Banana, Blueberry & Walnut Whole Wheat Muffins

Whoa, holy pink!  Don't panic, you've reached the right blog, and I didn't spill any Pepto on my keyboard.  I just figured, new year, new design.  I was never in love with the blog template I had before.  I was messing around this morning and came across this explosion of pink.  It might be a bit much, but hey, I love pink, it's one of my favorite colors, and its my blog, so pink it is.  At least for a while...

But on to the point of this particular blog post-  On the weekends I love to make breakfast.  During the week it's all about oatmeal or maybe, if I wake up early enough, a scrambled egg.  But come Saturday and Sunday I like to start the day in the kitchen, whipping up omelets or frittatas, pancakes or waffles.  This morning it was cold & foggy, so getting the oven going seemed like a really good idea.  I had some bananas that were pretty brown, and some leftover blueberries that I got at the produce stand earlier in the week, so I decided that some muffins would be good.  Plus, there would be enough left over that I could send them out the door with my husband this coming week, so he could have a handy breakfast on the go.

These muffins are sweetened with Maple Syrup and have a nice fiber kick since they are made with rolled oats & whole wheat flour.  They are a snap to make too.  The batter comes together in no time, and after 25 minutes in the oven you have fresh, delicious muffins ready to be enjoyed.

Banana Blueberry & Walnut Whole Wheat Muffins
3 to 4 cups of ripe bananas, mashed well
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup walnut pieces

1. Mix Wet Ingredients.  In a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, Beat together the mashed bananas, the maple syrup, the melter butter, the oil & the vanilla for 2 minutes on medium speed.  Add in the egg & continue mixing until the egg is well incorporated.
2. Add in the Dry Ingredients.  With the mixer on low add in the baking soda, baking powder, salt & cinnamon.  Mix for a minute or two until well incorporated.  Add in the oats and keep mixing until well incorporated.  Add in the flour, a cup at a time, until just blended in.
3. Fold in the Blueberries & Walnuts.  Gently fold the blueberries & walnuts into the batter.  Be careful not to break the blueberries when you fold them in or you will end up with blue muffins.  Once the batter is done, let it sit for about 20 minutes.
4. Bake the Muffins.  Line a muffin tray with paper cups and scoop the batter into the cups.  Go ahead and fill the muffin cups up to the top.  These muffins are pretty dense and won't rise very much.  Bake the muffins on a middle rack  in an oven that has been pre-heated to 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
5. Serve!  These are awesome warm from the oven, but just as good at room temperature.

Bon Apetit!