Maple Oat Muffins

Second only to my Orange Poppy Seed Muffins, I would have to say that these Maple Oat Muffins are my favorite muffins.  One of my standard breakfasts is a bowl of oatmeal with plenty of maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon, so these muffins are like eating my oatmeal in muffin form.
My mom used to make non-vegan Maple Nut Muffins when I was growing up (largely motivated by the fact that she had a maple leaf-shaped muffin pan), and so I often found myself craving maple-y muffins after I went vegan.
I experimented with several recipes and creative variations (including making a granola topping for the muffins, using agave nectar in addition to maple syrup, etc.) and this recipe is a combination of my best results.  I know that maple syrup can be pretty expensive, but the syrup in this recipe is crucial and infuses the finished muffins with a delicious hint of maple without being overwhelming.  If you’re feeling fancy, you can toast the pecans before adding them to the batter (or if you don’t like pecans you could just omit them).
These muffins are light and moist, and I would be happy to have one for breakfast every morning!

Maple Oat Muffins
Yield: 1 dozen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)
1 1/4 cups oat milk (or substitute your favorite non-dairy milk)
3/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans pieces

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl (or a liquid measuring cup) combine the oat milk, maple syrup, flaxseed meal, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, and stir just to combine, then fold in pecans.  Let the mixture sit for at least a few minutes so oats can absorb some of the moisture, then distribute batter evenly into muffin cups.

Bake for about 17 minutes and allow the muffins to cool before removing them from tin.