Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Ok…I know these aren’t muffins, but they’re too good to not share! I came home today with the baking bug and since I need to get rid of all my food before leaving for Geneva next week, I thought I’d make a quick batch of Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Cookies! I had (almost) all of the ingredients, so I had to use a few baking hacks to get these done.

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Cookies (via Julia’s Album)

• 1 and 1/2 cup flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 cup of maple syrup
• 1/4 cup regular granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup chocolate chips

The original recipe (see here) called for brown sugar, but I used maple syrup instead. The rule is that maple syrup can work as a substitute but you need to reduce the amount of brown sugar it calls for by 1/4 cup. So, it called for 3/4 cup brown sugar, so I put 1/2 cup of maple syrup in the mix instead! Also, sifting the flour is very important, as it makes sure you’ve got the right amount of flour measured out. I also used greek yogurt instead of plain regular yogurt because it’s all I had on-hand.

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, mash the banana. Add the egg, oil, maple syrup and granulated sugars, yogurt, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
3. Add the banana-egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the oats, then fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Line baking sheet with tin foil. Take a tablespoon of dough, form a ball and drop the cookie dough ball on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat, spacing the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 12 minutes until cookies are slightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

The original recipe also suggests cooling the dough in the fridge for 1 hour before baking. I skipped that and I think they turned out just fine. Eat them while they’re warm with a glass of milk!

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Unfortunately I’ve got no personal photos of these amazing morning muffins, but below is the recipe + original source of the best Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins on Earth! These were such a hit with my roommates + friends…definitely planning to make them again. They’re also super healthy (see the ingredients!) and make a great breakfast for when you’re on-the-go.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (via Ellaphant Eats)

• 1-1/4 cups white whole wheat flour + 1 Tbsp for tossing blueberries
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the blueberries with 1 Tbsp of flour and set aside.
3. Combine flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
4. In a smaller bowl, combine greek yogurt, applesauce, egg, vanilla, and brown sugar.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Gently fold in the blueberries.
7. Grease a 12-count muffin tin with cooking spray or use silicone liners like i did. Divide the batter between the 12 muffin slots.
8. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.