Servings: 26 muffins
Start to finish: 40 minutes
1/2 cup (gently packed) pitted dates
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or other oil or butter)
2 medium bananas, ripe, roughly chopped
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups rolled oats (gluten-free, if making gluten-free)
3/4 cup almond flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the wet ingredients: Place the dates in a small bowl and pour 1/2 cup boiling water on them and let them sit for 5 minutes to soften.
Once soft, pour off the excess water (do not drain; leave them very wet), and use a fork to smash the dates gently into a loose paste. In a stand mixer using the whisk attachment (or hand mixer), mix the date paste, coconut oil and bananas on medium high speed until soft and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one, and add the vanilla. Prepare the dry ingredients: Place the oats in a dry blender or food processor and pulse until oats become a coarse powder.
Pour into a bowl and add almond flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and salt and whisk to mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients half at a time, mixing after each addition. If the dough becomes too thick for the whisk attachment, fold in using a rubber spatula.
Use a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon to scoop dough into a mini-muffin pan fitted with paper liners.
Bake until muffins spring back to the touch, about 17-20 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving: 68 calories; 30 calories from fat; 3 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 17 mg cholesterol; 55 mg sodium; 8 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 2 g protein.
Melissa d’Arabian, Associated Press
