Banana Oatmeal Anything Muffins

So recently I landed a new job as the Assistant Culinary Producer for a new show that is coming this fall to Food Network Canada, and after the Master Chef Canada experience from last year, I knew how hectic my days were going to be. So before the craziness began, I knew that I needed a healthy way to start my day.

After reading and testing a whole bunch of recipes, I settled on this one. The muffin mix itself is a perfect canvas to add anything you like, from chocolate chips, toasted coconut, dried fruit, fresh berries and even having them just the way they are. In this case, I added pecans, white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.

You can also substitute the regular milk for lactose free milk, almond or cashew, or even rice or coconut milks. And same goes for the oats, use full oats or steel-cut oats. Lastly, if you don't like bananas or you don't have any ripe ones, use apple sauce instead (sugar-free to minimize the amount of sugar).

They also last a whole week in the fridge in zipper bags, and freeze well. Just pop them for a few seconds in a microwave and they come out as moist and delicious as when you first made them.

Make them, enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Yield: 12-14 muffins

Ingredients:

1.5 cups Oats, ground

1 cup Oats, whole or steel-cut

2 Tbsp Oats, whole (for top)

2-3 each Large ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)

2 each Large eggs, beaten lightly

1/3 cup Maple syrup (or honey)

3/4 cup Milk (cow, almond, cashew, or coconut)

2 tsp Real vanilla

2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

As needed Cooking spray

Ice-cream scoop, muffin tins & paper liners

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF

2. In a food processor, grind the oats until they become smooth like flour. Add to a bowl together with the whole (or steel-cut) oats. This will be your bowl with dry ingredients. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix gently with a dry whisk.

3. The next steps you can do by hand, but it's a lot quicker to do them using a food processor. Add the bananas to the clean food processor bowl, process until smooth. Add all your liquid ingredients: Eggs, maple syrup (or honey), milk, and vanilla and process with quick pulses until well mixed.

4. Mix wet and dry ingredients together until well incorporated and let sit for 10-15 minutes to let the oats soak.

5. While the mix is resting, spray and prepare a muffin tin with the liners. I tend to spray both the tin as well as the paper so that the muffins come off the paper easily. Just don't over do it.

6. Add any optional ingredients (chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc.) at this point. Mix well one last time and place mixture in the muffin tins. I use an ice-scream scoop to spread the batter evenly and cleanly.

7. Top with the extra oats and push in slightly so they don't fall after they bake. You can also top with a couple of the ingredients you use inside to show what is in them.

8. Bake between 20-23 minutes depending on your oven. After 18 minutes start doing the tooth-pick test every couple of minutes until it comes out clean.

9. Let rest and enjoy!!

10. They keep really well in the fridge for up to a week in a zipper bag. And can be frozen as well.

Notes:

• This recipe works great as a base. You can add many different flavours and ingredients such as: orange juice & zest and cranberries; cocoa powder & chocolate chips; toasted coconut, coconut extract & banana chunks; white chocolate & raspberries; lemon zest, lemon extract & blueberries; stewed apples & extra cinnamon; etc.

• Substitute the regular milk with nut, coconut or rice milk for a dairy free product.

• Substitute the ripe pureed bananas with apple sauce (I recommend sugar-free).

• Freezes well.