Good-for-you Banana Muffins!

I LOVE muffins. Like so many of us, I'm trying to eat healthier, and I've been searching for a recipe lower in fat, sugars, and calories. After trying several, I wasn't happy, so I concocted my own. These are YUMMY...and good for you!

Here's my recipe. This makes 36 hefty sized muffins, and you won't feel deprived when you eat just one!

Mix all these ingredients together:

1 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Cups enriched white flour
1 Cup oats
1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

Set aside

1/2 Cup butter or margerine
3/4 Cup brown sugar Splenda
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 2/3 Cups mashed overripe bananas (you know, the bananas always on sale at the market!)
1/2 Cup unsweetened applesauce

In a separate bowl, beat 1/2 Cup butter or margerine with 3/4 C brown sugar splenda till light. Beat in 4 eggs. Stir in vanilla, mashed bananas and applesauce.

Mix wet ingredients with dry just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups which have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (ie Pam). Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25-30 mts.

This batter also bakes nicely into a banana bread, cook for 55-60 mts at 350 degrees.

If you don't "need" Splenda, you can use plain brown sugar, but you need to double the amount because Splenda is twice as sweet. So 1 1/2 C brown sugar will add 1200 calories to your batter, and 33 calories per muffin.

Per muffin with chocolate chips added: 160 calories
Per muffin without chocolate chips: 130 calories

Sometimes I'll add 1/2 Cup crushed pecans, which adds 800 calories to the batter, and 22 calories per muffin.

Nutritional data for each ingredient available at my favourite nutrition site Nutrition Data