Roy’s Light Strawberry-Banana Oat Muffins

12 muffins          2 Better Balance Bites / 1 WW Point

Calories 122       Fat 1.7g   Sat. Fat 0.4g   Protein 4.4g   Carbs 30.6g   Fiber 2.3g   Sugars 4.5g

Ingredients

· Cooking spray

· 1 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats (see notes)

· 1 cup flour

· 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

· 3/4 tsp baking soda

· 1/2 tsp salt

· 1 cup mashed banana (see notes)

· 2 eggs, room temperature

· 1/2 cup sugar replacement

· 1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, room temperature

· 1/3 cup almond milk, room temperature

· 1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar (see notes)

· 2 tsp vanilla extract

· 1 tsp strawberry extract (see notes)

· 1 1/2 cups diced strawberries, divided (see notes)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray OR place cupcake liners into each cup and spray their insides with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the banana and eggs. Once well combined, whisk in the sugar replacement, then whisk in the Greek yogurt, almond milk, vinegar, and both extracts until well combined.

4. Stir the oat/flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Once almost completely incorporated, stir in 1 1/4 cups of the diced strawberries. Set aside to rest for 7-10 minutes.

5. Divide the batter into the cups of the prepared muffin tin, about 1/3 cup each. Divide the remaining 1/4 cup of diced strawberries on top of each, gently pressing them into the batter.

6. Bake 22-26 minutes, until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins in the middle of the pan comes out clean. (Testing a muffin in the middle helps assure they are all done as those on the edges may get more heat.)

7. Cool in the pan 10 minutes before carefully turning the muffins out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

· Quick-cooking oats are NOT the instant oats in the packets. They come in a container like old-fashioned oats.

· If you only have old-fashioned oats, measure out the same amount and pulse it briefly in a food processor or blender. You want little pieces of oats to remain, not oat flour.

· It will take 2-3 medium bananas to make 1 cup of mashed banana.

· You can change up the flavor of these muffins by swapping out the bananas for either unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree.

· The vinegar may seem an odd addition, but it reacts with the baking powder and baking soda to help the muffins rise and create a tender texture. Don’t skip it! You can’t taste it!

·  If you don’t have or can’t find distilled white vinegar, try to find another mild vinegar or use lemon juice instead.

· If you can’t find strawberry extract, bump the vanilla up to 1 tablespoon, but the strawberry flavor will not be as strong.

· Diced strawberries should be about the size of blueberries.

· If you don’t care much about the presentation, you can add all the strawberries into the batter.

· Feel free to swap out the strawberries for other fruits, but they must be diced. Blueberries can be added whole.

· Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be frozen for up to 4 months.