Healthier Banana-Blueberry Muffins

You know those sad bananas?  Abandoned on the counter, and each day they grow a little more brown and unappealing?  I had a few, and was mulling over what to do with them.  The obvious option, of course, is banana bread.  Which I love.  But, I was looking for something a little healthier, perhaps.  Enter the queen of homemaking - Martha Stewart.

The recipe didn't look too healthy - like you were eating granola or something, but definitely healthier.  Whole wheat flour, flax seeds (instead of wheat germ), bananas and blueberries.  All good things.  Besides swapping flax seeds for wheat germ, I also added a bit of cinnamon.  Never a bad idea!

I whipped these up this morning, and the smell of them baking was simply heavenly!  They needed to cool some, of course, mocking the husband with their tastiness.  And we were not disappointed.
 

They were AMAZING.  We ate... too many.  And seriously considered spending our Saturday eating the whole pan.  Go get the ingredients right now - you must bake them as soon as possible!!!!

UPDATE: This recipe also makes adorable mini muffins.  Just grease the mini muffin tins and fill.  (I did have to make a few full-size muffins as I ran out of little tins).  Then bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in tins for about 10 minutes, and then transfer mini muffins to a cooling rack.

Healthier Banana-Blueberry Muffins
(adapted from Martha Stewart)
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup ground flax seeds (or wheat germ)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup milk (I used fat-free)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have 3/4 cup); stir in milk and vanilla.

With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in frozen blueberries.

Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

It's after dinner.  You're craving something chocolaty.  With peanut butter.  But you want to avoid a calorie bomb - what to do????  Have no fear, I've got a solution!  A health(ier) peanut butter cup smoothie.

It's simple, easy, and has some nutritional value (versus that Ben and Jerry's that you were contemplating, or is that just me?)  Fruit, bit of protein from the peanut butter, and some antioxidants from the cocoa.  Okay, so it's not kale and pomegranates, but it's certainly better than a sugar and fat laden Chocolaty Cake of Death.

I've also used this when I'm trying to cut back on my added sugar intake (or cut back on desserts), and this is an excellent substitute.  It's also a great post-workout smoothie.  Give it a try!

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie
(adapted from Happy Herbivore)
Makes 2 servings

2 bananas
3 Tbsp good quality cocoa
3 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup - 1 cup of non-dairy milk (I like almond milk), to your preferred texture
Couple ice cubes, optional

Blend together bananas, cocoa, peanut butter, vanilla and 1/2 cup non-dairy milk.  Add milk and ice cubes to desired texture.  Find a friend, and share.

Enjoy!