Clean Eating Banana Muffins (gluten-free)

*womp womp* After the last couple months of travel gluttony, it’s time to get back on track, and these muffins at least have the consolation of being delicious as well as super healthy.

In the interest of full transparency, to be truly clean eating you’ll need to omit the chocolate chips from the recipe and use one of the other mix-ins instead (nuts, dried fruit, etc.). But unless you’re completely following a clean eating diet, the mini chocolate chips do really add something to the muffins so I’d recommend leaving them in. Because, duh.

I made these on a Sunday night on a whim, and brought them to work the next day. They were scarfed by my co-workers within a few hours, and got rave reviews. They’re moist, flavorful, and—best part—insanely fast and easy to make.

They’re the kind of healthy breakfast that gives you the fiber and protein you need, but still makes you feel like you’re getting a bit of a treat to start the day. That’s a win in my book. Add a couple strong espressos and you’re all set. Bring it on, Monday.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a 12-cup standard muffin tin or line with paper liners if you prefer (if you use liners, I’d recommend lightly grasing them too).

Put all your ingredients except your mix-ins in your large food processor or a good blender (oats, bananas, eggs, Greek yogurt, honey, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt).

Process on high, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl and manually stir the ingredients once or twice as needed, until the batter is smooth and the oats have broken down almost completely. It should take about 3 minutes.

Stir the mix-ins in by hand. The batter may be a little warm from the motor, which could cause the chocolate chips to melt slightly, just FYI.

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling each no more than 3/4 of the way to the top. You can sprinkle additional chocolate chips or nuts on the top as desired.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops of the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan, and then let cool completely before storing in a large ziploc bag or airtight container. They should keep for 3-4 days that way, otherwise I’d recommend refrigerating. But let’s be honest, they’re not going to survive that long without being devoured…

Clean Eating Banana Muffins

2 cups of oats (quick cooking or old fashioned)
2 large very ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
2-3 tablespoons of honey
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt
Up to 1/2 cup of mix-ins: chocolate chips (mini or regular), chopped dark chocolate, nuts, dried cranberries, or blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a 12-cup standard muffin tin or line with paper liners if you prefer (if you use liners, I’d recommend lightly grasing them too).
Put all your ingredients except your mix-ins in your large food processor or a good blender (oats, bananas, eggs, Greek yogurt, honey, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt).
Process on high, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl and manually stir the ingredients once or twice as needed, until the batter is smooth and the oats have broken down almost completely. It should take about 3 minutes.
Stir the mix-ins in by hand and divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling each no more than 3/4 of the way to the top. You can sprinkle additional chocolate chips or nuts on the top as desired.
Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops of the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Each muffin should be around 150 calories if you use a 12-muffin tin.