Life, as of Late

After having my third child earlier this year, I was determined to prioritize my health and overall wellness by focusing on my diet and lifestyle, rather than the number on the scale. To achieve this, I decided to make small, sustainable changes in my day-to-day life, such as intentionally moving throughout the day with the help of my under-the-desk treadmill and incorporating more protein in my meals, including in my morning coffee!

It wasn’t long before the process of finding ways to “hack your food” by substituting a few ingredients to increase my daily protein intake became exciting. I quickly came to love the planning involved and discovered a world of recipes created specifically with this in mind. The problem I seemed to run into, though, was finding health, high-protein dessert options that I found appetizing. I’ve had a sweet-tooth my entire life, and I’m sorry, but sliced apples topped with Greek yogurt and cinnamon simply wasn’t going to cut it.

One of my favorite desserts to bake (especially with the help of my 2 and 3 year old) is banana chocolate chip muffins. I figured this would be a great recipe to “hack” for higher protein seeing as it already includes bananas. To increase the amount of protein further, I simply substituted all-purpose flour for oat flour, resulting in 4 grams of protein per muffin!

So, if you’re looking for a way to enjoy baked goods while still meeting your dietary goals, try this higher protein banana chocolate chip muffin recipe and you just might never go back! That’s what I love about discovering recipes like this – they taste just as good as the original, despite the substitutions, and all for the better!

Macros:

295 calories / 4 grams protein per serving (1 muffin)

Tips:

• You can adjust the macros to lower the calories by excluding the chocolate chips or lowering the sugar content from 1/2 C to 1/4 C.
• Achieve sweeter muffins without adding more sugar by using extra ripe bananas.
• Oat flour makes the consistency of these muffins a bit crumbly straight out of the oven, so I recommend using either muffin/cupcake liners or a silicone muffin tin for easy removal.
• Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter into your muffin pan to ensure even baking.

How To Make Your Own Oat Flour:

The great thing about oat flour is not only is it higher in protein, but it’s also so simple to make at home!

To make your own, you’ll simply want to blend up a few cups of rolled oats. They do need to be rolled oats, not steel-cut or quick oats.

Add 1 – 2 Cups of rolled oats to your blender and blend away for 15 – 20 seconds until they become a fine powder. Voila! You’ve got oat flour.

You’ll want to store it in an air-tight container in a dry and cool space. This should remain shelf-stable for 3 months in your pantry, or even the fridge. It can last up to 6 months in the freezer.

Higher Protein Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup Oat Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 Cup Mashed Bananas (2 – 3 ripe medium bananas)
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

1. Start by pre-heating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and mashing your 2-3 bananas in a shallow dish or plate.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well combined.
3. Add the chocolate chips to your dry mixture, ensuring that they’re thoroughly coated. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
4. Transfer your mashed bananas to a bowl and add the sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla. Wisk together until well combined.
5. Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
6. Line your muffin pan with cupcake or muffin liners. (optional)
7. Using an ice cream scooper, distribute your batter into the muffin pan.
8. Bake for 15 – 17 minutes.
9. Let cool for 10 minutes.
10. Serve and enjoy! 🙂