Banana Oat Muffins

This past week has been kind of tough, there’s no other way around it. I’m almost a week over due with the baby, and the anticipation and preparation is building. On top of that my husband had a ‘man cold’ AND a root canal. I totally empathize, and maybe I’m reaching here, but I think sommmmetimes, the man cold *can* be slightly more dramatic than your average cold. He didn’t have much of an appetite the whole week, so I was thrilled when he perked up and really enjoyed these Banana Oat Muffins – the true test.

Muffins are one of those sacred breakfast foods that are perfect for picky eaters. As long as you stick to the basic chemistry of dry and wet ingredients, you can basically add whatever you like: nuts, seeds, flax, wheatbran, hemp, dried fruit, chocolate chips…the filling options are limitless. With so many different versions though, I wanted a banana muffin that checked off all of the boxes: crispy top, soft crumb, moist, real banana flavor, not crazy sweet, and HEALTHY!

The trick to making really tender muffins with a nice, soft “crumb” (baker’s term for the inside of any baked good) is not to over mix! Add the wet ingredients into the dry, and gently mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. If you over mix the batter, gluten will start to develop in the flour, which makes a chewy texture. Good for bread, not good for muffins. Trust me, this is the difference between a “meh” vs. a “damn, this is good” one. These muffins are a really great grab-and-go snack, and perfect addition to any lunch box, big or small.

Make a batch, and store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 2 months! Don’t forget to comment below to let me know what you think, and tag your creations with #lionsbread !