These cardamom oat muffins are sure to be a hit in your family! They are fun for breakfast, snack time, and even dessert! Gluten-free and dairy-free.
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Scandinavian Muffins
These light and airy cardamom oat muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, and loaded with flavor. Cardamom is one of my favorite spices. It’s commonly used in Scandinavian baked goods, such as cardamom cake or rolls.
As you know, I also love muffins. I love that:
- they provide little portions,
- they can be packed with nutrition,
- they are quick to bake, and
- my kids love them.
So it seemed only logical to create a cardamom muffin recipe! (Since this post was first written I have created two more cardamom muffin recipes: Strawberry Cardamom Oat Muffins and Cardamom Carrot Zucchini Muffins).
Cupcakes?
When my 9-year son came home from school recently he declared, “You made cupcakes!”
“No, they are actually muffins.” I said “Cardamom oat muffins,” I added.
He took a bite, “these are so good!” He declared. His younger brother agreed.
Transforming to Muffins
They are good. Perhaps too good to be a muffin? I will let you in on a secret, to create this recipe I adapted my go-to vanilla cupcakes recipe. But, I made some changes, including:
- reducing the sugar,
- switching to oat flour,
- using an unsweetened plant-based milk instead of kefir (for those who need or want to make it dairy-free; otherwise you could certainly still use kefir),
- and adding cardamom instead of vanilla.
So in my book, these cupcakes have now been transformed into muffins. Of course, I realize that muffins technically aren’t supposed to be whisked together but rather stirred together.
Finish off with a Topping
While they may not have frosting, these are best with a little topping on them. I really like using coconut flakes or pumpkin seeds, but my kids love them with the classic Swedish-style pearl sugar on top.
Perhaps a more appropriate name for these muffins would be cardamom oat cupcake-muffins since they are kind of a hybrid between the two, but I am going with muffins.
Text and recipe updated January 2021
Cardamom Oat Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk (almond and oat both work well)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (apple cider or plain)
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour (certified gluten-free if needed)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup oil (avocado, canola, or grapeseed)
Toppings
- Shredded coconut
- Pearl sugar (coarse sugar crystals)
- Raw pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Put cupcake liners into muffin tins.
- Measure out the plant milk and add the vinegar. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
- In another bowl, add eggs and beat with an electric mixer or hand whisk. Add sugar and beat or whisk until blended. Add oil and beat or whisk to combine.
- With the mixer on low speed, or using a whisk, slowly add half of the flour and mix until combined. Then add half of the milk and mix until combined. Add the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk. Beat until just combined.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling until about ⅔ full. Sprinkle on desired toppings.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until golden.
- Let cool for a couple of minutes and then carefully transfer cupcakes to a wire rack.
Notes
- You can grind your own oat flour by placing oats in a food processor. However, I tested this recipe using store-bought oat flour. If you prefer, you could use a different flour or a combination of flours.
- Cooking time will vary depending on the oven and how big you make the muffins. So if you make 15 muffins cooking time will be around 16-18 minutes, but if you make 12, slightly bigger muffins, the cooking time may be closer to 22-24 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
- To make pearl sugar topping more prominent, add it 6-8 minutes into cooking. That way it won't shrink down into the muffin as much.
Cardamom is my favorite baking spice! I went to college in Minnesota with lots of friends of Swedish descent. I even spent some time in Sweden in college. So I’m so excited to have found THREE new recipes to use cardamom (the cake and the bullar!) I’m also so excited to have discovered your blog – because even though Nordic food is ‘trendy’ now, it’s always been comfort food for me! (I grew up on Swedish meatballs – maybe not really traditionally Swedish – but still yummy!)
So glad you love cardamom and Swedish food! This is the blog for you! Yes, interesting that Nordic food is “trendy” right now. Thanks for stopping by. I’m a big fan of your blog as well!