Exploding Almond and Chia Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins from GUEST BLOGGER: Get Healthy with Heather

Blog: Get Healthy with Heather

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Hi all, I'm Heather from Get Healthy with Heather. If you were to sneak over to my site you'd find tons of healthy, quick and easy recipes, of course with some indulgences too. In my free time I teach group fitness classes, so I like to share some of my favorite home workouts. Also my husband and I are expending our first little buddle of joy in late May, so you'd likely run across my weekly updates and random thoughts on that as well.

Today I have a great holiday recipe I'm so excited to share with you! They are muffins, but not the kind of sweet holiday muffins you may be thinking of. Nope, these are breakfast (or brunch) muffins filled with amazing goof for you ingredients. They are naturally sweetened from the ripe banana, and come filled with whole grains from the oats + healthy fats from almonds and chia seeds.

I ended up with a lot of left over cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving and began making cranberry stuffed oatmeal breakfast cakes. Before I froze the rest of my sauce I made these muffins. Instead of stuffed muffins they are exploding muffins. Either way, they are mighty tasty.

I had fun making these with my 18-month-old nephew. He was such a great help stirring and scooping the batter... with my guiding hand of course. : )

I hope you enjoy these easy and nutritionally packed muffins with your family. Maybe the kids will join in and help make them too!

Exploding Almond and Chia Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
Adapted from cranberry stuffed oatmeal breakfast cakes
Makes 6
  
1 large ripe banana, mashed

3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1/3 cup whole almonds
1/3 cup ground oats (from grinding roll oats in a blender)
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cranberry sauce

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 6-muffin tin with olive oil spray.

In a large bowl combine your wet ingredients; banana, eggs, vanilla and almond extract.  Place the almonds in a food processor or high-speed blender and grind until almost the texture of flour.  Make sure not to run it for too long or else you’ll end up with almond butter!
Combine the ground almonds, ground oats, rolled oats, baking powder, chia seeds and cinnamon in another bowl.  Pour in with your wet ingredients and mix until fully combined.

Scoop the batter into the muffin pan.  They will be filled almost to the top.  Divide the cranberry sauce on top of the batter.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Notes: Don't have cranberry sauce on hand? Replace it with your favorite jam. It's even better if you sneak in a little peanut butter for PB & J flavor.

I'd love for you to stop by Get Healthy with Heather and share your favorite breakfast muffin recipe with me. Linke are always welcome!

Thanks for having me here Tina. Have a wonderful day all!

Heather

P.S. Let's be friends on facebook and twitter too! J

Thanks for such a wonderful recipe! I will be cooking alot of healthy recipes in January!