Loaded Banana Oat Muffins

These muffins are L-O-A-D-E-D.  Banana Oat muffins with browned butter, walnuts, milk chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips, and an oat crumb topping.  Yep, they tasted just as amazing as they sound.  Light and moist, not too sweet (but sweet enough).  They are appropriately muffin-y, not like some banana muffins that just taste like banana bread in a muffin cup.  Delicious.

Banana Oat Muffins (makes 12 muffins)      

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Grease or line a muffin tin with paper liners.  Preheat oven to 375.
2. Brown the butter (you could just melt it if you don’t want to take the extra step to brown it).  This can be done on the stove or in the microwave.  To use the stove, just heat over medium heat until fizzing and cracking stops, the butter turns brown and has a nutty aroma.  In the microwave, microwave high for a minute, then stir, then continue to microwave at 20-30 second intervals and stir, until the same (should take about 5 minutes).
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and oats with a whisk.
4. In a separate bowl, add mashed banana, sugar, egg, and brown butter and mix (you can use a beater, but a wooden spoon works just as well).
5. Add the dry and wet ingredients together and mix until just combined (don’t over-mix), then fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.
6. Spoon batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with crumb topping.
7. Bake for 18 minutes.

Oat Crumb Topping (for 12 muffins)

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp cold butter
• 2 Tbsp old fashioned oats

1. Mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
2. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly.
3. Add oats and combine.