Grab and Go Oat Muffies

LOVE to experiment with toppings!

On a money saving kick and needing to find cheap, yummy, healthy, and quick morning snacks, I hit Pinterest hard until I found pictures and recipes that inspired me to kick it full gear in the kitchen. Cheap, yummy, healthy, and quick-- now that's a tall order to fill.  I found solace in two blogs KatieGrauke.com and Sugar-Free Mom. I took ideas from both recipes, and raided my stocked pantry and refrigerator for a few extra ingredients. The whole purpose of these muffies focused on using what we already had in our fridge/ pantry... hence no extra money spending! I encourage you to take the "Everything but the Kitchen Sink Challenge" as well :)

I LOVE that these oat muffies can be personalized with many different toppings, but what I love MORE than the toppings is that they can also double as lactation support muffins! Oats, dried fruit, flax, brewer's yeast... all of these boost milk supply!

Blueberry!

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cup homemade applesauce (sugar-free mom calls for 2   cups-- all I had left of Doodle Bug's applesauce was 1 1/4 cup)

• 1 mashed banana

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (husband is allergic to artificial sweeteners/ substitutes)

• 1/4 white sugar

• 2 Tablespoons softened butter

• 2 3/4 cups milk

• 5 cups oats

• 1/4 cup flax seed meal (we use the golden)

• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

• 1 1/4 teaspoon All Spice

• 2 Tablespoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 Tablespoon Brewer's Yeast

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment), cream butter and white and brown sugar.
3. Add eggs (one at a time), beat well after each egg
4. Add vanilla, mashed banana, and applesauce and mix together
5. In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, brewer's yeast, flax, cinnamon, all spice, salt, and baking powder.
6. Turn mixer on lowest speed and scoop (I use one of Doodle Bug's little cups) oat mixture into wet mixture. Mix only until all ingredients are incorporated. 
7. Pour milk into mixture and stir to combine.
8. Spray muffin tins and fill 3/4 full (I use a large cookie scoop).
9. Add toppings as desired and bake for 30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Yield: 30-31 muffins 

Toppings I used:

For Doodle Bug and mom:

1. (16) I added frozen blueberries and dried cranberries to the mixture 
2. (6) For a few of the muffins I added frozen blueberries and raspberries

For husband:

1. (3) Dark chocolate, walnut, and coconut (left over from German Chocolate Cake) 
2. (3) Dark Chocolate chunks on top with dried cranberries in the mixture
3. (3) Peanut butter chips and walnuts added to the top 

TIP: When making these again I would use muffin liners- In the spirit of the challenge I didn't go buy them today, but next time I will-- would just make them easier to store/ freeze.