Healthy Banana Oat Muffins -- The Routine That Holds Us Together

September. Aiden in third grade, Zaria in first grade (she skipped ahead — her reading and math were too advanced for kindergarten, which surprised no one who has met Zaria). The school year begins and the routine returns and the routine is the scaffolding that holds the grief in place while the living continues.

When that first week of September settled in and I watched Aiden and Zaria disappear through those school doors, I knew I needed something to do with my hands — something that would fill the kitchen with a smell they’d come home to. These Healthy Banana Oat Muffins are the recipe I come back to every single fall, because they’re easy enough to make on a Sunday night without thinking too hard, and sturdy enough to go in a lunchbox or sit on the counter for after school. Routine is routine — and this one tastes like it.

Healthy Banana Oat Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 3 ripe medium bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons honey or pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips or blueberries (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly with nonstick spray.
2. Blend the oats. Place the rolled oats in a blender or food processor and pulse 8–10 times until they resemble a coarse flour. You want some texture remaining — don’t go all the way to powder.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, honey, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until smooth and well combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients. Add the blended oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt directly into the wet ingredient bowl. Stir with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix.
5. Fold in add-ins. If using chocolate chips or blueberries, gently fold them in now.
6. Fill the muffin tin. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
7. Bake. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The tops should be lightly golden.
8. Cool and store. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. They also freeze well for up to 2 months.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 155 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 115mg