Organization doesn’t come naturally or easily to me.

Growing up, my favorite filing system was to stash nearly everything in my designated “junk drawer.” Cramming everything from silly putty, scribbles on torn half-sheets of paper, old holiday decorations, underwear, and beyond occupied that small space; a veritable stew of everyday detritus. Delving into the depths of the junk drawer was a journey into uncharted territory. Each exploration through that wild mishmash was a genuine treasure hunt, yielding long-forgotten favorite toys or memories of happy occasions. The junk drawer was my earliest attempt to save everything near and dear to me, which ironically resulted in many more of those items getting lost.

You’d think I would learn from such a noteworthy mistake, and yet the junk drawer lives on, only in a digital format. Computers and memory disks and burned CD’s all have a random sampling of of past works, essays from high school mixed freely with more recent recipes and photos. Though the situation has improved greatly over the years, I still find myself sorting out the mess, sometimes stumbling upon a gem worth polishing back to its original luster.

Such is the case with these Oatmeal Cream Cupcakes.

Originally shared merely as a photo in a review post, it was a killer recipe that was meant for prime time, not just late fringe. Shockingly little was said about the sweets themselves, which is a real shame considering what a hit they were, despite the failings of the original frosting. Inspired by oatmeal cream pies, a classic childhood treat that I never actually had. Compact, portable, and boasting comforting, simple flavors, it’s easy to understand their appeal even without firsthand experience. Soft, chewy oatmeal cookies can do no wrong, and with a smidgen of creamy frosting uniting two in harmony, such a fool-proof formula elicits a feeling of nostalgia even for this outsider.

Rather than going through the fuss of scooping, rolling, and patting out cookies, it just sounded easier to convert that concept into cupcakes. Having the opportunity to hone the original recipe further to better suit my evolving tastes, perhaps becoming lost in the virtual junk drawer wasn’t such a terrible misfortune to befall this file. Now, if only I could find the others missing in action…

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Yield: Makes 12 Cupcakes

Oatmeal Cream Cupcakes

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Inspired by oatmeal cream pie cookies, these fully grown cupcake versions have all the comforting, nostalgic flavor in a more elegant form.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Oatmeal Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 Cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter, Melted
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
• 3/4 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 8-Ounces Package Vegan Cream Cheese
• 5 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
• 2 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 12 standard muffin tins with cupcake papers.
   
2. Pull out your food processor and toss in the rolled oats. Briefly pulse to break them down, keeping the flakes fairly coarse, much like instant oatmeal. Transfer to a large bowl and add in the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger, whisking thoroughly to combine.
   
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, melted vegan butter, both sugars, non-dairy milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry, and stir with a wide spatula until just combined. A few remaining lumps are fine, as long as there are no large pockets of dry goods.
   
4. Divide the batter evenly between your prepared tins, filling them each about 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake for 18 – 22 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cakes pulls out cleanly. Cool completely before applying frosting.
   
5. Make the frosting by simply beating together the cream cheese and vegan butter in the bowl of your stand mixer until smooth, adding in the sugar and vanilla, and then whipping on high speed for a minute or two, until homogeneous, light, and creamy.
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically to make sure that everything is fully incorporated. Pipe or spread to your heart’s content.

Notes

Optional Add Ins: For a less literal but more exciting approach to the original creme pie, consider adding up to 1 cup total of toasted, chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, and/or raisins.

Recommended Products

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

• 
  Bob's Red Mill, Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, Whole Grain, Gluten Free, 32 oz (907 g)
• 
  Rodelle Reserve Pure Vanilla Extract, 6.75 Ounce
• 
  Frontier Natural Products, Organic Ceylon Cinnamon, 1.76 oz (50 g)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 374Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 239mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 1gSugar: 35gProtein: 4g

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