Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Chia Muffins

Loaded with all the best breakfast ingredients, these light and fluffy oatmeal banana chocolate chip chia muffins are just as perfect for busy mornings on the go as they are for lazy Saturdays with a cup of coffee.

I’ve been in a bit of a morning breakfast funk lately. I’m the first to admit that I’m a real creature of habit and I often find myself noshing on nearly the same breakfast and lunch every day. Then I burn out on said breakfast or lunch, decide it’s boring and swear it off entirely for the foreseeable future. And the cycle goes on. But I never stray too far from my favorite core ingredients….bananas, oatmeal, and of course chocolate. Yes, chocolate for breakfast is more of a rule rather than an exception in our house. More than fine by me.

WHEN THE MONDAY BLUES HIT, MAKE MUFFINS

Feeling a hint of the Monday blues creeping up on Sunday afternoon, I decided to put the laundry and bills on hold and bake up some muffins for the week. Procrasti-baking is the real reason why at least 80% of my recipes exist…I bake when I’m supposed to be doing any number of other things. So I threw all of my favorite ingredients into a bowl with some flour and eggs and hello moist, delicious muffins worth getting out of bed for! It’s a rare occasion that a recipe works perfectly for me on the first try, but I wouldn’t change a single thing about these oatmeal banana chocolate chip chia muffins. They are peeerrrfect!!

I’ve been happily eating these golden brown goodies all week long with no sign of breakfast burnout. They are chunky and fluffy on the inside with a light, crumbly texture from the added greek yogurt. Make them with or without chocolate chips. Or make them with extra chocolate chips like I do {hehe}. The chia seeds are optional too, but I like that they sway this muffin into the healthy-ish category. And let’s take a sec to appreciate those perfectly domed tops, shall we? I’ve got all the tips you need right here to guarantee muffin top success. Skip ahead to the recipe if you wish. Or, if you like to nerd out on muffin top strategy like I do, keep reading.

HOW TO BAKE PERFECTLY DOMED MUFFINS EVERY TIME

Believe it or not, there is actually a specific method to follow when baking muffins to guarantee those lovely domed tops. It doesn’t just happen by accident. Okay, maybe sometimes. But these five tips should up your odds of baking perfect muffins every.single.time. 

1. Don’t beat your batter. Just don’t. It never ends well. Instead, mix your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon until barely combined. A few white streaks of flour should still be visible.
2. Let your batter chill.  I know, I know. It’s like cookie dough all over again. But it’s worth the wait, promise. Resting the batter allows the starches in the flour to absorb the liquid. This results in a thicker, more substantial muffin and one with fewer air bubbles since the glutens are relaxed before baking. Rest the dough covered at room temperature for one hour. Or, if resting overnight, cover and place in the refrigerator.
3. Cookie scoops are for muffins too. Ideally, use a 1/3 cup cookie scoop to portion the batter into the muffin pan cavities. Fill the muffin liners 3/4 of the way full for best results. Do not flatten or level the batter.
4. Crank up the heat! Once your muffin pan is ready for the oven, place the pan on the center rack of a preheated 425 degree oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees and close the oven door. The blast of high heat activates the leaveners in your batter and  lifts the batter, creating those beautifully domed muffin tops. Works like a charm every time!
5. No peaking. This one is tough because who can resist a sneak peak at warm, delicious muffins baking in the oven. I’m guilty of breaking this rule more often than not. For perfect and evenly baked muffins, leave the oven closed until the baking cycle is complete. You can ooh and ahhh at those gorgeous muffin tops soon enough.

If you read this far, you deserve a muffin! These oatmeal banana chocolate chip chia muffins are best served warm from the oven. They freeze beautifully too so definitely double the recipe and stash some away for a rainy day. Just heat them up slightly once defrosted. If you make these muffins, or any other recipe from the blog, be sure to tag @brownedbutterblondie on Instagram. I love to see with you’re baking up in your kitchen. Click here to follow along on Pinterest for all the latest recipe details straight from the blog.
Happy Baking!

If you like these oatmeal banana chocolate chip chia muffins, you may also like:
Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Muffins
Glazed Coffee Cake Muffins
Double Chocolate Espresso Muffins