Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Before I get into this recipe, I’d like to make a little announcement. I recently made a Facebook page for this blog, so if you’d like, follow this link to “like” Hungry Hannah on Facebook!

Anyway, back to the muffins. I must say, I have always loved a good muffin. As a child, I would love to get cinnamon or chocolate chip muffins from the local grocery store’s bakery and munch on them all morning. I remember some of my favorite muffins were the super chocolaty Weight Watchers ones that my mom kept in the freezer – I thought they were a treat but didn’t realize at the time they were secretly healthy. Over the years I learned that muffins are loaded with sugar and not exactly the most substantial breakfast, but in addition to that, eating a sugary, carb-packed breakfast has always left me feeling hypoglycemic.

I still love muffins, but lately I’ve been focusing on healthy muffins that can be eaten for breakfast and not leave me feeling weak and shaky. When I saw this recipe for Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins, I knew I had found the one. Instead of white refined flour, these muffins use whole grain flour made from… oats! The oats are simply ground up in a food processor until they resemble the consistency of flour. Oat flour is chewy and slightly sweeter than white or whole wheat flour, and healthy, too. Oats definitely belong on the super foods list – they are low in fat, full of fiber, can help lower cholesterol levels, and can even aid in weight loss.

I admit I am still on my quest to make myself eat oatmeal more regularly and enjoy it, but I think these muffins are a good step in the right direction. These muffins truly taste like a cross between banana bread and oatmeal – or perhaps baked banana oatmeal. Best of all, they have no added butter, oil, or white sugar – just some honey and Greek yogurt. What I am trying to say is, these are some breakfast muffins you don’t have to feel guilty about eating 🙂

I stayed true to the recipe for the most part, but I added cinnamon, used vanilla-flavored yogurt, and probably only ended up using about 2 Tablespoons of honey but thought they could have used a little more like 1/4 cup. If you want sweeter muffins, then stick to the 1/2 cup listed.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins (adapted from Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins on Fit and Healthy with Debbie)
makes 12 regular or 6 large muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup honey (or 1/2 cup if using unsweetened yogurt)
• optional: if desired, add some nuts, chocolate chips, or coconut flakes to the batter. yum!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a food processor, add oats and pulse until a smooth, flour-like consistency is formed. Add to a medium mixing bowl along with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the two bananas until no large chunks remain. Whisk in eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, and honey. Stir until well-combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a thick batter in formed. Spoon batter into a greased muffin tin, filling each section about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly before eating.

Add your oats to your food processor and pulse until they’ve reached a smooth, flour-like consistency. My food processor is older and the blades are dull, so odds are that your oat flour will be much smoother than mine.

Mash up your nanners.

In one bowl, combine the dry ingredients as listed in the directions, and in another bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet, making sure no lumps remain.

Spoon the batter into your greased muffin tin and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

The muffins are done once a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.

Moisty, chewy, and delicious!

I found these muffins to have a very similar consistency to oatmeal, so if you like oatmeal and you like bananas, you will probably like these muffins. They are extra tasty when warmed slightly and served with a small pat of butter or drizzle of honey 🙂

And for my fellow New Englanders, stay safe and dry in the snowstorm!