Easy and so yummy

I’ve got a really good, really easy muffin for you to try. Actually, it might be more of a cupcake, but it doesn’t have frosting, so let’s just call it a muffin.

I got the idea for this recipe a few weeks back when looking at easy treats made with a cake mix.

This one was on the Duncan Hines website, or at least a version. The Duncan Hines recipe is golden oatmeal muffins. In addition to a cake mix, the recipe calls for a cup of uncooked oats. The site recommends serving the muffins with warm butter or preserves.

I’m sure they would be delicious that way, but let me tell you just how good they are with chocolate chips and pecans mixed in!

The addition of oats to a cake mix adds more of a coarse consistency than you get with a cupcake made by the directions on the back of the box. The crunch of the nuts and the gooey consistency of the chocolate chips, when served hot, only make it better.

My family devoured these. We loved them, especially, for a morning snack.

They were so good as soon as they came out of the oven, so when we ate more the next day, we heated them for maybe 10 seconds in the microwave or just long enough for the chocolate chips to start melting.

I’ve made this recipe twice. The first time I used a butter golden cake mix. The second time, I used a yellow cake. I couldn’t tell a lot of difference between the two, but the butter golden cake mix might have been more moist. My husband didn’t notice a difference; he liked them both ways. I did notice that the recipe made with the butter golden cake mix did brown better than the recipe I made with the yellow cake mix.

Give this delicious and easy recipe a try. And change the mix-ins if you’d like. I know coconut would be a wonderful addition.


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1 package butter golden cake mix or yellow cake mix
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk (I use skim)
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper baking cups; spray baking cups with baking spray for best results.

In large bowl, stir cake mix, oats and salt. Add milk, eggs and melted butter and stir until combined. Mix in chocolate chips and pecans. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.

Heat leftovers in microwave for 10 seconds or just until warm.

Makes about 15-18 muffins.

The original recipe does not include chocolate chips and pecans. Duncan Hines suggests serving their warm oatmeal muffins with butter and preserves.

Adapted from Duncan Hines