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Sweet Potato Oatmeal Muffins
What do you do when a hurricane pummels your town and cancels school for four days? Bake. Bake all afternoon. Bake multiple batches of muffins and have your roommates taste-test for you.
Here’s the result for you! These muffins are perfect for a healthy breakfast. They’re sweet enough to be delicious and satisfying, but not overly sweet like traditional muffins. They are also free of refined sugars and flours. You’re welcome!
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POSTED IN: dried fruit, ginger, muffins, not porridge, pumpkin, sweet potato, winter squash
POSTED IN: dried fruit, ginger, muffins, not porridge, pumpkin, sweet potato, winter squash
Oatmeal “Green Monster” Smoothie
Have you ever woken up sweating, and the thermometer already reads 77 degrees, even though it’s still early in the morning?
Those are the mornings when oatmeal is not so appetizing. I eat porridge year-round, but some days, the thought of a bowl of hot cereal steaming up into my already-hot face is a little . . . nauseating. On those days, it’s good to have a back up–like a “Green Monster” smoothie.
But I didn’t want my oats to feel left out, so I threw them in as well. 🙂
Banana Oat Waffles
One of the best decisions I ever made was stealing my mom’s waffle maker. Not only have I gotten a LOT of use out of it, but has she never complained in the entire year that I’ve had it (I’m not sure if she has even noticed!).
I used to make waffles so I could reheat them for breakfast in the mornings, but that’s no longer the case. Since I literally eat a bowl of oatmeal every morning, I now save waffles for lunch and dinner. (Yes, I’m one of those people that regularly eats breakfast for dinner.)
Banana Oat Muffins
As much of a debutante I am with the stove, I’m even worse with the oven. I used to love baking when I lived with my parents. My mom decorates cake as a hobby/side job, so I had tons of baking tools and recipes at my disposal. I used to bake cupcakes for my boyfriend-at-the-time’s family for their birthdays; it’s no wonder I was so popular at their house! 🙂
However, I lost my interest after I got sick of doing the dishes. That’s the worst part about baking: tons and tons and tons of dishes.
I also lost interest when I went to college and eventually got an apartment. Once I was buying my own groceries, buying ingredients like powdered sugar, cream cheese, and mass amounts of eggs seemed like such a waste, especially when I was devoting my financial resources toward whole foods and organic produce.
Lately, however, I’ve been into baking again, but a different kind: healthy baking. Eggless, sugarless, dairyless baking. It’s an interesting challenge, but it gives me something different to include in my bento box at school.
When I say healthy baking, I don’t mean a cookie with some oatmeal thrown in. I’m so tired of people bastardizing the word “healthy” (I’m looking at you, Pinterest users!). “Healthy” is not reduced-fat cream cheese. “Healthy” is not sugar-free jello. “Healthy” is not apple pie, strawberry ice cream, or banana bread. Including a fruit does not negate the sugar and fat. It’s still a dessert. You could say “homemade.” You could say “lightened up.” You could say, “Made from fresh-picked apples!” But it’s not “healthy.”
I’m talking about dense and hearty gems concocted from mashed bananas, peanut butter, flax, oatmeal, and other whole ingredients. No sugar. No butter. No egg. No white flour. I look for the most healthful ingredients, and cut out the unnecessary ones. This is what attracts me to vegan recipes so often–the ingredients are typically unprocessed and nutritious. After all, vegan bakers are experts at replacing butter and eggs!
My bakery items are not what most people would consider “dessert,” but for my everyday purposes, they’re perfect. It’s like taking a healthy and nutritious bowl of oatmeal and turning it into a baked good.
Like these banana-oat muffins. Filling, flavorful, and hearty. And to push them over the top, I spread peanut butter on them. 🙂
I adapted them from this recipe. Although the actual recipe is very respectable, I used flax instead of eggs, and instead of chocolate chips, I went for a more banana-bread-like flavor, so I skipped the chips and added cinnamon instead. Mmm!
If you’re also interested in unsweetened (and/or vegan!) baking recipes, check out this blog–she has lots of great healthified takes on classic desserts (although I’m unsure of the Stevia thing, so I avoid that)! I’ve made the chocolate chip cookies (contains some brown sugar) and breakfast cookies. They were both great!
UPDATE: I’ve revamped these muffins! Click here for the updated version.
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
