Banana, chocolate chip, oatmeal muffins... guilt free :)

Today I had 2 ripe bananas on my counter... which made me think BANANA CUPCAKES! Something my mom always whipped up with our old bananas.

BUT, yesterday I decided although I am breastfeeding and it is sucking the life out of me (which no one tells you!) and I eat non-stop to keep up... I really need to cut back on the junk and get back in the routine of eating healthy for Gracie. I can't say enough how thankful I am I can do this, because I was back into shape in 4 days and feel awesome, but that doesn't mean I should eat crappy just bacause I can get away with it!

So I put the lid on my pringles and decided to come up with something healthier I wouldn't feel bad about with these bananas staring at me...

So, here's what I created:

No butter, no sugar, no flour, no salt, no eggs... and DELICIOUS!

You'll need:

3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup chocolate chips (or raisins, or nuts... whatever you have!)
2 mashed up ripe bananas
non stick spray
2 tablespoons splenda (you can use real sugar or brown sugar, though. this just makes it really guilt free!)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, spray a large muffin tin with non stick cooking spray (bottom and sides, or just use liners). Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Check the consistency, it should be similar to oatmeal raisin cookie dough... a little thicker than a normal batter. Taste the batter for sugar/sweetener. I used 2 tablespoons due to the chocolate chips, I didn't want them over sweetened, so this is your preference. After it's combined well, drop a large spoonful into each muffin tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes. The recipe makes enough for 12 muffins.

Note: these will not be browned very well. I used a small knife at 15 minutes to check the bottoms of the muffins (slid it under and kind of peeked) I decided to leave them in a bit longer until they were more brown on the bottom and since I didn't have liners, just to be sure they would hold nicely.

 Remove them and let them cool. They are very yummy and chewy and great for busy moms (or dads, or anyone!) to grab and go for breakfast or a snack without feeling too guilty. Next time, I'd like to experiment with applesauce, cinnamon, or peanut butter to change up the flavors :) Give it a try!