Monday Motivation: Healthier Muffins

Figuring out what to eat for breakfast that is quick, healthy and will not taste terrible is a bit of a challenge.  I need something that won't start my day off on the wrong foot and have me making more poor choices as the day progresses.  I mean, let's be honest, a cinnamon roll is fantastic, but once I eat one all I want all day is more and more sweet stuff.  

I love a muffin.  Yeah, love.  There are some days I'd take a muffin over a cupcake.  True story.  But I've noticed that muffins don't always love me back.  Maybe it's all that sugar and flour and chocolate chips.

What, chocolate chip muffins aren't a staple in your house?  Weird.

Anyway, I found a recipe on Pinterest (shocking, I know) that promised to be a healthier version of the muffins I love.  I was willing to give them a try, but I wasn't sure if either of my boys would be remotely interested.  They love muffins, too.  And generally anything that I make a healthy version of is met with turned up noses and flat out refusals to even test them out.  

So I didn't hold my breath when I tried out two recipes that called for overripe bananas and not one tiny bit of flour.  None.  They both used honey to add sweetness as opposed to sugar and were super easy to make.  

The first is from AverieCooks.com--a food blog that I've come to really enjoy getting recipes from.  Are they all healthy?  Not so much.  But, sometimes, who really cares?

This particular recipe happened to be. Score.  It's for mini flourless peanut butter muffins.  

Basically you combine the following in a blender and cook at 400* for 8-9 minutes.   Done.

1 ripe banana, peeled

1 large egg

1/2 cup creamy penaut butter

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips (added by spoon, after everything else has been well combined)

Notes from when I cooked them:

• I used a regular sized muffin pan, because I don't have a mini muffin pan.  I got 10 muffins out of it and cooked them about 18 minutes.  
• I used milk chocolate chips as opposed to semi-sweet.  Call me crazy, but if I eat a chocolate chip, I want it to be sweet.  Like, all the way. 
• I used an emulsion blender and whirled it all up in a bowl, instead of my big blender.  It was just easier for me.  
• The muffins rose quite a bit while cooking but quickly flattened as soon as they were removed from the oven.  
• My little guy couldn't be persuaded to try them despite his love for bananas, peanut butter and chocolate chips.  He's not a mixer, that kid.  My husband did bite the bullet and gave them a go.  He actually liked them!  In fact, he's eaten them several mornings before work instead of his usual bagel/cream cheese combo.

Inside

Flourless Peanut Butter Muffins
Recipe from AverieCooks.com.

The second kind of muffin I made was an oatmeal banana muffin that I happily added chocolate chips to.  What can I say; I was on a roll.

This one is from the blog Fit and Healthy with Debbie. 

Combine the following and bake at 350* for 18-20 minutes.  

2.5 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup plain, low fat Greek yogurt

2 eggs

1/2 cup honey

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp ground flax seed

2 ripe bananas  

(Link to full recipe here!)

Right out of the oven

Oatmeal Banana Muffins

These were pretty straight forward from the online recipe.  I didn't tweak anything for the most part and they went over well with the husband.  The three year old?  Nope.  Wouldn't touch 'em.  Welcome to our life.

Both these types of muffins freeze really well. I keep large batches in freezer bags and take them out one or two at the time and heat them in the microwave for about a minute.  Add a yogurt and you've got a really good--and filling--breakfast.

Oh, and the peanut butter ones?  Not half bad as a little something sweet for after dinner.  Just sayin'.
Hope you enjoy!

--Jess