Banana Oat (Chocolate?) Muffins

I don't create many recipes. Mostly I steal from recipe writers I like, and maybe do a tiny bit of tweaking. But these banana muffins are becoming extremely popular in our house, and this one is all (or at least almost all) mine. We have a batch cooling in the kitchen right now, and Jenna (who turned 8 last month) did every step herself. These are not complicated.

Oats and bananas are staples in our family: the kids have oatmeal every morning and we all eat at least one banana a day. Years ago, Judi and I would joke that we kept a small Ecuadorian banana farmer in business, but we've doubled our consumption since then. Perfecting this recipe hasn't helped.

I add the chocolate chips because the kids beg for them, but honestly I don't think the muffins need them. You won't be disappointed if you add them, and you won't be disappointed if you don't.

Ingredients

Dry Team

1 1/2 C flour (all-purpose or white whole wheat)
1/2 C sugar
1 T cinnamon
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Wet Team

1 C milk
1 C rolled oats
1 egg
1/3 C canola oil
1/2 t vanilla
1 banana, mashed

Mix-Ins

1 banana, chopped (I cut slices, then quarter the slices)
1/3 C chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small mixing bowl, add the milk and the oats. Yes, the oats are part of the wet team. By soaking them for a couple minutes first, they soften up in a way I could never get them to do otherwise.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry team.
3. In the small mixing bowl, combine the rest of the wet team.
4. Add wet to dry (Muffin Method!), stir and fold to combine.
5. Add mix-ins, stir and fold to combine.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.
7. Let cool briefly, then allow your family to consume almost all of the muffins in one sitting. Try to hold a couple out for school lunches.