Cranberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins

I have been making these muffins for at least 15 years now. (I am also of a certain age, that tipping point, where I can’t believe I’ve done anything consistently for 15 years now because there is no way I’m an adult and only adults do things regularly for that long. Ahem.)

These muffins are a workhorse. They are flavorful, tender, as healthy as a muffin can be while still tasting luxurious with a cup of coffee and making kids excited to eat them.

They are versatile, but you really must try with the banana and cranberries at least once – the sweetness of the banana plays off the tart fresh cranberries and their unusual combo is truly delightful. Every fall I buy bags and bags of fresh cranberries to freeze, just to keep up with our consumption of these muffins. My go-to for overripe bananas, I make these en masse and freeze (they thaw beautifully). We also gift them regularly to people with new babies (it’s easy to mask galactagogues like brewer’s yeast with the banana) or post surgery. Oh – and they are easily vegan, so that’s a win.

If I haven’t sold you on them yet, I don’t know what else to say except please enjoy this recipe in all of its flexibility – blueberries or chocolate chips are great alternatives if you truly insist on messing with perfection. 🙂

Cranberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Recipe by Kris Cramer

Servings

12

muffins

Prep time

15

minutes

Bake time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (sometimes I do a 50/50 spelt blend and that works great, too)

• 1 1/4 cups oats*

• 1/2 cup cane sugar

• 1 teas. baking powder

• 1/2 teas. baking soda

• 1/2 teas. salt

• sprinkle of cinnamon

• 2 cups overripe bananas, mashed (about 4)

• 1/3 cup mild vegetable oil

• 1 egg OR 1/4 cup milk of your choice, soured with a little lemon juice or mild vinegar (just a splash)

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 and line the cups of a muffin tin with muffin liners.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt and cinnamon and mix to combine.
• In a large bowl, mash bananas and add oil and egg OR milk and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, until just combined. The batter should be thick, but if it’s dry, add a splash of milk.
• Gently incorporate the cranberries then divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling to top.
• Bake for 20-25 min, until a toothpick comes out clean and tops are golden brown – the time will depend on whether your cranberries were fresh or frozen.
• Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to cooling rack to cool completely. Store cooled muffins in a sealed container at room temp for up to 3 days or freeze.

Notes

• *For the oats, I like to do a 50/50 of quick cooking and old fashioned. If you can only do one, do quick cooking, 100% old fashioned will absorb all the moisture and result in a dry muffin. Never use instant oats in baking unless it’s specifically asked for.