Recipe Review: Healthy Banana Muffins

Haley Cannavan

This banana muffin recipe from acouplecooks.com is perfect for a quick breakfast on the go. This recipe is gluten and dairy free and makes between nine and 12 muffins. 

Ingredients:

• 3 large, very ripe bananas
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups rolled oats
• ¼ cup neutral oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

This recipe calls for preparing the muffins in a way I’ve never heard of before: adding all of the ingredients into a blender and mixing the batter that way. After you blend the batter, just place them into lined muffin tins and top with more oats. Bake for 30-33 minutes at 350 degrees. 

I absolutely loved this recipe. Unlike the mac and cheese, these muffins turned out beautifully. I was nervous about not putting any flour into them, but they had a great spongy texture from the banana. 

The idea of using a blender to make a muffin batter kind of freaked me out, but it worked surprisingly well. It cut down the oats perfectly and significantly reduced the amount of dishes I had to wash. 

My one complaint was that they turned out a little bland, but the recipe suggests lots of add-ins like allspice, ginger, cloves, walnuts, and blueberries to suit a variety of tastes. They also offer a suggestion for an egg substitute to make the recipe vegan. I also personally don’t recommend adding the oats on top. They’re a cute touch, but they can be unpleasant and don’t add any real taste or texture. 

One thing I want to note is the cooking time. I put my muffins in the oven for the full 30 minutes because my batter yielded a full dozen, but they were done in 20 minutes. For a smaller batch, I recommend starting with an even lower cooking time. 

The recipe claims these muffins can be refrigerated for 10 days or frozen for up to three months. I’ve been storing mine unrefrigerated in a sealed bag, and so far I haven’t had any issues with them. I recommend reheating them before you eat them for the best flavor and texture. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this recipe. I definitely plan on making it again and I fully recommend it. I’m looking forward to experimenting with add-ins like spices and fruits to improve on the blandness of the original.