Coconut Banana Whole Wheat Muffins

As promised, here is a nice healthy breakfast or snack muffin recipe. This recipe uses coconut oil and it gives them a wonderful, light coconut flavor. The whole wheat pastry flour gives the muffins a slightly nutty taste without feeling bitter or heavy. After throwing in some bananas and shredded coconut, among other things, you will have these tender and flavorful muffins on the table in no time!

Coconut oil is one of my most favorite ingredients lately. It adds incredible flavor and texture to baked goods. I usually buy it from Vitacost, but I know a lot of people prefer to purchase coconut oil from Tropical Traditions. The oil has some fantastic health benefits, I use mine to do daily oil pulling and to make my own lotions, soaps, creams and lip balms. It's very handy to have around the house to apply to chapped lips, burns and scrapes. We love the stuff and it's tasty too! Add a small scoop to a smoothie or your morning oats and enjoy the good fats all day long. I could go on and on about coconut oil and my experiences with it, but I'll spare you that for now and get on to the recipe.

Coconut Banana Whole Wheat Muffins
recipe found on PBS

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 mashed bananas
• 2 cups milled soft wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup nuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin tin by spraying the cups with nonstick spray or lining with muffins papers. In a bowl cream together the coconut oil and brown sugar. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas; mix well. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, coconut and nuts into the wet ingredients stirring until just moistened. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 cup full and top with a little extra shredded coconut if desired. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

As an added bonus, we took a chance and tried these out in my daughter's Easy Bake Oven. They bake up splendidly! I wasn't looking forward to paying good money for all of those little mixes for her to bake up and I'm so pleased that I can give her a little batter from whatever I'm making and she can bake along with me. To boot, these are whole foods! What a nice little surprise to find out :) Here is the picture of her finished muffin tops, she was very proud of them and insisted that I take a picture of them. 

So much tastier than the mixes you can buy!