Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

These sweet, nutty and nutritious Nutty Banana Muffins also have a surprising attribute. They’re full of walnuts and chia seeds, which are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of heart-healthy fat that has been shown to increase levels of serotonin ― a brain chemical linked to positive mood and well-being.

We recommend using whole-wheat pastry flour, which is fluffier and less coarse than regular whole-wheat flour.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup ground chia seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ginger
¾ cup 1% buttermilk
1 egg
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup white grape juice concentrate
1 packed cup mashed banana (3 small, very ripe bananas)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place paper muffin cups in a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. In a medium-size bowl, combine first nine ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, egg, canola oil, applesauce and white grape juice.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well.
5. Fold in the bananas and walnuts. Save a few walnut pieces to top the muffins.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan (2/3 full). Sprinkle on the reserved walnuts.
7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Nutritional information (per serving)

Makes 12 servings. Serving size = 1 muffin.

240 calories, 16 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 310 mg sodium, 23 g total carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar, 6 g protein