Banana Oat Muffins

These muffins are the product of some really really hard work I did in China. I spent hours scouring food blogs and drooling, I mean researching new recipes to try when I got home. It was hard work, but some one had to do it, and in the end the hard work paid off in the form of Banana Muffins.

After recently discovering that yes, in fact, I do love banana bread, I needed to branch out and try some other recipes. So when these were posted in July, I knew they were at the front of the baking line when I got home. Now here's a fun fact about these muffins. They are actually still tasty if you are sick while baking and completely forget to add the sugar. They just taste more like regular bread. Of course they're better with sugar, like way better. But hey, if you're ever in the mood for not-sweet banana bread at least now you know. Not that anything like that ever happened when I was baking...

Since I mentioned it, what is it about international flights that makes it physically impossible to NOT get sick when you get home. Jesse and I both got some wicked head and chest colds within a few days of being home. I mean, what is up with that? Being sick is never ever ever fun, but being sick in the summer, in San Diego after being gone for 5 weeks (or 3 1/2 months for Jesse), is just cruel. Good thing I didn't let it stop me from attempting to bake :)

Banana Oat Muffins
(Adapted from So Tasty So Yummy)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup steel cut oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup mashed banana
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp oats, optional for topping

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin by lightly spraying each cup with cooking spray (You could also use liners if you prefer).

In a medium bowl combine all of the dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon) and set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the mashed banana, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs.

Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and stir together until well combined.

Evenly fill each muffin cup (I sprinkled the tops with extra oats) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the muffin tin for 15 minutes before removing.