Recently I've been thinking a lot about food. I did a 21 day sugar detox that went really well, and now I really want to continue with healthy eating habits. I feel much better when I'm eating "clean".
While I was on my detox, I couldn't have these muffins (no oats, agave nectar, fruit, etc), so I really looked forward to having them again. These are really great to eat for breakfast, and I like making a batch over the weekend so that I can grab them on the go during the week. I keep them in the freezer or fridge so they stay fresh.
Quick note: my recipe is a modification of the recipe that is on the Mother's Oat Bran box, so this is not entirely my own recipe. My contribution to the recipe I'm sharing is about 10%. Also, though the recipe is flourless does not guarantee it is gluten free. If you have gluten allergies, you should make sure that the oat bran you are using is gluten free. Some oats are grown in fields that are also used for growing wheat, so they could be cross contaminated that way. Mother's Oat Bran does not state on the box that it is gluten free, so I take that to mean that it is not.
Healthy Oat Bran Muffins
Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Yield: about 12
Bake time: 12-15 minutes
Serving size: 1 muffin (approx 100 calories - depends on what add-ins you choose)
Ingredients:
2 ripened bananas (brown is ok)
2 eggs
1/2-3/4 cup milk (skim, almond, soy, etc)
2-3 tbsp agave nectar (if bananas are super ripe, this is optional)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
2 1/4 cup oat bran (I use Mother's Oat Bran)
Your Choice (add as much or as little as you want, but 1/2-1 cup total works well):
dried fruit -- raisins, cherries, cranberries, etc.
chopped nuts
carob chips
chocolate chips
flax seed
You will also need a muffin tin and muffin/cupcake paper cups.
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425º.
1. Beat bananas until pureed and saucy.
2. Add eggs, milk, agave nectar, and vegetable oil. Beat until well blended.
3. Blend in baking powder and salt.
4. Blend in oat bran until the mixture is moist. If it seems really thick, add more milk, but it shouldn't be runny. It should slowly slide off the spoon when you scoop it into the baking cups.
5. Add your choice of dried fruit, nuts, etc.
6. Scoop batter into baking cups.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes on center rack of oven.
These don't change shape very much as they bake, but if they have little peaks the way they plop in the baking cup, those peaks may be a little golden when they are done.
Once you have removed them from the oven, allow them to cool a few minutes before removing them from the pan. You can move them to a baking rack to cool further if you want.
Enjoy!
