My husband is running the Oxford half marathon this Sunday so between clients and lectures I’ve been perfecting my recipe for banana and nut energy muffins!
This is loosely based on a recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, but I’ve added lots of extra slow release energy in the form of bananas, nuts, oats, oatmeal and using wholemeal flour to keep you going for longer. I first tried these out on some friends about a month ago when we did the Vitruvian triathlon in Lincolnshire, and since we all managed to finish one way or another, I reckon they must have enough energy for the half marathon!
They really are super easy to make and take about 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook. You also don’t need any fancy baking equipment – just a couple of bowls, pestle and mortar and muffin cases. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, you can crush the nuts between two spoons.
Makes about 6 – 10 muffins (depending on the size of your muffin cases!):
- 2 bananas mushed up
- Small handful of pumpkin seeds
- 4 brazil nuts
- Small handful of almonds
- Small handful of macadamia nuts
- 100g porridge oats
- 100g oatmeal
- 100g wholemeal flour
- Drizzle of honey if you wish
- 100g sugar (I use brown sugar but caster works too)
- 75g melted butter
- Pinch of sea salt
- 125g plain yoghurt (I use low fat but choose your favourite)
- 125ml milk (I use skimmed but choose your favourite)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Sprinkle of cinammon if you wish
Bash up the nuts with a pestle and mortar and mush up the bananas with a spoon.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, oats, oatmeal, salt, sugar and baking powder lightly together.
In another bowl mix the eggs, yoghurt, milk and melted butter together gently and then add to the dry ingredients, along with the mushed banana, pumpkin seeds and bashed nuts. If you want to add in a spoonful or two of honey, add that now (I tend not to as the sweetness of the bananas and sugar is enough but adjust to your taste).
Mix everything together gently so it is just about combined, being careful not to overmix. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake at 180 degrees for about half an hour until they’re golden brown on top.
Eat warm on their own or dipped into some natural yoghurt or smoothie. Now, this energy booster breakfast should have you finishing the half marathon in record time too! Let me know what you think – email me or get in touch on Facebook.