INGREDIENTS: 1-1/4 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/4 cups milk (I used 3/4 cup milk + 1/2 cup lite sour cream)
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used Ultra-Grain)
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, divided use
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided use
1 tsp. cinnamon

1. Combine oats and milk in large bowl and allow to stand 15 minutes. Heat oven to 425F. Spray the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips and 1/2 cup nuts in medium bowl.

3. Beat egg, oil, applesauce, vanilla and 1/2 cup brown sugar into the oats and milk mixture. Add the dry ingredients, all at once, stirring just till barely combined, leaving a few lumps, if any. Do not overmix.

4. Fill each of the 12 muffin wells about 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with the remaining brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon. Place muffin tin in oven and immediately reduce heat to 375F. Bake 17-20 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns almost clean. Cool in pans about 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to finish cooling. Yield: 12 standard-size muffins