Granola-Buttermilk Muffins

These muffins are basically your morning granola and buttermilk combined into something you can eat with one hand. Slightly crushed granola folded into a brown sugar buttermilk batter gives each muffin clusters of toasty oats, nuts, and honey throughout.

The buttermilk does two things: it adds tang that balances the brown sugar sweetness, and it reacts with the baking soda for a tender, fluffy crumb. That tangy-sweet combination is what makes these more interesting than a plain oat muffin.

Stir just until the flour disappears. The batter should look lumpy. Smooth batter means overworked gluten, and overworked gluten means tough, rubbery muffins.

Pro Tips

• Crush the granola lightly, not to a powder. You want pieces small enough to distribute evenly but big enough to keep their crunch after baking.
• Grease only the bottoms of the muffin cups. Ungreased sides give the batter something to grip as it climbs, producing taller muffins.
• Fill cups ¾ full for muffins with nice domed tops. Less batter means flat, sad muffins.
• Serve warm. These are at their best straight from the pan when the granola pieces are still crunchy.

Variations

• Use a honey-nut or maple granola to add more flavor without extra ingredients.
• Fold in a handful of dried blueberries or cranberries for fruity pops in every bite.
• Swap brown sugar for maple syrup and reduce the buttermilk slightly for a deeper maple flavor.