An easy, tasty, healthy muffin made with whole wheat flour, oats, sweetened with maple syrup and ripe mashed bananas. Perfect for school lunch/snack. The original recipe here. I made a few changes and it works for me. I have to make substitutions with all the allergies at our house. Here’s a summary:

Substitutes

1. Oils – melted coconut oil, olive oil, melted butter
2. Sweetener – maple syrup, honey, sugar
3. Eggs – egg, flax egg, apple sauce
4. Milk – cow milk, coconut milk, almond milk

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup packed mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling on top
• 1¾ cups whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
• Optional add-ins: 3/4 cup chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, dried fruit

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray. I use muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil and maple syrup together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the mashed bananas and milk, followed by the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon.
3. Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined. If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins**, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a small amount of oats (about 1 tablespoon in total). Bake muffins for 22 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
5. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan.

Storing muffins

These muffins will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).

Notes

• Makes 12 regular size muffins or 24 mini muffins
• I like to make a little longer to get a browner crunch top. You could sprinkle with a raw sugar and cinnamon mixture instead, but I like to keep the sugar down
• Tastes so good with a smear of butter or peanut butter
• I like to keep some chunks of banana when I mash it up