lemon and blueberries together.
★★★★★
Thanks Kristen! These have blackberries in them, but blueberries would pair beautifully with lemon too!
These look just delicious Leanne! Such a great little treat with my morning coffee. In my opinion, blackberries don’t get enough attention. Can’t wait to bake a batch!
★★★★★
Thanks Mary Ann! And I agree. Blackberries definitely need more attention!
Totally in the mood to mix up the ol’ b fast routine and these would be a delicious place to start. I just so happen to have blackberries on hand that need to be used so perfect timing. They look so hearty and just what my morning coffee needs 🙂
★★★★★
They do pair wonderfully with a cup of coffee! Thanks Dawn!
Your overnight muffin recipes are the BEST, Leanne! Blackberries are my favorite of all the berries, and they’d go sooooo well with lemon! These look amazing! I can’t wait to try the recipe! XO
Thanks so much Katherine! Blackberries and lemon truly are a great pair! Hope you get a chance to make them! If you like the cranberry muffins, you’ll definitely like these!
Ooooh – the perfect breakfast!! So happy you brought it back!!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Annie!
I’m not a meal prepper but I could become one for these :). Overnight oats are one of my favorites breakfasts so I can imagine how good these are! Have a great week, Leanne!
★★★★★
Thanks Kelsie! I think you’ll like these! Hope you’re having a great week too!
I love overnight oats in any form — they really have such a great texture! Using them in muffin batter is brilliant, and I love the blackberry lemon combo. Blackberries are so underrated, and I have no idea why!
★★★★★
That is so true. Of all the berries, blackberries don’t get as much attention as they deserve! Thanks Marcie!
There’s just something about combining berries and lemon that means Spring is on the way! YUM! I love using cashew milk in my overnight oats for extra creamy goodness. These look perfect for an on the go breakfast! Happy Monday, Leanne <3
★★★★★
Thanks Haylie! I feel the same way about lemon! It’s so fresh and always reminds me of spring!
Blackberries are gorgeous is backed goods!
I think so too! Thanks Patrick!
Hey! I’m curious where you buy your coconut? I have to try this recipe! 🙂
Hi Susan! I buy the coconut chips for the granola at Costco. It’s a large bag (800g) of organic toasted coconut slices. The brand is Elan. I use this coconut all the time – for baking and snacking! Be sure to let me know if you make the muffins!
Leanne,
These are absolutely scrumptious!!!
Thanks Jean. I’m glad you enjoyed them!