Same Same But Different Banana Walnut Muffins

You might already have a go to Banana Walnut Muffin Recipe. It’s one of the easiest things to bake and the hardest to stuff up. However, there’s banana muffins and then there’s moist muffins that’s full of banana flavour , soft and fluffy with a hint of spices. They are wonderful warm and fresh from the oven, or if you’re feeling fancy with a bit of add ons. Best of all, it all comes together with just a few basic ingredients which you probably have in your pantry.

What you need for Basic Banana Muffins…

• Flour – I recommend using Self Raising flour for convenience. You can substitute this for plain flour with baking powder and baking soda added. For this recipe 1 1/2 cups plain flour plus 1 teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda. You can also use Wholemeal Flour or a combination of plain and whole meal, it’s up to you.
  
• Bananas – You need 3 very ripe large sized bananas. Ripe bananas are best for this muffins as they add to the moist-ness. Hard bananas = hard muffins. The batter has to be fairly sloppy.
  
• Butter – For flavour, nothing beats butter. Melt the butter in microwave and set aside to cool before adding to the banana mixture.
• Brown Sugar – Brown sugar is used here as it results in a a more moist muffins. It also provides the golden dark caramel colour and taste that complements bananas so well.
• Pantry Staples – olive or vegetable oil, vanilla,salt,cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. If you don’t have or don’t like cardamom or nutmeg you can skip it, no big deal, but it adds a bit of depth and so nice with bananas.
• Walnuts- This is optional but it adds a lovely nutty contrast in texture of the muffins

How to make it..

No mixer? No problem. Combine the wet ingredients with mashed bananas. Fold the flour, spices and chopped walnuts into the banana mix and bake as per directions. Easy as.

• Melt butter in the microwave and set aside to cool.
  
• Place the peeled whole bananas in a mixer bowl with paddle attachment. Add brown sugar,egg,spices,,salt, vegetable oil and cooled melted butter.
  
• Mix together on medium until well combined and the bananas are mashed about 2 minutes. Remove mixing bowl from mixer.
• Sift flour over the mixing bowl . Add walnuts if using and use a spatula to fold the flour to the banana mixture. Do not over mix.
• Place muffin liners into the holes of muffin baking tray. Fill with batter 2/3 full.
  
• Bake in a preheated 160°C oven for 25 minutes or until done. Rotate the tray halfway trough so muffins brown evenly. Cool muffins in the tray.

Posh it up…

The basic muffins are wonderful as they are, all it needs is a dusting of icing sugar. Nothing wrong with basic, however there’s always room for stellar muffins. The basic recipe allows for customisation. The great thing about this is, you can have as many variety as you want in one single bake, without too much fuss. I use bits of this and that , anything lurking in the pantry and the following are my favourites. If you know of any other great pairing, please drop me a line by commenting below.

• Peanut Butter and Jelly – Fill muffin liner with about 2 tablespoons of batter making sure bottom of the liner is covered. Place a dollop of jelly on top of the batter. Add more batter on top of the jelly 2/3 full. Bake as per directions. When muffin is cold, place a dollop of peanut butter on top and sprinkle with crushed nuts.
• Jam or Jelly – Top cooled muffins with a teaspoon of jam or jelly. Bling with strawberry or any red fruit.
  

• Chocolate – Fill muffin liners with batter 2/3 full. Add 1/2 teaspoon chopped chocolate on top (any chocolate will do, my favourite here is honeycomb) and bake as per direction.
  
• Caramel – I get Bonne Maman brand Caramel now and again and caramel goes so well with bananas. Bake the muffins as per directions. When cool, add a dollop of caramel or dulce de Leche on top of the muffins. Sprinkle with crushed nuts.

• Cream Cheese Icing – This is another great pairing but I only do this, when I have leftover cream cheese icing left over from a different bake. Otherwise it defeats the purpose of an “easy” bake.

Same Same But Different Banana Muffins

Recipe by acmowlai

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Desserts/Sweets

Servings

9

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Same Same but Different Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients

• 85g butter, melted and cooled

• 3 very ripe large sized bananas, peeled

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
  

• 1 egg

• 3 tablespoons light olive or vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder

• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional but nice to have)
  

• Add Ons,Optional

• Peanut Butter
  

• Jelly or Jam any flavour

• Chocolate pieces,any

• Caramel or Dulce de Leche

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180°C . Line muffin tray with muffin liners. This makes 9 regular sized muffins about 110g each or 12 minis.
• In a mixer with paddle attachment, place whole peeled bananas, brown sugar, egg, melted butter, vegetable oil and spices. Mix together on medium for about 2 minutes until well combined and bananas are mashed.
• Remove bowl from mixer. Sift flour and salt over the bowl. Add chopped walnuts. Use a spatula to fold flour into the banana mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
• Scoop batter into the muffin liners in the tray up to 2/3 full.
• Place muffins in the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes. Lower oven temp to 160°C and bake for another 20 minutes or until done. Rotate the baking tray halfway trough so the muffins are cooked evenly.
• Cool muffins in baking tray. Store covered in covered container room temperature.
• Chocolate Topped Muffins
• Fill muffin liners 2/3 full. Top with chopped chocolates. Bake as per directions above.
• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Place a scoop of batter to the muffin liner. Add a dollop of jam or jelly on top of the batter. Place more batter on top of the jelly up to 2/3 full.
  
• Bake as per directions. Top cooled muffin with a dollop peanut butter and crushed nuts.
• Caramel
• Place a scoop of batter in the muffin liner. Add a teaspoon of caramel on top of the batter. Add more batter to 2/3 full. Repeat for remaining muffins.
• Bake as per directions.
• Place a dollop of caramel on top of cooled muffins.

Notes

• Store muffins in covered container, room temperature. Will last for a few days.