Oatmeal Butterscotch Muffins

These muffins solve the busy-morning breakfast question, a big batch of 18 tender, hearty muffins built on soaked rolled oats and packed with golden pockets of melted butterscotch in every bite.

The oat soak is the secret. Letting the rolled oats sit in buttermilk softens them so they bake into a tender, chewy crumb instead of staying chewy like dry oats. Dark brown sugar leans the flavor in a deep molasses direction that doubles down on the butterscotch chips folded in at the end.

The buttermilk and baking soda combination does double duty. The acidity activates the soda for lift, and the tang balances the heavy sweetness so the muffins read rich rather than cloying.

Pro Tips

• Let the oats and buttermilk sit at least 10 minutes (longer is fine) before mixing in the rest. This is what gives the muffins their tender texture
• Don’t overmix the batter once flour goes in. A few lumps are fine, overmixing makes tough rubbery muffins
• Fill the cups about ⅔ full for nicely domed tops without spillover
• Let the muffins cool 5 minutes in the pan before turning out, the butterscotch chips need to set a bit

Variations

• Swap butterscotch chips for chocolate chips, white chocolate, or chopped pecans
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of nutmeg for warm-spiced fall muffins
• Halve the recipe for a more reasonable 9-muffin batch if you don’t need 18