Confidence is Key: Recipe: One-Banana Banana Muffins

Getting great use out of my reusable cupcake liners!

Even though this recipe markets itself as a "one-banana" banana muffin recipe, I still made it with two bananas. I made this recipe because I had 1. two ripe bananas and 2. another can of condensed milk (read about the first recipe I made using that ingredient). I first found a recipe that fit this description, but in reading further, I would have had to bake the bananas until they were black. Who has time for that? This recipe from Sorted Food did not have that step, so I chose it instead.

In general, I don't think this recipe was a good one instructionally-speaking. I've made enough banana breads and muffins* to know the basic ingredients, but if I were new to baking, I wouldn't suggest this recipe. The ingredients are listed all out of order (as opposed to listing all the wet ingredients together, the dry ingredients together, the garnishes last, etc.). It also doesn't list preheating the oven as Step #1, which it clearly always should be (although I'll admit I don't start preheating the oven until I'm halfway through the directions, otherwise I feel like it's staying hot for too long for no reason). It also doesn't say to chop the nuts (can you imagine full walnuts in a muffin?), to soften/melt the butter (you can't put half a stick of butter from the fridge right into the batter!), or explain how 1/2 cup of sugar equals 1/2 cup of condensed milk (they are two very different consistencies. How does that work?).

But here we go:

Ingredients

¼ cup pecans / walnuts (optional)
1 egg
½ cup sugar / condensed milk
⅓ cup milk
1 ripe banana
¾ tsp baking powder
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp pumpkin spice OR cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp butter / oil

Directions

Step 1

SIFT/WHISK TOGETHER FLOUR, BAKING POWDER AND SODA, SALT, AND PUMPKIN SPICE/CINNAMON IN A BIG BOWL.

Step 2

IN ANOTHER BOWL, WHISK TOGETHER SOFTENED BUTTER/OIL, SUGAR/CONDENSED MILK, EGG, MILK, VANILLA.

Step 3

MASH BANANA WITH A FORK ON A SHEET OF PARCHMENT AND ADD INTO WET MIXTURE.

Step 4

COMBINE THE TWO MIXTURES WITH A WHISK OR RUBBER SPATULA.

Be careful not to over mix or the muffins will be tough.

Step 5

GENTLY FOLD IN PECANS OR WALNUTS IF APPLICABLE.

Step 6

SPOON AROUND A QUARTER CUP OF MIXTURE INTO LINED OR GREASED CUPCAKE TIN.

Step 7

FOR AN OPTIONAL CRUMB TOPPING...

... Mix a tbsp of melted butter with 2 tbsp flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tbsp oats, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over cupcakes.

Step 8

BAKE IN A PREHEATED 350°F OVEN FOR 15 MINUTES.

Or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 9

LET COOL. IF YOU WANT, DRIZZLE WITH GLAZE.

Mix together 3 tbsp powdered sugar to 1 tbsp milk.

I did double the recipe (I got 21 muffins), since I did have two bananas. But that didn't impact the final product; it just meant I got more muffins! I also only had 1/2 stick of butter, but since I was doubling the recipe, I added in four tablespoons of orange-infused olive oil (which I have used in brownies before. Delicious!). I did not mash the bananas on parchment paper (who does that?); I mashed them in the bowl and added in the other wet ingredients. And even though this called for only 1/2 cup of the condensed milk, I ended up using nearly the entire can. I didn't use my KitchenAid mixer in fear of overmixing, so I just used a handheld spatula for that. And clearly I did not bother with a crumb topping or a glaze. I left the muffins just as they are!

In the end, I did like these muffins. They have a soft texture, which is nice. And I do like the added crunch from the nuts. They are not as sweet as I might expect from a muffin, but not in a bad way. These were very easy and quick to make, so I appreciate that, too! These are worth a try!

*Read about the other banana baked goods I've made here (this list is even longer than I remembered!):

Confidence is Key

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Recipe: One-Banana Banana Muffins