Wired Monkey Oat Flour Muffins

(Note: this post was originally published on March 11, 2019 and the photos were updated on January 7, 2021. The date above reflects migration to the new platform.)

The Story: A Smoothie Becomes a Muffin

Really, could anything be better than muffins made with peanut butter? What if those muffins also contained sweet banana, gooey chocolate, and a jolt of espresso?? Yes! Now we're talking. And to make these even more appealing, these beauties are made just by blasting everything in the blender. Life is good!

Oddly, these muffins are an homage to a smoothie. Is that a weird thing to say? One of our favorite coffee shops in the world, Java Kai on Kaua'i, has a "Wired Monkey" smoothie that's our absolute most favorite post-hike treat. It has coffee and bananas (hence the name), and we usually beg them to add a big blob of peanut butter into the mix.

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A Nourishing (and Easy!) Treat

There are numerous things that I love about these muffins from a nutritional standpoint. First, they're made with oat flour, which I absolutely adore. Second, they get all their fat and moisture from bananas and nuts (in the form of peanut butter), so they're free of added oil. And finally, they're minimally sweetened with just a bit of maple syrup. If you're trying to avoid refined sugars entirely, you could omit the chocolate chips and add some walnuts instead. They're vegan and flourless in the traditional sense, if you like labels.

These muffins are also absurdly easy. Just put all the ingredients in a blender and blast them. There's no fussing with multiple bowls, and this approach allows you to use whole oats rather than having to buy or pre-make oat flour.

We've really been loving these muffins as an easy on-the-go snack. Because they're protein-rich, have some complex carbs (thanks, oats!), and are non-sugary, they don't digest like a normal muffin. Rather, they're a really great and nourishing pick-me-up and the absolute best post-workout snack.

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Coffee INSIDE a Muffin??

At the risk of stating the obvious, coffee very clearly belongs in baked goods. I like to use espresso powder, but instant coffee would work too, if you can't get your hands on espresso powder. It's actually what gives these muffins their deep, rich color; there's no chocolate in the batter! The flavor is amazing and it wakes up all the other flavors (and wakes YOU up too!).

Looking for other coffee baked good inspiration? These Flourless Coffee Macadamia Blondies have espresso powder in them too! It's a truly delightful flavor, it pairs perfectly with chocolate, and it seems so fitting for a morning treat.

Of course, you can also pair one of these muffins with a cup of coffee. You know, just to be sure the day is off to the right sort of start...

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Let's Talk Ingredients

Here's what you'll need for this recipe, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

• Bananas. The riper the better! Make sure they're very soft, with ample brown spots.
• Milk. I like to bake with unsweetened soy milk because of its richness, but anything will work.
• Peanut butter. I use chunky just because that's what I always have on-hand, but either would be fine. A different nut butter would work okay here too, although I love the PB-banana combo.
• Maple syrup
• Apple cider vinegar. I promise this isn't as weird as it sounds! The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to give these vegan muffins loft.
• Vanilla
  
• Old-fashioned rolled oats. Steel-cut oats will not work!
• Espresso powder. This is made by King Arthur Flour and can be found in well-stocked cooking stores or ordered online from their website. It's one of my most beloved baking ingredients, and I highly recommend getting some and putting it in everything you bake. If you can't find it, instant coffee will also work, although the flavor won't be as strong so you might want to add more.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Chocolate chips. Vegan, if that's how you roll. I like a semi-sweet chocolate here, since there's already some bitterness in the coffee. If you opt for a really dark chocolate, you might consider adding a dash more maple syrup.

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Closing Thoughts

Pro tip: these make for an excellent dessert as well, especially if you warm them up first. We like them most with a big drizzle of chocolate-Kahlua sauce on top. But in the name of scientific research, we also experimented with a drizzle of peanut butter sauce. And regular chocolate sauce. And chocolate peanut butter sauce. Answer: all are divine. Oh, and if you cut them open to make a peanut butter sandwich, all of the above options are even better.

Seriously, how gorgeous are these? I hope you'll make them again and again and again. They're the best mixture of delicious, nutritious, and easy.

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Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.

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Suggested Pairings

Pineapple Express

Banana Bread Granola

Fruity Brunch Salad

Berry Banana Breakfast Popsicles

Strawberry Thyme Granola Parfait