With three young children and their completely different tastes, breakfast can seem like an uphill struggle. I always find myself on the lookout for easy and healthy ways to please even the fussiest of my three, fuelled by knowing the importance of a nutritious breakfast for my growing kids.
A winner in my book and something my kids devour are muffins and it’s easy to see why! Muffins are tasty and can be gobbled up quickly (whilst on the run), which let’s face it is what most breakfasts, and lunch breaks end up being these days!
The versatility of these muffins is what sets them apart. Finding the perfect balance of making food tasty enough for the kids while sneaking in important nutrients is tricky. My mom was using this recipe to make muffins for my boys when I started using it, I decided to tweak it and reduce the flour and add in oats. I think oats are fantastic as they are slow release energy which is always a winner!
While kids love muffins for their taste, I'm also a fan, but for different reasons:
- They are easy to freeze
- Are a delicious way to sneak in extra fruits and fiber in.
- Are a hit among the kids - even the fussy ones
- Quick to pack into a lunch box - those extra few minutes in a busy morning can make all the difference
- Can be made ahead of time and baked in bulk
You and your kids will love these delicious freezer-friendly muffins. Easy to prepare, convenient, delicious, and nutritious, you can’t go wrong!
BANANA OAT MUFFIN RECIPE
Easy to make, healthy and totally delicious oatmeal banana muffins made with just a few staple ingredients.
iNGREDIENTS:
Allergens: Gluten, Egg
- 150 g plain or self-rising flour
- 125 g oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 90 g dark brown sugar (try to avoid white sugar)
- 2 small eggs
- 3 (very) ripe bananas
- 150 ml vegetable or sunflower oil
- 150 ml cold water
Sift flour and baking powder into the first bowl and add in the oats.and add in the oats.and add in the oats.
In a second bowl, mash bananas and combine the eggs, sugar, oil and water and blend together with a hand whisk. (Do not beat with an electric mixer)
Fold in the flour, oats and baking powder and mix the ingredients thoroughly – but gently.
Grease muffin trays or use oven proof muffin cases.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin trays or cases.
Bake for 20 to 25 mins at 180°c.
HOW TO FREEZE MUFFINS?
Follow the instructions in the recipe below to bake and allow them to cool completely. A trick I learned from talking with Pat, founder of the fabulous reuzi, was to take empty cereal bags from the box, clean them out and they are the perfect freezer bag with a clip on the top. It saves on cling wrap and plastic Ziploc bags which will go a little way to help our environment!
HOW LONG WILL MUFFINS KEEP IN THE FREEZER?
Muffins will stay good for up to 3/6 months in the freezer – although in our house, sometimes they don’t even make it to the freezer!
HOW TO DEFROST MUFFINS?
Take the frozen muffins out of the freezer the night before for breakfast and allow them to defrost overnight or if you want them for school lunches – they can go into the lunch box frozen in the morning and they will be defrosted in time for the mid-morning break/lunch break in school.
I make these in mini form for lunch boxes and then bigger ones for breakfast and I love that my children are going off to school having had ‘their porridge oats’ even though they don’t realise it!
I hope this recipe makes the packed lunch challenge and breakfast a little easier for you - why not try them out and let me know how you get on!
Happy Baking!
