Makes 12
Recipe from Peace, Love and Fibre (appetite by Random House 2019)
Loaded with heart healthy soluble fibre these muffins are good for your heart and your gastro-intestinal (GI) tract. Research suggests that a healthy GI helps support your immune system and your mood, two important attributes for why we should be eating more fibre. I’m all for being in a good mood and supporting my immune system as I eat a delicious muffin.
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup 1% buttermilk – see below for a substitution
1 ½ cups oat bran
1 ½ cups ripe frozen bananas, thawed and mashed, approximately 3-4
¼ cup canola oil
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 – omega-3 egg
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp natural cocoa powder
2 Tbsp natural wheat germ
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- Make sure the rack in the oven is in the middle. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with jumbo or X-large paper liners.
- In a large bowl whisk together the Wet Ingredients: buttermilk, oat bran, bananas, oil, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the Dry Ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, wheat germ, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Add Dry Ingredients to the Wet Ingredients and using either a large wooden spoon or a large spatula mix until well combined. You can’t theoretically overmix these, but don’t go crazy with it.
- Using a ½ cup ice cream scoop with a release button, scoop out the batter and fill each of the muffin cups. You’ll want to make 16, but all of my whole grain muffins make 12 large muffins.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 2 minutes. Remove the muffins and let them cool completely on the rack. Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Makes 12
One serving = 1 large muffin
Per serving = 231 Calories, 8.6 g Total Fat, 1.8 g Sat Fat, 0 Trans Fat, 17 mg Cholesterol, 189 mg Sodium, 30.4 g Carbs, 4.1 g Fibre, 15.3 g Sugars, 10.3 g Added Sugars, 6.4 g Protein, 318 mg Potassium
Professional Home Economist tip:
No buttermilk?
In Canada buttermilk is made using 1% milk. If you don’t have any buttermilk, pour in 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice into a 1 cup glass measuring cup, top with milk until it reads 1 cup. No, vinegar or lemons? Use ¼ cup yogurt and ¾ cup milk.
Why the Scots ate oats…my personal rant
Historically the Scots are known as fierce warriors throughout history. So fierce their reputation preceded them, and the Romans never even made it to Scotland, they retreated behind Hadrian’s Wall. The Vikings often steered clear of them as well, and anyone who watched Mel Gibson in Braveheart will probably remember how William Wallace and his clan painted their faces blue and ran screaming into battle naked against the English. Whether or not that is historically correct is still up for debate.
One theory as to why they were such fierce warriors is because they lived on a barren land they needed natural resources to survive so they had to fight to live. Extremely valid, but my theory is that it was all those oats they ate. Seriously, oats are heart healthy and you need a healthy heart to run into battle naked.