Breakfast Banana Oatmeal Cups

Are you eating a good healthy breakfast everyday?

Baking up some oatmeal is a much healthier option than opening up a sugar laden packet of flavored oatmeal; and because you can make it ahead, you won’t have to wait for the water to boil if you’re making the stove top version. You can store these in the refrigerator and eat them cold, or heat them up in the microwave and eat them warm, as is, or just like oatmeal, with milk and toppings. They are especially good warm because the mini chocolate chips get all melty and delicious. I think the flavor is best when they’re warm.

Call it portion control or grab and go; cups work so well for this recipe. While they are not muffins per se, they sort of look like a cross between a muffin and a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. My kids love muffins and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and that just leads to loving these as well.

// Ingredients

• 3 cups old fashioned oats

• 2 tbsp coconut sugar

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 cup mashed ripe banana

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 cups milk, I use coconut

• 2-4 tbsp chocolate chips

// Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking powder.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together mashed bananas, oil,eggs and vanilla until well combined.

4. Whisk in milk.

5. Pour milk mixture over oat mixture and stir well to combine. ***The batter is going to be very liquidy and appear like it's not holding together. It's not supposed to; just stir until everything is well combined. It's going to look very soupy.

6. Use an ice cream scoop or a ladle to fill the prepared muffin cups all the way to the top. Try to insure each cup is filled pretty evenly with oats and liquid. You don't want to end up with a cup that is mostly liquid without a good amount of oats.

7. Sprinkle the tops with chocolate chips and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until set and just lightly brown on the edges. (Baking time may be slightly longer if you use paper liners)

If you didn't use liners, allow the cups to cool completely for easiest removal then reheat to serve warm. Or, if you used the liners, allow to set for about 5-10 minutes, then remove from pan.

Enjoy!!

Recipe Source: The Merchant Baker