Author: Susanne at Dish With Me
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Jump to RecipeI have always loved banana bread, but I think I’m an even bigger fan of my Banana Nut Muffins. These muffins are soft and moist with the warmth of cinnamon in the background and are simply easier to eat, especially the mini muffin version. Yep, just pop them into your mouth.
There are always bananas in my house. I love them in my smoothies, OMGosh, so good. But, I don’t always keep up with them, which means that, eventually, I have some that we’ll just say are past their prime. Does this mean they should be thrown away? NO! Absolutely not! It means they are perfection for Banana Nut Muffins or bread. I love it when I’m frugal and not wasteful.
This muffin recipe is super easy and uses basic ingredients that many of us already have on hand. And, they turn out perfectly Every. Single. Time.
BANANA NUT MUFFINS
My recipe calls for half to a full cup of nuts. If you don’t like nuts, or cannot have them, simply leave them out. I love them and I go for a whole cup. Always. I alternate between walnuts and pecans each time I make them. Both are delicious with this recipe, but, if I had to pick one, I’d probably go with walnuts for this recipe. Lucky for me I do not have to choose. I don’t like choosing.
Test for doneness using the toothpick method. If a toothpick is poked into the middle of a muffin and it comes out clean, ta-da, they’re done. If the toothpick comes out, well, not clean, they are not yet done. Keep a close eye on them, though, as they will go from not done to burned very, very quickly.
If I were you, I would NOT use under-ripe bananas. Please don’t. You really MUST use over-ripe bananas. The yellow peel should no longer be yellow, but mostly black. The inside of the banana should be very mushy.
Baking times always vary from oven to oven. Some ovens are not properly calibrated and cook hotter or cooler than they should. That being said, bake times are always approximate. I always err on the side of setting my timer slightly under the time I think it will take, because I can always bake a little longer, but I cannot un-bake something that is over done. Yes, I absolutely know this from experience.
In the recipe I call for a 4 ounce container of cinnamon applesauce. I use the pre-packaged cups of applesauce, but you could also measure out half a cup from a larger container of applesauce.
I use a small spoon (from the silverware drawer) to fill the mini muffin cups and an ice cream scoop to fill regular size muffin cups.
Do not skip adding the applesauce…this helps make them moist.
Here is the mini muffin pans that I use and, also my Kitchenaid Hand Mixer. I, also, use a silicone mini muffin pan sometimes.
Please see notes on cooking times.
BANANA NUT MUFFINS
Ingredients
- 3 over-ripe bananas mashed
- 4 ounces cinnamon applesauce
- DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- WET INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 cup butter softened to room temp or slightly melted (about 20-30 seconds in microwave)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 – 1 cup walnuts or pecans chopped
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- Fill mini muffin tray cups with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a bowl, mash the bananas using a fork. Add the cinnamon applesauce to the mashed bananas. Mix well and set aside.
- In a bowl whisk the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars until light and a little fluffy. Start the mixer on low and blend, then, mix for one minute on high.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated. About 30 seconds.
- Add the mashed banana mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until well blended. About 30 seconds.
- Add 1/3 of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until blended. Do not overmix. Repeat this process 2 more times, using the remainder of the dry ingredients.
- Stir in the nuts, if using.
- Fill muffin cups approximately 3/4 full and bake for allotted time.
- Makes approximately 60 mini muffins.
