Healthy Oatmeal Banana Muffins

If you ask me, it is high time for mission ‘Beach 2014’ to begin. Don’t frown at me with this ‘But it’s just mid March’ face.

It takes a few years to prepare for a space mission.
– Sally Ride

Sure, I may have gone a bit overboard with the space mission metaphor, but you get the gist. If you want results in the future, you got to start doing something today.

And so I did. On a lazy Sunday afternoon muffins seemed like a good starting point. I quickly assembled a recipe out of a few sources, which made the husband question the end result. Well, all doubts were set to rest after he tried these crunchy light and just-enough-sugary treats. Pronounced for ‘the best muffins ever’, these are a keeper. (And so is the husband for saying such kind words.)

Healthy Oatmeal Banana Muffins (makes 12)

2.5 cups rolled oats (2 cups oat flour)
1 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
50 dl almonds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Line a muffin tin with muffin forms and set aside.

Mix the yogurt and the baking soda in a bowl and set aside for some five minutes.

Pulse the rolled oats in a blender (approximately for 10 seconds) until you get fine flour. Note that 2.5 cups of rolled oats yield 2 cups of oat flour. Mix the baking powder and the cinnamon with the flour.

In the same blender pulse the two bananas (or if you want to have a chunkier texture mash them with a fork instead).

Whisk the eggs and the sugar lightly. Add the vanilla extract. Continue by adding the yogurt and soda mixture, the banana mash and the flour mixture while continuously stirring. Finally, add the almonds (chopped coarsely) for some extra crunchy feel. (You can also add chocolate bits or walnuts, or you may as well omit this last step if you prefer to have your muffins plain.)

Spoon the mixture into the muffin forms and pop the tin in the oven for some 20 minutes. (Always do the toothpick test before you take them out of the oven.)

Bon appetit!