These plush maple oatmeal muffins check all the right boxes

One of the food-writing clichés I try to avoid is “you won’t miss the [whatever ingredient it doesn’t have] in this [whatever the dish is].” After all, any recipe that is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, meatless or whatever specific dietary need you want to talk about, should be able to stand on its own merits. It’s good for what it is, not despite what you’re comparing it to or what it’s lacking.

That being said, as I wrote the introduction to my recipe for Maple Oatmeal Muffins, I completely forgot to mention that they are vegan. (Yes, I added it!) Whether that says more about how comfortable I’m becoming with vegan baking or how indistinguishable they are from muffins made with dairy and eggs, I’m not sure.

What I am sure about is how much I love these muffins. They’re tall, tender and barely sweet, the kind of treat that feels more like a nourishing breakfast than dessert.

Because I’m not one to take the easy way out, I challenged myself to create a muffin that was whole-wheat, vegan and naturally sweetened. I wanted something that would appeal to as many people as possible without tasting like I was settling for anything less than “wow.”

Now, all those requirements might sound disparate. In fact, they’re pretty complementary. The ingredients used to address one part of the equation often help solve another problem. For example, whole-wheat baked goods can be on the dry and crumbly side. Extra moisture can lend that coveted plush texture. I decided to use unsweetened applesauce, oil and maple syrup to boost tenderness. Of course, those ingredients are exactly what you might use when you want something that’s vegan and sweetened without refined sugars.

I still worried about the crumbly, grainy texture that can happen with thirsty whole-wheat flour, as well as in the absence of egg as a binder. My mind jumped to bread baking. I had become enamored with porridge breads, thanks in part to the recipes and technique I picked up from Wordloaf, the “breaducational” newsletter by Andrew Janjigian. These breads use a cooked grain porridge in the dough. As he wrote in one edition, “Because the water in the porridge is locked up within its starches, it allows a baker to add more water to a dough without making the dough stickier or softer.” This was just what I needed for these muffins. Could I make it work with oats, my grain of choice?

The answer was a resounding yes. The key is allowing the oats to soak in boiling water for 15 minutes. This causes them to swell and soften, trapping that liquid and ensuring that by the time the oats are added to the muffin batter and baked, they burst, almost completely melting into the crumb and giving up their starch power to bind everything together. Unlike a lot of other baked goods with oats, there are no tough flakes chew through. You would probably not even know they were there, unless you ended up with a few on the top of the muffins.

Just as I enjoy a drizzle of maple syrup on my morning bowl of oatmeal, the two breakfast staples made an ideal pairing here. Even taking into account the applesauce, the muffins were barely sweet. In fact, a few tasters thought they could be a tad sweeter, so I increased the amount of dried cherries - even tart, unsweetened did the trick. Feel free to swap in dried blueberries, cranberries or raisins. Chopped apricots or figs would be lovely, too.

Using whole-wheat pastry flour, which is softer and lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, was another way to guarantee a tender muffin. If you don’t have it, a 50-50 blend of all-purpose and regular whole-wheat flours works just as well and is maybe even slightly less crumbly, if that’s something you’re worried about.

The muffins need no adornment to be satisfying and rich-tasting (without the rich ingredients!), though on subsequent days they’re especially good toasted with a bit of butter or jam.

Maple Oatmeal Muffins

Oatmeal porridge, applesauce and maple syrup keep these whole-wheat, vegan muffins tender, with pops of sweetness coming from dried cherries.

Don’t skip soaking the oats in the boiling water - it’s crucial to adding moisture without sogginess and helps the grains melt into the batter.

Because of the importance of the ratio of oats to boiling water, we highly recommend using a scale to weigh the ingredients for this recipe.

Storage: The muffins are best fresh out of the oven, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in a 350-degree oven until warmed through, 6 to 8 minutes, tenting with foil to prevent excess browning, if needed.

Where to buy: Whole-wheat pastry flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill brand, can be found at well-stocked supermarkets and online. Dried, unsweetened tart cherries are available online.

Substitutions: No whole-wheat pastry flour? >> Use a 50/50 blend of all-purpose and whole-wheat flours. Dried cherries >> other dried fruit, such as cranberries, blueberries, chopped apricots.

Scant 1 cup (80 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats

2/3 cup (160 grams/160 milliliters) boiling water

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsweetened applesauce (from one 4-ounce container)

1/2 cup (150 grams/120 milliliters) maple syrup (any grade)

1/2 cup (100 grams/120 milliliters) neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed, plus more for the pan

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 cups (250 grams) whole-wheat pastry flour (see Where to buy; see Substitutions)

1 1/4 cups (180 grams) dried tart cherries, preferably unsweetened (see Where to buy)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.

Place the oats in a large, heatproof bowl and pour in the boiling water. Stir to combine, and cover the bowl with a plate or lid large enough to trap the moisture. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly brush the wells of a 12-cup muffin pan with oil.

After the oats have hydrated, add the applesauce, maple syrup, oil and vanilla and whisk to thoroughly combine. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom until combined. Using a flexible spatula, gently fold in the flour, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as you mix. Don’t worry about some dry patches at this point - best not to overmix before the fruit goes in. Add the dried cherries and stir a few more times until they’re evenly distributed.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan (use a generously filled 1/4-cup measure or No. 16 disher for quick, even portioning) and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently run a butter knife or offset spatula around the muffins to loosen, if needed, and turn them out onto the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional information per muffin: 276 calories, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 42 g carbohydrates, 232 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 5 g fiber, 15 g sugar.

Serves 12 (makes 12 muffins)

― Becky Krystal