I love to sweeten foods with maple syrup. 

Why? Maple syrup not only imparts nature’s ooey gooey sap from the maple tree, but its rich sweet essence contains antioxidants (aka polyphenols), as well as vitamins and minerals, that you will not get in table sugar. While it’s still a sugar source and will elevate blood sugar, it doesn’t have a super high glycemic index and a little goes a long way!

Did you know there are 4 classes of maple syrup?

1. Golden, delicate taste
2. Amber, rich taste
3. Dark, robust taste
4. Very dark, strong taste

The color and taste are based on when it’s tapped from the maple tree. Earlier in the season imparts a golden delicate taste and as the season goes on the color gets darker and the flavor gets stronger. Which do you prefer – delicate and rich or robust and strong flavors in your maple syrup? They all have different culinary applications, also. I love the taste of delicate maple syrup drizzled into plain yogurt, hot oatmeal or coffee. Perhaps you crave a rich or robust taste in a sauce or hearty fruit compote. The distinct taste of maple syrup is unique and undeniable!

Maple syrup offers a seasonal quality to foods. It feels like fall on your taste buds when you make a maple latte or bite into one of these maple cinnamon muffins! Drizzle a maple syrup-enhanced vinaigrette dressing over salad greens or a baked brie to add a festive fall element to your holiday table. The taste is transformative!

In this recipe, I use cow’s milk with 2% fat, but feel free to use what you like. What I like is as it bakes it becomes an oatmeal consistency. Feel free to experiment with different nuts, seeds, spices and fruit in this recipe. Be careful not to add too much liquid, such as frozen fruit, as it might not set as well if there’s too much water in the mixture.

Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups

2 cups low-fat milk

¼ cup pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 whole eggs

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

4 cups whole rolled oats

½ cup dates, coarsely chopped

¼ cup pecans, coarsely chopped

½ teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 12 muffin tins lightly with avocado oil and set aside.

Whisk together milk, syrup, butter, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.  Stir in oats, dates, pecans and baking powder.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Put in the oven and bake until set, about 25 – 30 minutes.  Let cool and pop out of tins.  Enjoy!  Store in an airtight container for a couple days.  Freeze, if desired.

*Recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com.

**Want more nourishing inspiration?  Feel free to subscribe to my weekly newsletter (see the sign-up form in the side bar).**

Enjoy eating simply!

Xo, Vicki