Whole Wheat Banana Oat Muffins

This healthier take on whole wheat banana oat muffins is packed with fiber and whole food ingredients while not sacrificing a moist texture and yummy flavor.

How To Add Fiber To Muffins

These hearty muffins are as nutritious as they are delicious.  If you are looking to add fiber to you or your child's diet, this recipe is a great way to do just that.  Made with whole wheat flour and packed with banana and Porridge Oats, these muffins are filling and satisfying.  I chose to sweeten them naturally with pure Organic Elderberry Syrup that not only adds sweetness, but also injects some additional flavor.

I'm thankful for these muffins because I can sneak some better ingredients into my picky-eating kids and they don't necessarily have to be privvy to that fact.

 

Ingredients You'll Need

Let's talk about a few of the important  ingredients in this recipe and how/if you can substitute them.

Oil: You can use an oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil, melted coconut oil, or olive oil, though realize that the latter can add an "earthy" flavor to the muffins.  There are lightly-flavored olive oils available so you can get the health benefits of olive oil without too much change in flavor.

Bananas:  As with banana bread, you want to use suuuuper ripe bananas - as in lots of dark speckles all over the peel.  If you use green or yellow bananas in this recipe, you won't get as much banana flavor.

Maple Syrup: You can use any color of maple syrup that you want.  The new grading system has labeled all maple syrup as "grade A" and then further described by the color, which also indicates the taste.  A lighter maple syrup will have a more golden taste, and a dark one will be more robust.  Just make sure you're not using "pancake syrup" (Aunt Jemima, Log Cabin, etc)

Oats:  You'll want to use old-fashioned or classic organic oats instead of instant/quick-cooking oats.  The instant oats will get a little mushier in the muffins, while the old-fashioned ones will hold their texture and add a good "toothy" feel.

Demerara/Turbinado: These raw sugars are coarse and are excellent for adding crunch to the top of baked goods (I also put a sprinkle of demerara on sweet potatoes occasionally - yum!).  Using it is totally optional and you can leave it out with no ill effects.

Whole Wheat Flour:  This type of flour has a significantly higher fiber content than white flour, as well as more iron, calcium, and protein.  Whole wheat flour will help lower post-meal blood sugar spikes, as it slows down the absorption of glucose into the blood after eating.  I have not tried these muffins with any other type of flour, so I can't speak about any substitutes.  If you try something different, leave me a comment and let me know how it worked!

How Long Do They Take To Make?

Whole Wheat Banana Oat Muffins are made using a simple process, so they don't take too much time to prepare and bake.  You don't need any special equipment for preparing the bananas: just peel them and mash them up with a fork (it's okay if they're still lumpy).  You can mix the batter while your oven is preheating, and using paper cupcake liners in your muffin tin will make clean-up a cinch.  In total, you should be able to have these muffins done and ready to be eaten in about 35 minutes.

How To Serve and Store

I think these muffins are so full of flavor that they can be eaten as-is with no extra condiments needed.  However, they would be delicious with a smear of butter, cream cheese, or fresh strawberry preserves.  I love eating them warm, though they taste just as good at room temperature.

You can store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or keep them in the fridge for up to a week.

Can I Freeze These Muffins?

Yes, you absolutely can!  I recommend wrapping each muffin individually in plastic wrap and then placing inside of large Ziploc bags.  They will thaw quickly on the counter (unwrap them first) or you can microwave at 50% power for 30-second increments.  Set them out on the counter when you wake-up and by the time you're ready to head out the door for school or work, they should be good to go (give 'em an extra zap in the microwave if not)

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