When Patrick and I got back from our holiday travels we did some grocery shopping. Poor Patrick got stuck with me as we hopped from one store to the other. I put together a meal plan for a little over a week, and since we left the fridge fairly bare before we left for our trips, we needed to restock! After I made the list I divided into where we could get the best bang for our buck and off we set for Costco, Trader Joe's, and then Harris Teeter. At Costco we purchased produce items that we would use frequently in our upcoming meals (onions, bananas, avocados, and mushrooms to name a few things), next we went across the street to Trader Joe's for a few staples that are consistently priced better here (pasta and cheese mainly), then we finished everything else at Harris Teeter!
We got bananas in bulk at Costco in preparation of smoothie making. We ate a few fresh as afternoon snacks and then two bananas were left hanging through the week. Finally I decided it was time for these over ripening bananas to be in some banana muffins. Even though Patrick doesn't like banana bread I made this with the intention of freezing them and having muffins whenever I would want one. But I think he liked them!
I wanted something a little healthier than the last banana muffins we made so I did some googling and found a Betty Crocker recipe to loosely follow. The recipe calls for a cinnamon topping with melted butter but I omitted that. I also subbed in some whole wheat flour and replaced the oil with apple sauce! As an added flavor bonus I swirled in some molasses.
Banana Muffins adapted from Betty Crocker
Ingredients
Muffins
2/3 cup sugar* subbed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil* subbed apple sauce
2 eggs
2/3 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 small)
1 teaspoon vanilla
*added 2 teaspoons molasses
1 2/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour* used 1 cup all-purpose and 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Topping* omitted the topping
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
*How I made the recipe follows the original below
Directions
Heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottoms only of 12 regular-size muffin cups with shortening or spray, or line with paper baking cups.
In medium bowl, beat 2/3 cup sugar, the oil and eggs with wire whisk. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in remaining muffin ingredients just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
Bake 17 to 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan to cooling rack.
In small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Dip muffin tops into melted butter, then into cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.
Here's what I did!
Combine wet ingredients
2/3 cups brown sugar, 1/2 cup apple sauce, 2 eggs
Mash together 2 ripe bananas with 1 tsp vanilla and 2 tsp molasses
Add to wet ingredients
Combine dry ingredients
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Add dry ingredients to wet in increments; do not overmix
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake in a preheated 375F oven for ~18 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Enjoy muffins! I think the molasses really takes them over the edge.
To ensure that Patrick would like them, I served one warmed for dessert with ice cream.
Do you have a favorite banana muffin / bread recipe?
Have the perfect over ripe bananas just waiting for this recipe. Plan to make today!
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