No, I refuse to believe that any banana-related baked goods are merely a fad during quarantine — we can still enjoy them! With exams approaching, eating healthy is the last thing on students’ minds. So, I have curated a little healthy snack for study breaks or a quick breakfast-to-go. With this recipe, there are absolutely no excuses for students not to take care of their health!
Tools
A mixing bowl
Muffin tin (if not accessible, refer to alternatives below)
muffin/cupcake baking cups
Ingredients
(yield amount varies depending on baking cup size)
1 ¾ cup of oat flour or flour of your choice
*for oat flour, blend oats until powder form
¼ – ⅓ cup of honey or brown sugar (sweetness varies depending on the ripeness of bananas, start with ¼ cup, taste and add as you go)
2-3 bananas (depending on the size of bananas, you want about 1 ½ – 1 ¾ cups of mashed bananas)
¼ cup of melted coconut oil
½ tsp of baking soda
2 tsp of baking powder
¼ tsp of salt
1 tsp of vanilla extract
½ – 1 tsp of cinnamon
Alternatives
- Muffin tin: if you do not have a muffin tin, use a regular sheet pan and triple-layer the baking cups and place them sparsely on the sheet pan
- Recommendations to pair with bananas:
- Grated carrots (about 1 cup for the measurements above)
- Berries ie; blueberries, strawberries, gooseberries (about ¾ cup)
- Lemon zest and poppy seeds ( about ¼ cup)
- Chocolate chips ( about ¼ cup)
- Orange zest ( about ¼ cup)
- Chopped nuts (about ½ cup)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Mash your bananas and incorporate them with the wet ingredients: honey or brown sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Then, combine with the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and powder, salt and cinnamon. Fold in the extras of your choice, and add a spoonful of batter into the baking cups. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes. You will know when the muffins are done when you stick a toothpick into a muffin and it comes out clean.
We often forget that our physical health correlates with our mental health, so make sure you take care of yourself by eating healthy and treating yourself from time to time. This recipe is quick, convenient and easy, and I hope it can become something you look forward to every day. Take care!
