Leftover Oatmeal has a purpose, and a meaning...to be put into a muffin!

It is shocking the amount of cooked oatmeal we have thrown away over the years.  You know how it is.  You make a pot of oatmeal and it doesn't look like it will be enough, so you add some more to the pot.  Then once it is cooked all of a sudden you have way too much leftover.  In my mind oatmeal is cheap so it is kosher to make too much, and throw the excess away.  I can't believe that after all these years of oatmeal making I am just now realizing this.

Fall has arrived in Houston, so I made oatmeal for breakfast.  It was the right and proper thing to do.  I think I was over excited for the dawning of a new season and I once again made above and beyond too much oatmeal.  I ate my portion then sat there starring at the pan with a good cup left in the pan.  Suddenly a light bulb went off and I realized I could probably make something with this goop like substance.  Then my light bulb started flickering as I started rambling off ideas in my head.  How had I never thought of these things before!  Then my light bulb fried and burnt out as I realized how much oatmeal I had thrown away over the years.  How wasteful.  How lame of me.

Where to start with my leftover oatmeal experiments?  Pancakes?  Muffins?  Smoothies?  Google?  Ahh yes, they always have the answers.  I was shocked to see so many great ideas for using this leftover blob of soggy oatmeal in wonderful ways.


Did you know you can use it to thicken soups and stews?  Hello.  Trying this one.


Did you know you can add it to smoothies?  I have added raw oats to my smoothies before, but the idea to used cooked oats never dawned on me.


You can add it to pancake/waffle batter, muffins, bread, etc...


You can always reheat it and make a nice little oatmeal stir fry...I heat up a tsp or so of coconut oil, add the leftover oats, some milk, some maple syrup, some raisins, so coconuts, and some cinnamon...stir, cook, enjoy!

My first attempt at using up leftover oatmeal was pure success!  I was thrilled with the results, and can't wait to try all the other recipes out that I found.  Now I want to make even more oatmeal so I have more reasons to cook with it!  This seems to be a pretty versatile recipe, so feel free to play around with the ingredients listed, I will try to list possible substitutions I think will work as well.  Try these out and let me know what you think!

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins

Adapted from the Sunday's hot pants blog

yields 16 regular sized muffins

In large bowl mix together the following until smooth:

1/2 cup melted butter (or melted coconut oil, if you want to make these even healthier try swapping in applesauce here instead)

1 grated apple (or 3/4 cup of grated carrot, or zucchini)

2 eggs

1 cup cooked oatmeal

1 tsp vanilla

Look how goopy the batter is...just like cooked oatmeal

In separate bowl whisk together the following and then add to the above wet ingredients:

1 cup flour (or of you are making these gluten free, use a gluten free flour mix)

2/3 cup brown sugar (or 1/3 cup agave...if you use agave, mix it in with the wet ingredients, not the dry)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup raisins (or any dried fruit you like)

Stir just until combined.  Do not over mix.  Pour into muffin lined pans, filling 2/3 full.

Optional topping:

In food processor pulse until broken up and grainy. 

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 TBS uncooked oats

1 tsp cinnamon

3 T butter, melted or soft

 Sprinkle topping over each muffin.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.