Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Blender Muffins

Hello everyone!  Did I just hear someone say muffins? Muffins have always been one of my favourites. My go-to for when that sweet tooth kicks in! The one challenge I found on my journey to healthier eating was finding healthier options that were nutrient-dense, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and oil-free, without sacrificing the yummy deliciousness. Not only does this recipe cover all four and more, but it also didn’t turn out to be a challenge after all!

To maximize the sweetness of these no-guilt muffins, I went ahead and used spotty bananas because the spottier they are, the sweeter they are. Combined with dates, it creates this perfect balance of that sweetness that you would usually get using refined sugar.

I make these every couple of weeks as I’m only feeding one, Lil ol me. I freeze the rest, take out one or two the night before, put them in the fridge, and they’re perfectly defrosted for me to devour the next day.

Have one for breakfast, as a snack, or even dessert. They are a great anytime nutritious alternative.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Blender Muffins

Prep time: 10 minutes | Bake time: 15-18 minutes | Total time: 25-28min

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats + extra to sprinkle on top (optional)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 flax eggs (instructions below)
• 1 cup mashed bananas or 2 1/2 large
• ¼ cup pitted dates or 4 large
• ¼ cup oat milk*
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips + extra to sprinkle on top (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F then line your muffin pan and set aside.
• Prepare flax eggs by adding 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, or ramekin, and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
• In a high-speed blender, add the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate chips then add the flax eggs and blend until smooth.
• Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
• Scoop the batter evenly into your lined muffin pan.
• Sprinkle on top the extra oats and chocolate chips.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes (depending on your oven). You can always try the toothpick test just to make sure. Put a toothpick in the middle of a muffin and if it comes out clean, they’re done!
• Remove them from the muffin pan and place on a cooling rack to completely cool.

Notes

I used my homemade oat milk by blending 1 cup of rolled oats with 4 cups of cold water in a high-speed blender for 1 minute. I then strain through a cheesecloth and use the meal that is leftover the next day in my morning smoothie or oatmeal.

Enjoy!