Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

I don’t know if you’ve figured it out yet, but I have a soft spot for any kind of baked good. I will admit that I don’t gravitate toward them as much as I used to, due to taste buds changing and the desire to be more healthy, but if you hand me a muffin, I’ll at least take a bite.

I wanted to add some more nutrition to my original banana chocolate chip muffin recipe, and I’m not sure that I really achieved that since I kept the chocolate chips (you can substitute with nuts to make a nutty banana oatmeal muffin), but they turned out so great that I’m sharing the recipe with you here.

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These muffins are sweetened with banana and maple syrup. I suppose the unsweetened applesauce could naturally add some sweetness too, but you can’t even tell it’s in there.

Make sure to cool these babies completely before eating them - they tend to stick to the paper liner. Alternatively, skip the paper liner completely so you don’t have to worry about that.

I keep these in the fridge and enjoy them with breakfast with a hot cup of tea. Mmm.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

What you need:

• 1 large ripe banana, mashed

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/8 cup melted coconut oil

• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

• 3 tablespoons hot water

• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (or chopped nuts of your choice)

• 1/8 cup almond milk

• 1/2 cup applesauce (I’ve also had great success with plain soy yogurt)

• extra chocolate chips/nuts and oats to top (optional)

what to do:

1. Grease or add liners to a cupcake or muffin tin and preheat the oven to 350ºF

2. Make flaxseed egg by mixing the ground flax and hot water in a bowl and let sit

3. Mix your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl

4. Mash the banana and mix the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl

5. Add wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed

6. Fill pan cavities and top with extra chocolate chips and rolled oats if desired

7. Bake for 25 minutes, until a nice golden brown

8. Remove from oven and transfer muffins to a wire rack (I use these from Amazon and love them!) and cool completely before enjoying (if they are not cooled completely, they tend to stick to the paper liner if you used one)

Store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

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What do you like adding to your muffins?

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Honey Oat Chia Bread

There are plenty of opinions on using honey as plant-based eaters. We are rebels, though. Bees are crazy amazing and honey is called a superfood - full of nutrients and thought to be immunity-boosting and antibacterial. I love that it can be produced locally as opposed to some of the other natural sweeteners that are imported. On that note, we love local maple syrup as well! 

Someone recently gave us a bottle of honey from their own beehive. How can you say no to a gift like that? Well, you can't. And before you get on me for using [local, gifted] honey and how horrid and unethical it is, just know that you can use agave or maple syrup instead :)  

Since we like to eat our own homemade bread, I decided to try honey oat chia bread, and I love what came out! Here is the recipe for our honey oat chia bread!

I had not had much luck with baking bread in a loaf pan, so that is why I stuck with the super easy artisan bread that I made in my dutch oven, but last week I was inspired to try something new. I hadn't made bread for a bit and my husband really wanted some. The only problem with the bread I usually make was that I prep them the night before to be ready to bake the next day. Of course, I kept forgetting to do that, and when we finally ran out of bread, I knew I needed one to be done that day. So I tried and after a few tries, I finally got it just how I liked it, and am pleased to say that we have a new favourite quick-loaf. 

I also have a loaf pan with 4 cavities, so I am going to try to make mini loaves for neighbours!

It's a perfectly sweet-ish bread that is great for sandwiches and your morning toast fix. 

Related: Tomato Roasted Almond Spread

Honey Oat Chia Loaf

What You Need:

• 2 cups warm water

• 2 teaspoons yeast

• 1/4 cup honey (or agave or maple syrup)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 cup old fashioned oats

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 TBSP ground flax

• 1 TBSP chia seeds

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

What to Do:

1. In a large bowl, mix water, yeast and honey. Let stand for 5 minutes until bubbly.

2. Mix in olive oil, oats, ground flax and salt

3. Mix in all-purpose flour.

4. Mix in whole wheat flour 1/2 cup at a time. You might not need all the flour.

5. Knead dough for 5 minutes. Dough should be tacky, but too sticky.

6. Put dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let sit for at least one hour, until doubled.

7. After it has doubled, gently deflate the dough by pressing your fist into the center of it.

8. Divide the dough into two and shape into two loaves. Place loaves into greased bread pans. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees about 20 minutes in.

10. Optional: Just before baking brush loaves with water, and sprinkle with oats and chia seeds.

11. Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes.

12. Once baked, allow the bread to rest and cool for about 5 minutes before removing it from the pan and cooling on wire rack.

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Do you make your own bread? What's your favourite kind?
Let me know below - I always want to try something new!

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