Oatmeal Muffins [4 recipes]

Oatmeal Banana MuffinsOatmeal muffins have a wholesome, satisfying flavor and texture that makes you feel like you're eating something that's both delicious and nutritious. The moist, cakey inside of an oatmeal banana muffin is hard to beat, especially when paired with a cup of hot tea or coffee on a cold winter day.One of the benefits of cooking with oats is the fact that oats naturally lower the bad cholesterol in your bloodstream. The fiber in oatmeal acts to fill you up and cleanse your digestive system, serving two healthful purposes: to help you eat less and to process the food already in your digestive tract. Most muffin recipes aren't good for you, but if you replace some of the oil with mashed bananas or applesauce, you can make delicious oatmeal muffins that are really healthy. If you are trying to eat low sugar as well, exchange the sugar in the recipe for Splenda.

This oatmeal muffin recipe is healthful and delicious. Use it as a base recipe and experiment by adding in other healthy ingredients.

Ingredients :
2 cups oatmeal (old fashioned, slow cooking kind)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 overripe banana
½ cup applesauce
¾ cups skim milk
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup Splenda

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with liners.

In a mixing bowl, combine oatmeal, baking powder, salt, Splenda and cinnamon and mix.

In a separate bowl, mash the overripe banana with a fork. Stir in applesauce, milk, egg whites and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended.

Add in oatmeal mixture. Mix just until ingredients bind together and are well combined.

Spoon muffin batter into muffin liners. Bake until muffins are slightly browned on top and a toothpick comes clean when inserted in the center of a muffin. - Serve warm.

* If you wish to enhance the banana flavor, eliminate the applesauce and use two small overripe bananas instead of one. Or, if you want to bake straight oatmeal muffins, replace the banana with more applesauce and add in a teaspoon of nutmeg.

* For a higher fiber oatmeal muffin, consider sneaking some bran into the recipe. Ground flax seed is another good source of fiber. Still others like to add slivered almonds, dried cranberries or chopped walnuts. However you do it, enjoy your healthy oatmeal muffins!
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*Tosca's Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins 

Ingredients:
1 cup Dry old-fashiond oatmeal flakes
1 cup Unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup Skim milk, soy milk, rice or almond milk (your choice)
2 Egg whites, beaten
2 tbsp Ground flaxseed
2 tbsp + 1 tsp canola oil
1 tbsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground nutmeg
3/4 cup Whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Dried cranberries
1/4 cup Dried cherries
1/4 Raisins

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare muffin tin by lining with paper or silicon liners, or cooking spray.

Combine oatmeal, applesauce, milk, eggs, flax and oil in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, combine dry ingrediants, including dried fruit. Make a well in the center of the dried ingrediants and pour wet ingrediants into it. Stir until all ingrediants are just combined.

Using small ladle, fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 15 - 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 120 ; Total Fat: 3 ; Carbohydrates: 20 ; Protein: 3 ; Fiber: 3*** 
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Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars
Ingredients:
1.5 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts [or any nuts you like]
1/2 cup dried fruit (any you like – raisins, cranberries, dates, figs)
1/4 cup seeds (any you like – sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
1.25 cups skim milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Method:
Preheat oven to 350.   Mix dry ingredients.      Mix wet ingredients.
Pour wet into dry. Stir to combine.
Pour into a 9×9 baking dish either coated in cooking spray or lined with parchment.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Cut into 9 squares. 

Each bar is appx. 170 calories, 3 grams fiber and 5 grams protein. [Cut into 12 squares reduces calories to about 125 calories per square]* The variations are endless: cranberries, coconut, all kinds of dried fruit, nuts, etc.

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Clean Eating Applesauce Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups Old Fashioned Oatmeal
1 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 cup Pumpkin Puree
2 Eggs
2 Egg Whites
1 cup Light Vanilla Soymilk
1 cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Organic Sucanat
2 Tbsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 cup Golden Raisins (optional but included in Nutrition Facts)
Raw Unsalted Pumpkin Seeds to sprinkle on top (I used about 1.4oz )

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 and line muffin pan with liners or spray with nonstick spray.

First combine all wet ingredients.

Then combine all dry ingredients and make a well in the middle. 
Pour in wet ingredients and mix together. Then fold in raisins.

Fill Muffin Cups 2/3 of the way full and then sprinkle the top with pumpkin seeds. 
Bake for 15-20min until the tops are golden brown.

Nutritional Information:

Number of Servings: 24  -  Calories 137, Total Fat 5.4g, TotalCarbs 17g, Fiber 3g, Protein 5.7g