Banana Oat Muffins

Banana Oat Muffins

These banana oat muffins are made with WHITE whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour is lighter and milder in flavor compared to regular whole wheat flour made from red wheat. Both white and regular whole wheat flour are equal in fiber and nutrition. Since white whole wheat flour is lighter then regular whole wheat flour, your baked goods will bake lighter as if you are using regular all-purpose flour. The buttermilk makes these muffins tender and moist. Using EXTRA LIGHT olive oil is a healthier choice of fat to use and flavorless enough to use in your baking goods. These muffins are moist and will become more moist with age. Store these muffins in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator. Rewarm in a toaster oven or microwave for just a few seconds.

UPDATE: For those who came to this site because of a comment I made on Baking Bites's website regarding silicone cupcake/muffin cups, I want to inform everyone that I NO LONGER bake with the cupcake/muffin silicone cups. I was starting to notice an unpleasant rubbery, chemical taste on my muffins. I revert back to the traditional muffin tins. Besides the unpleasant taste on the muffins, the silicone cups becomes discolored the more you bake with them in which you would have to replace often if you bake with them frequently. My silicone cups are white so I noticed the dingy brown discoloration immediately.

1-1/2 cups WHITE whole wheat flour (6.0 ounces)
1 cup rolled oats (3.0 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (4.0 ounces)
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg (1.8 to 1.9 ounces)
3/4 cup well-shaken cultured low-fat buttermilk (6.0 ounces)
1/3 cup EXTRA LIGHT olive oil or expeller-pressed canola oil (2.5 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fork-mashed very ripe bananas, about 2 bananas (8.2 to 8.6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position oven rack to the center of the oven. Spray a standard size muffin pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.

In a large-size mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well with a whisk, using your fingers to break up any lumps of brown sugar. Set aside.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat the egg slightly with a whisk. Add the buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the bananas and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the entire buttermilk mixture in center of the flour mixture. Using a wire whisk, gently stir and fold the flour mixture with the liquid mixture until just until dry ingredients are moistened and finish folding with a rubber spatula.

Divide batter among the 12 prepared muffin cups, about 3/4 filled. Bake for 19 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let muffin cool in the pan for about 5 minutes; then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Best to store muffins in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. The muffins will become more moist as it sits out at room temperature of more than one day.

Yield 12 muffins, approximately 196 calories per muffin

BAKING OPTIONS: You can also sprinkle some raw chopped walnuts, raw rolled oats or toasted coconut on top of each muffin before baking, if desired.