Mini Banana Muffins

Finally. We stop devouring bananas long enough to have three bananas go brown. Seriously, my family consumes a fantastic amount of bananas, at least a good couple bunches a week. Rarely do we have brown bananas. For eating, I prefer the beautifully rich yellow ones that still have green ends. Then when I peel it open, there is no sign of bruising on the pale creamy flesh, which still resists a little before yielding. Just a hint of tartness before the sweetness settles in. Yes, I can be picky like that, but I would take a sub-par banana anyway. 😉

So I’ve got these three large squishy, sorry looking fruits sitting on the dinner table. Time to make muffins.

Mini ones are just so darn cute. It’s impossible to eat just one. I stopped looking up banana bread recipes a long time ago. These days I just use what I have and make it up along the way. They always come out differently, just like my chocolate chip cookies.

This particular batch packs a powerful banana punch and is super moist. For banana bread lovers!

Super Banana Muffins, Mini-ed
makes 24 mini muffins plus 6 regular ones

3 large bananas, mashed to make about 1 1/2 cups
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. oil
1/4 c. whole milk
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4. tsp. salt

1. Mash the bananas in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar.
2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients until smooth, take care not to over mix.
3. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray and fill with batter. Spoon the rest of the batter into sprayed regular muffin tins.
4. Bake in a preheat oven at 350 degrees. 20 minutes for mini muffins, 25-30 for regular muffins.

Banana Chocolate Muffins

It seems that my sister’s stomach flu has found its way to me. I feel just a bit sickly, no where near as sick as she was, but unwell. But let’s not talk about my health, let’s talk about banana bread.

Most of you have probably made banana bread some time in your baking career, maybe multiple times. Maybe you’re obsessed with it. Just like me. There’s always a better loaf out there. I just haven’t found it yet. That’s when I’m not making them. After I’ve made a load, however, I always claim that THIS is the best, and then I continue my search for another, better one. What kind of banana bread do you like? Dense or fluffy? Nuts or no nuts?

Let’s just say I take on banana bread in all shapes and forms.

These ones are a bit different. They have a bit of chocolate flavour in them, not enough to overpower that banana flavour, but enough to…I don’t know, perk them up a bit? These contain sour cream, which puts them in the light and fluffy category. You could also just as easily bake this in a loaf pan, just adjust the time accordingly.

And these don’t contain much fat, all the more reason to try yet another banana bread recipe. 🙂 Perfect for breakfast.

Banana Chocolate Muffins
(makes 12 large muffins)

2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup chocolate chips, or 3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed bananas, about two
2/3 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. milk
Chocolate chips to sprinkle on top
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, the secret to high dome muffins is to fill the pan full and bake on high heat for the first ten minutes or so. Combine the first four ingredients together and stir well.
In a separate bowl over simmering water, melt the chocolate with oil, and let cool slightly. Add sugar, sour cream, milk, eggs, bananas, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stir until combined. Take care not to over stir. Spoon into muffins pans lined with paper liners and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
Have with some milk, or coffee. Enjoy! 😀

Carolyn ❤