Baked Oatmeal Cups

Today on this beautiful, sunny Southern California day, I decided to take some time in the kitchen to prepare some healthier snacks and some quick, easy and healthy breakfasts to grab on the go for those mornings when we just can't seem to get it together in time to eat or pack healthy snacks before we leave for work. Honestly, that doesn't happen to me very often, because I am always sure to make time to eat. I mean, seriously....I have my priorities straight ;)
Anyway, I bagged up individual snack size bags of nuts and dried fruits for work. I made enough to last a month. Woo Hoo! Then I made these yummy baked oatmeal cups. These are going to be my new favorite "go to" in a hurry breakfast. They are so easy to throw together and I love that you can put different toppings on each one, so they can be individualized for everyone in your family. Next time I make them, I would spray the cupcake liners with Pam, because they stuck just a little bit, but other than that, I would say they turned out perfect.

This is what they looked like just before going into the oven

This is right after they came out of the oven. Look at all that wonderful fruit and delicious chocolate chip goodness!

Recipe Source: http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/personal-sized-baked-oatmeal-with-individual-toppings-gluten-free-diabetic-friendly/

Yield: 22 muffins

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
½ cup banana, mashed
½ cup honey or blue agave syrup
5 cups, rolled oats
2 Tbsp flax seed meal
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2¼ cups lowfat milk (you can use your preference of milk)

Optional toppings:cranberries, frozen fruit, chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°
Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl.
Add in oats, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.
Pour in milk and stir until well combined.
Pour mixture evenly into muffin tin cups lined with cupcake liners. (I suggest spraying the liners with Pam)
If using toppings add them onto the tops of muffins now.
Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean.
Cool and enjoy or freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Fall is finally in the air! I love the smell of pumpkin goodies baking. I really think it's my favorite seasonal baking product. Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin muffins, you name it...I LOVE it! I have to be honest though, that I have  never put pumpkin and chocolate together. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the combination. I actually liked it. You could make these with or without the chocolate chips.Either way....just make them!

Makes 18 muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 can ( 1 lb) solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

Heat oven to 375°
Lightly grease and flour loaf pans. In a medium bowl, sift flour together with salt, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until well blended. Add the eggs and mix again until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin. At low speed, beat in the flour mixture. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix again.
Place paper liners into the muffin tins. Pour the batter into each muffin cup until it's 2/3 full. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Banana Chocolate Muffins

These muffins have two of my favorite ingredients. Now if they just had peanut butter in them, it would be all 3 of my favorites. I guess it's a good thing they didn't, because I'm not sure I would have refrained from eating them all. As it was, it was hard enough. I am still trying to watch what I am eating...and I don't mean watching it go into my mouth haha! I took one bite of my daughters, just for quality control purposes. Yes, I will keep telling myself that story.... that someone has got to do quality control for me and who better than me? That's my story and I'm stickin to it! :)

Recipe Source: http://www.kitchentreaty.com/chocolate-banana-marble-muffins/

2 cups flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with a half a lemon squeezed into it and allowed to sit for 15 min or more)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tbsp cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners or butter (or spray with Pam) the pan thoroughly if you do not want to use liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, mash the bananas, then whisk in the buttermilk, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, and whisk just until blended.
Remove one cup of the batter, and place it in a small bowl. Whisk in the cocoa powder, just until blended.
Divide the main (non-chocolate) batter between muffin cups. It’s about 1/4 cup of batter per cup.
Scoop 1 Tbsp of chocolate batter on top of the batter in each muffin cup.
Using a toothpick, swirl the chocolate batter into the banana batter.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool for about five minutes.

Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Muffins

Haven't you ever wondered if eating a good old muffin is no better for you than eating a piece of cake? I always have and I'm fairly sure that the answer would be....they are not that much different. Well, this recipe takes that thought to a whole new level ;)
Since it starts with a chocolate cake mix, I'm pretty sure it's the same as eating a piece of cake. But hey...what's wrong with cake for breakfast? Eggs and milk go into it, that has to account for something ;)
Anyway, if you want an easy chocolate, chocolate chip muffin recipe, this has got to be the easiest I have ever found.

Recipe Source: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/f2/d5/9f/f2d59f27c0732612fc836f26501d5a7e.jpg

1 (18 oz) box chocolate cake mix ( I used Chocolate Fudge)
2 Tbsp flour
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk ( I used almond milk)
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp baking powder

Heat oven to 375°
Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Spoon into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 375° for approx 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

I wish that you could smell these muffins through the picture. It smells just like Fall. Oh how I wish it was fall. I just got impatient, sitting around in these hot temps, waiting for Fall so I could cook and bake with pumpkin. So when I went to my  mom's house which is in a much cooler climate than mine, I decided to whip these up for her. The house smelled heavenly and oh  my goodness, these taste amazing! Bring on Fall, I'm ready for pumpkin ANYTHING! In the meantime, I might just keep trying to pretend that it's not 100° outside and the oven would not be in competition with the air conditioning, and make these a dozen more times!

Recipe Source: http://sugarcooking.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-cheesecake-muffins.html

For the filling:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar

For the muffins:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 Tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp cold butter, cut into very small pieces

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°

1. To prepare the filling, combine all the filling ingredients and mix well until blended and smooth. Set aside.
2. To make the muffins, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Place paper liners into your muffin pan.
3. To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.
4. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full with batter. Add about 1 Tbsp of filling on top. Sprinkle with topping. Bake 18-20 minutes. 

Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins

I just love when I find a recipe that is not only healthy but tastes great. This is definitely one of those! I wasn't sure what to expect when I made these. As I was making them, I kept wondering if they were going to be "dense" or not rise up like a muffin usually does. They were not dense and they definitely rose to the occasion. This just might become a new staple for my hubby's breakfast in the morning.

Recipe Adapted From:
http://fitandhealthywithdebbie.blogspot.com/2012/10/banana-oatmeal-breakfast-muffins.html#.UdTXim1TC8A

To make 6 muffins:

1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 400°. Place paper liners into a muffin tin.
Place the oats into a food processor. Pulse the oats for about 10-15 seconds. Add all the remaining ingredients except the chocolate chips. Process until everything is mixed together well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly into the 6 muffin cups. Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Mini Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins with Peanut Butter Glaze

Call me strange, but I am just one of those people that is tempted by batter of any kind. When I was mixing this batter this morning, I wanted to take a spoon and eat it all and make up some lame excuse for not having muffins to bring to work. I'm sure that would have worked, but I'm not sure I could have come up with a valid excuse for the 10 lbs I gained overnight haha!
So, I was a good girl and resisted the temptation and actually brought them to work to share. It's a good thing because I would have been too tempted to eat them if they stayed at my house. They are definitely yummy and I can't wait to make them again!

 Adapted from:
http://www.kaitlininthekitchen.com/2010/03/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-muffins.html

For the Muffins:

2 1/4 cups Flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar

6 Tablespoons Butter (melted and cooled slightly)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (you can use crunchy or smooth)

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375°

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar and regular sugar. In a mixing bowl, mix the melted butter, peanut butter, eggs, and milk until combined. (The peanut butter may still be a bit clumpy....that's ok)

Mix the flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake at 375° for 9-11 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
* Makes 51 mini muffins

*If you want to make regular size muffins, increase the baking time to 17-20 minutes.

For the Peanut Butter Glaze:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups sifted powered sugar

In a small saucepan, heat the peanut butter, milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the sifted powdered sugar. Stir it together well until a glaze forms. 

Dip the top of each muffin into the glaze. (You might need to gently reheat the glaze a few times to re-melt it down. I had to do this 3 times in the process of making these. Be sure to do this on low heat and only for a few seconds until it smooths back out)
Set aside to allow the glaze to firm up. Place a chocolate chip on the top of each muffin.