Wholesome Banana-Oat Muffins

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup finely ground steel-cut oats
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• 3 tablespoons applesauce
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup chocolate chips (Optional)
• ½ cup ground walnuts (Optional)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar, or as needed

Step 1

Lightly heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the lower third. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray to keep the muffins from sticking. In a small bowl, mix the water with the flaxseed meal and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it thickens. While that’s resting, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt in a separate bowl.

Step 2

Once the flaxseed mixture has thickened, add in the mashed bananas, honey, yogurt, egg, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla. Give everything a good stir, then fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Finally, gently mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Step 3

Use a small scoop or spoon to fill each muffin cup with batter, and sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top for a touch of sweetness. Bake the muffins for around 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 4

Let them cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. If you want, these freeze well for a quick snack later on!