School is here and that means hungry kids at the end of the day that are looking for snacks and moms quickly running out of ideas for what to give them! My kids have wicked sweet tooths, like most kids, so convincing them that cookies are NOT a good choice for a snack can be a difficult battle at times. That’s why I love making muffins, since they are 1) portable and travel well in a lunch box and 2) can be made in a healthy way with just a small amount of sugar to satisfy them and my desire to fill them up with yummy wholesome goodness.
When I am looking to make a healthier muffin, I reach for the California Raisins instead of the chocolate chips. California raisins are an all-natural, dried by the sun fruit that is naturally sweet and simple with ONE ingredient: raisins! They are portable and easy to pack for snacks in lunch boxes or great to add to other dishes that need a little boost from nature. They have zero fat, no cholesterol and no added sugar. Plus, raisins offer 9% of your daily fiber and potassium, and 6% of your daily iron- and what’s better than that!
One of my peas just loves raisins on their own and will eat them up all day long, but the other two don’t like to munch on them solo, which is why when I saw that I had two bananas that needed to be eaten ASAP, that I would take them, some whole wheat flour, a little brown sugar and some California Raisins and with a few more ingredients, whip up some delicious and nutritious muffins than can be eaten after school during the day! These muffins were simple to make and are super yummy, here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- For the Topping:
- ¼ cup rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick cooking)
- ⅛ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- For the Muffins:
- 2 whole, ripe bananas
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup California raisins
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray the muffin pan with non-stick spray.
- For the Topping:
- In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup oats, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, brown sugar, and melted butter; set aside.
- For the Muffins:
- Mash bananas in a medium bowl or puree in a food processor. Beat in egg and milk. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, oats, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Stir just to combine (batter should be lumpy). Stir in the raisins by hand.
- Pour batter among the muffin pan and sprinkle each with the topping. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-19 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
So the next time your kids are reaching for the cookies, hand them one of these muffins instead! They are natural sweet and have a delicious crunch on top and the plump California Raisins inside add a nice chunky feel. These are the perfect size for lunch boxes too- so make extra to send as snack!
YUM!
Want to learn more about the nutritional benefits of California Raisins? Check them out online and on Facebook where you can sign up to receive a California prize pack (limited supply, for a short time only).
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
We are a muffin family too. In fact, my daughter eats them most mornings. I make them once a week, freeze them, and then heat them up in the morning. It works really well with our schedule. I find picky eaters like raisins in things as well, even if they don’t them alone. They almost “melt” and give a very nice level of sweetness!
I agree! They hold up well in a muffin- my “non raisin” lovers have been eating these as well 😉