Banana Oat Muffins

I adapted this Banana Oat Muffin recipe from a friend of a friend's award winning banana bread recipe. These muffins are moist, delicious, and full of healthy ingredients (oats for fiber and flax seeds for omega-3s). I love the individual portions of the muffins, which can be easily taken from the freezer and defrosted for a snack anytime of day.

Here are the ingredients you will need:
(Makes approximately 18 muffins)

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup yogurt thinned with milk (or milk 1 tablespoon of vinegar)
• 2 cups oats
• 3 tablespoons ground flax seeds (optional)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, I like walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, coarsely chopped (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin or line a cookie sheet with silicon muffin holders. I like to use the silicon holders because not only are they reusable/environmentally friendly but they give a nice crispness to the muffin "stumps".

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together sugar, butter, and vanilla at a medium mixer speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, then bananas. Mix in flour alternating with yogurt, mixing after each addition only enough to moisten the dry ingredients.


Stir in by hand oats and optional ingredients (ground flax seeds, nuts, chocolate chips).   Fill two-thirds of each muffin tin or silicon holder. Sprinkle some oats and nuts on top to create a nice decorative muffin top after baking.     Bake for about 15 minutes until the tops are richly browned. Remove and let cool completely before serving. If extra muffins are left, place in a ziploc bag and freeze. When ready, just remove, defrost, and bake at 350 until crisp again.