Garnished with Old Fashioned Oats & Pecan Halves
Let the 2021 meal prep begin! It is back to the five-day work week grind come Monday and I am ready to start eating clean again. My holiday love handles agree! So in an effort to use up any remaining baking ingredients and the neglected bananas on my counter, my muffin top was calling for muffins.
I wanted the ginger to take center stage in these muffins so I whipped out the Paradise Candied Fruit Crystallized Ginger that I picked up for my Ginger & Orange Ricotta Cheesecake Cupcakes. The crystallized and ground gingers gave these muffins a mild heat and complimented the natural sweetness from the bananas.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup vanilla protein powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground clove
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (~1 ½ cups)
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp Paradise Candied Fruit Crystallized Ginger, finely chopped
½ cup pecans, chopped
1 tbsp chia seeds
Old fashioned oats for garnish
18-20 pecan halves
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, protein powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
Melt the coconut oil in a small heat safe bowl in a microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, mash the bananas using a potato masher until smooth. Add the coconut oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract to the bananas. With the paddle attachment, mix until well combined.
Gradually mix dry ingredients into banana mixture until well combined. Mix in crystallized ginger, pecans, and chia seeds.
Using a ¼ cup, fill each cupcake liner. It will yield about 18 muffins. For every liner not filled with batter, remove the liner and fill the space halfway with cold water.
Sprinkle a pinch of old fashioned oats on top and place a pecan half on each muffin.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Comments