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Banana Oat Muffins with Cranberries

I wanted to make a healthy muffin that was also hearty and tasty, which led me to pick apart 4 different recipes, each containing a facet of the type of muffin I wanted to create, and recombine parts of each in an attempt to create the ultimate muffin. Since my muffin had to be healthy but flavorful, I needed some butter for that rich taste, but figured that mashed banana could also act as a binding agent to sub for the rest of the butter. Then, I wanted to include oats as a way to up the fiber for maximum breakfast value. Lastly, I wanted to use a combination of yogurt/sour cream to see how the texture would be affected and to add moisture. Studying up on muffin food science and constructing a matrix breaking down each recipe into fat, dairy, flour, and sugar, I finally arrived at a hybrid recipe to try!

First, I soaked 1 cup of oats in sour cream/yogurt/buttermilk to soften them up and to add some tang to the muffins. Then I creamed some butter with brown sugar, added 1 egg, vanilla, and the mashed bananas. The oats got dumped into the wet mixture. Finally, I added the sifted-together flour mix and combined until everything was just moistened. I threw in some fresh cranberries I found in the fridge, along with some dried craisins. Crossing my fingers as I watched them bake, I could only hope the end result would be somewhat edible. Appearance-wise, they looked normal; they rose and rose into lovely domes. After 15 minutes, out they came! And... they were great! These banana-scented muffins are moist and light, while still packing some serious heft with all that fiber. Next time, I might try adding blueberries or raisins instead of competing cranberries which take attention away from the banana. I would also add a smidge more sugar, but all in all, this experient was a success. Okay, I'm done being a food nerd.

Banana Oat Muffins


1 c. combo of sour cream/yogurt/buttermilk (I used 1/3 c. of each)
1 c. rolled oats + shredded wheat

1 ¼ c. flour (I used whole wheat and all purpose)
1 ½ tsp. baking power
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

3 TB butter
½ c. sugar

1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. mashed bananas (2 ripe bananas)

½ c. cranberries/raisins
½ c. fresh halved cranberries
nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Soak oats and bran in sour cream/yogurt/buttermilk for 30 min. Add honey if desired.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl and set aside.

In stand mixer, combine butter with sugar until fluffy. Then add egg, vanilla, and mashed bananas.

Combine oat mixture with wet ingredients. Then mix in dry ingredients until just moistened. Do not overmix!

Add in fruit and nuts. Fill muffin tins ¾ full. Sprinkle cane sugar over each muffin, or make streusel.

Bake muffins for 15 minutes. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out on wire rack to cool completely.