PB Banana Oat Muffins

sweet and healthy for an everyday snack

I have been baking these muffins regularly for about 3 years now. It all started when I shared a banana chocolate chunk muffin from Trader Joe's with my friend Lisa and she suggested I could make my own to save money. Not only did I produce a less expensive muffin but I created one with more protein and less sugar than anything I could buy. I used a basic recipe I found online that featured peanut butter and ripe bananas to replace the butter and add sweetness. Then I substituted Truvia for the sugar, eliminating any processed sugar from my muffins. All the while experimenting with various types of flour; soy, wheat, and oat to name a few, mixed with protein powder to up the protein content. For a long time I used a combo of soy flour and chocolate protein which was great until I stumbled upon peanut flour in the aisles of Trader Joe's. Peanut flour proved to be a dream come true, high in protein, low in fat, and full of fiber, it also tasted just like peanut butter which is my absolute favorite! The three dollar per bag peanut flour was also so high in protein it eliminated the need for pricey protein powder in the muffins. Currently, I am trying to figure out a way to keep the muffins pooffed up, once they come out of the oven the tops tend to flatten out which doesn't affect the flavor, just the appearance.
For this version I used half peanut flour and half oatmeal which produced a heartier crumb. I also folded in some chocolate chips I had leftover from a cupcake recipe but you can mix in 1/2 to 1 cup of anything like walnuts, blueberries, or raisons.

chocolate oat chunks surrounded by peanut butteriness

Peanut Butter Oat Muffins

Ingredients
3 ripe bananans (brown ones)
1/4 cup peanut butter, melted
1/3 cup trivia or sugar
1/3 cup water or milk, omit if using regular sugar
1 egg white
1 teaspoon pure vanilla exrtact
3/4 cup peanut flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips, or mix in of choice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin.
2. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas and add next five ingredients blending well.
3. In a measuring cup, or another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir to distribute.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined, you may need to add more water or milk. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Notes
I have made this many times with only two bananas and it has been completely successful. If using regular sugar, don't add any water/milk until the end. Besides adding sweetness, sugar also lends moisture to baked goods. Most sugar substitutes do not. I have yet to try these muffins with honey or maple syrup but I think these liquid sweeteners would be successful. Oat flour can also be substituted for the peanut flour. To make oat flour, put rolled oats in a food processor and pulse until flour consistency, measure the 3/4 cup from the oat flour not the rolled oats.