Banana Berry Oatmeal Cups

To say that I'm obsessed with oatmeal might be an understatement. I eat oatmeal, in one way, shape, or form, at least once a day. I'm always looking for new, fun ways to incorporate oatmeal into every day recipes, or different ways to prepare standard stove-top oatmeal. In my attempts to use oatmeal in new ways, I recently tried these Berry Oatmeal Cups from GreenLiteBites. This recipe is described as a "great breakfast idea, especially when you are on the run." How perfect since I was traveling the next day and didn't want to worry about making breakfast, or any snacks for the road.

Oatmeal Cups from GreenLiteBites

After making a few small changes to the original recipe, I was ready to try these oatmeal cups. Not only are all of the ingredients always stocked in my pantry and refrigerator, but they are also nutritious. Also, the prep time was a total of 10 minutes (five of those minutes were spent allowing the oatmeal to soak up all of the yummy goodness of the other ingredients). Easy peasy. 

The end result was a dense muffin (a lot like baked oatmeal) with a healthy vibe. The bananas and berries provide a good balance of flavor and sweetness, while the oatmeal supplies plenty of fiber to keep you full. The first time I made these I eliminated the sugar. While I do not normally add sugar to my stove-top prepared oatmeal, I couldn't help but feel that I wanted these to be a bit sweeter. Others, however, loved them just fine without the sugar. So you could go either way.  

Banana Berry Oatmeal Cups
(makes 15 muffins)

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3 cups quick oats
2 cups frozen mixed berries
optional: 1/4 cup truvia or other sugar substitute

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line standard muffin tin with FOIL* cups (or spray generously with cooking spray). Mix all ingredients except frozen berries together; let sit for 5 minutes. Fold frozen berries into batter. Fill each muffin cup with batter, filling nearly to the top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until muffins are set and just starting to brown. Cool on wire wrack. Store in airtight container for 2-3 days.

Nutritional Information (without sugar):
15 muffins
Per muffin:
Calories: 105
Fat: 1.5g
Fiber: 2.5g

Pros: 
-Very easy to make
-Nutritious
-Filling
-Versatile (add different berries, fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, or whatever your heart desires!)

Cons:
-Only kept for 3 days (high moisture in the bananas led to spoiling on the third day)
-*Muffins stuck to paper cups

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5