August 17, 2017
I realised this week that I haven’t actually done any baking since I’ve gotten back! I guess it is because I’ve been trying to avoid having sweet treats in the house after Italy. I know the temptation of delicious baked goods in the oven would be too much to bear when you’re eating vegetables full time! I know I probably could have cooked some healthier alternatives, but to be honest I haven’t been bothered yet to buy all the ingredients you need for healthy cooking. So every time I’ve felt like baking I’ve managed to stop myself.
Not this week though. We had a day off for the Ekka which is the Queensland Show, something I really missed going to while I lived in Melbourne. It was awesome getting a day off mid week, and pottering around the house gave me a big urge to bake. I realised how long it had been since I’d given my KitchenAid a whirl, and decided to rectify it immediately. That, and we’ve been a bit lax with the diet this week now that it’s been 4 weeks since we got back (I can barely believe it, it feels like Italy and all that delicious pasta and vino was a lifetime ago).
I decided to cook something that wasn’t too bad for us, because my partner has been getting a bit sick of having the same thing for breakfast all the time. I’ve been making us green smoothies and egg cups, and I think his threshold has been reached. I decided it would be a good time to try out our new muffin tin and make some muffins! We have a whole heap of bananas from the green smoothies that were overripe, so it was the perfect time to make something delicious using these! I decided on a recipe with oats and bananas because they are a really good breakfast option that will keep you full for a lot longer. Plus they are really delicious together!
I found this recipe for banana muffins and had to give it a go, and tweak it a bit of course! I loved the result so much that I had to share it with you all! Although it isn’t the healthiest recipe you could make, as it does have a bit of brown sugar and butter in it, I don’t think it’s that bad on the grand scheme of things. Plus, what are muffins without a bit of sugar and butter?
- 60 grams unsalted butter softened
- 2 overripe bananas mashed
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup rolled oats
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Preheat your oven to 180C (350F) and line a 12 muffin pan with muffin papers.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, bananas, plain flour and brown sugar. Mix on medium, or with a spoon, for about a minute, or until combined.
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Add the salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, baking soda and baking powder, and mix until combined completely. Pour in the oats and stir until just combined.
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Use a tablespoon to evenly distribute the muffin mix between your prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle a few oats on the top of each muffin as garnish.
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Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the muffins are beginning to brown on the top, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
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Serve warm with a bit of butter, if desired.
These muffins were absolutely delicious if I do say so myself! They were awesome out of the oven still warm, and would be great with a little zap in the microwave for days to come. What more could you want on a cooler winter morning than a nice, warm muffin? Add a bit of butter and you’re really in for a treat! I loved the flavours of the banana and oats in these muffins, and because of these ingredients they keep you full for ages.
The recipe also doesn’t have that much in the way of bad stuff for you, as there is limited butter and sugar in the recipe. I know my partner usually prefers sweeter treats, but he really loved these muffins. The bananas definitely make up the sweetness tenfold, so you really don’t need extra sugar, as long as your bananas are nice and ripe.
If you want to change these up a bit, I would add in some fresh or frozen berries, such as blueberries or raspberries. If you’re a chocoholic like me, you could also add in some dark chocolate chips to take these to the next level. I think next time I will to give them a little added extra zing!
For something so delicious, these were so quick and easy to make! I loved that you only needed one bowl to make them, and once all the ingredients were mixed together, you didn’t even need to bake them for long before they were ready! I’ll definitely make these again for a great breakfast option for when you’re running out the door of a morning.
This was a great way to get back into baking again. Now I really want to cut my teeth on some new and exciting recipes! I cannot wait to spend more time in the kitchen now that our soup diet is coming to a close (thank God)!
Until next time, happy eating!
Ella xx
