And the streak of new things continues with Caramelized Banana Can’t Stop Love Them So Much Naturally Sweet Oat Muffins.
But don’t think I’m getting all crazy with the new because you know I like routine and familiar and predictability something fierce. As a result, today my new food things are being delivered to your mouth in the form of an old, predictably delicious favorite: JUMBO MUFFINS.
Friends, I do not mess around with baby muffins. If you are a mini muffin baker, you win the Better Person with More Self Control and Cuteness award. I generally do not associate with any kind of mini muffinery. In my muffin-baking kitchen, we go big or we go muffin-less. 12 cup muffin tin? Try again, baby muffin lover. I bought this massive 6 cup muffin tin at a thrift store and I’ve never looked back. Jumbo muffins are where it’s at.
Also – caramelized bananas. LIKE WHAT.
If there is a better cooking color than deep golden brown, I haven’t found it yet. There is some inappropriately deep satisfaction that I feel when I look at those perfectly golden nuggets of sweetness.
And there you have New Thing #1: caramelized bananas. Eyeroll. I know, you’re a foodie and you’ve been doing this for years. Yeah yeah yeah. Just let me have my moment, okay? These are very new and very awesome to my world. The knowledge that you can just slice a banana and bake at 400 degrees for this beauty is possibly going to change the course of my life. It’s so simple and so, so sweetly good with just one feel-good ingredient. Hey look at me, Mom! No added sugar!
New Thing #2: oat flour.
Disclaimer – I do not have a background in hippie foods and therefore I don’t know if what I’ve created here would be technically considered oat flour. Alternative flour-ers and hippies alike are welcome to correct or confirm in the comments.
Here’s my definition of oat flour: I just basically took the rolled oats – PS. love using rolled oats here because they’re almost always in the pantry, right? requiring no trip to the store, right? WINNING – and pulsed them continuously through my food processor for about a minute until this flour-like meal formed.
Then I used that oat flour instead of a big yucky cup of whole wheat flour because, you guys, that stuff is not what my dreams are made of. I think I tricked myself into liking whole wheat flour and its related baked goods for a few years there, but yeesh. My more mature (because not liking whole wheat flour is obviously mature) older self says nooo thank you and please pass the friendly, yummy oats.
I can’t take all the credit for this deliciously and naturally sweet muffin recipe that you can feel good eating (even when it’s jumbo). Usually when I’m baking, I’m working off at least 52 other recipes and this was no exception.
There were two sources of inspo that stood out here: sweet Heather kind of made me obsessed with the caramelized banana thing in her no sugar added banana bread, and my new friend Lisa showed me how to make a really awesome whole wheat muffin that could be adapted any which way to get it just how I wanted it.
Friends are friends forever when they inspire these kinds of yums.
So the results are in: these caramelized banana oat muffins are naturally sweet yummification. They are slightly puffed and crisped on top and packed with bites of warm, sweet caramelized banana on the inside. They beg for a tiny little slab of melted butter and a vanilla latte. Do it now now now.
Plus that little oatmeal topping that gets crispy and perfect. Yeah, that.
Caramelized Banana Oat Muffins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 jumbo or 9–12 regular 1x
Description
These Caramelized Banana Oat Muffins are made with whole grains and without refined sugar for a super satisfying and delicious breakfast.
Ingredients
- 4 bananas, peeled and sliced (NOT overly ripe)
- 1 cup oats, pulsed through a food processor until coarse flour forms
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
- 2–3 tablespoons raw honey or real maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping
- 1/3 cup oats
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 tablespoon raw honey or real maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the bananas into rounds. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray generously with nonstick cooking spray. Place the bananas on the baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, flipping once and removing from the oven when the bananas are deep golden brown on the outside. Transfer to a bowl and mash the bananas with a wooden spoon.
- Break down the oats in a food processor until a flour-like meal is formed. This should yield a little more than 3/4 cup. Combine the oat flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the half and half, Greek yogurt, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and honey until smooth. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet to the dry. Stir around the bowl just 10 times until the batter is just barely combined (if you stir too much during this step, your muffins are going to have a gummy, chewy consistency). Fold the caramelized bananas into the mixture, stirring just 5 more times.
- Transfer the batter to a greased 6 or 12 cup muffin tin. Mix the topping ingredients together and spoon over the muffins. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the muffins are puffed slightly and spring back when you touch the tops.
Notes
Nutrition facts are for 6 muffins.
Store these muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: banana oat muffins, banana muffin recipe, healthy muffin recipe
