Banana Nut Brunch!

If you've ever ate at a Perkins (or any other restaurant with a bakery)-you've seen the massive gut busting muffins that are beckoning to you through the show glass more than once. I like a great muffin just like everyone else and thought I'd be nice and make some, not so gut busting versions, for my boys at home. This recipe is a classic case of healthy switching. I do it a lot at my house and it is relatively easy. Recipe call for butter or oil? Unsweetened applesauce will do the trick. Call for white or all-purpose flour? Switch out at least half for whole wheat. 1 cup of sugar? Maybe do 1/2 cup only or do half and half Stevia for baking and sugar-my guess is you won't notice the difference. Whole eggs? Maybe do one whole egg and 3 egg whites (depending on the amount needed of course). These are all little things you can do to make desserts and treats a little more like a treat instead of a trick and today's recupe is a great example So.... on to the muffins!



Now I'd like to say these turned out amazing, but I really don't know. The only person (I'm on a no sweets at all thing for right now) that had one is Gray..and he is 2. For those that know my son, you know how picky he can be and he ate 2. That should be (and is for me) evidence enough that they are pretty tasty because he is by far my worst critic. 

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 6 oz. unsweetened applesauce
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• one omega-3 egg
• 2 tbsp strong leftover coffee
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (I ended up only using around 1/8 cup-you just want about 2 cups of "wet" ingredients
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or to taste)
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg, optional
• 1 cup (I used 3/4 cup) chopped nut of choice, walnuts, pecans, almonds (I only had almonds)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all the wet ingredients together until well incorporated
3. mix all the dry ingredients together until well incoporpated (this also helps bring air into the mix for lighter baking)
4. Mix the wet into the dry UNTIL JUST INCORPORATED. DO NOT OVERMIX- the batter may be lumpy and that is perfect. If its too smooth then you mixed too much.
5. spoon mix into well sprayed muffin tins (spray very well)
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins

These are great for your next office party or morning get together.. instead of those awful doughnuts or other store bought nightmares!