Monday, January 16, 2012

Heavenly Whole Wheat Banana Muffins


It's a darn good thing I made a double batch! That's all I have to say.
All instructions following, however are for a single batch, which makes 24 muffins.

When you have a pile of bananas on your counter that are starting to look like this...

...then you know it's time for the Heavenly Whole Wheat Banana Muffins.

Whether or not you add chocolate chips will depend on whether or not you are in the throes of a chocolate craving that must be satisfied or not... last two months of pregnancy... I need no more excuse.

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.

It's a matter of texture preference how you mash your bananas, but I find I prefer banana muffins with the flavor, but without the large chunks of banana in the middle. You can mash with a fork, mix with a hand mixer, or like me, purée to a smoothie in your blender.

However pleases you, just squish up four overripe bananas.


Next I melt a stick (1/2 C) of butter so it can be cooling.


Next I add all wet ingredients first, and then dry ingredients after into my mixer or mixing bowl.

Wet ingredients:
banana purée
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C applesauce or other fruit purée
1/2 C melted butter
2 eggs

Dry ingredients:
1 C brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 C whole wheat flour

I was out of brown sugar, so instead I added 3/4 C white sugar and 1 1/2 Tbsp molasses.


I used fresh ground wheat flour, a combination of hard white and hard red.


The applesauce I added was an attempt to reduce the oil in this recipe. You could attempt to replace more of the butter with applesauce, at a 1:1 ratio. I wasn't feeling that brave, today.


At the last minute, I folded in 1 C chocolate chips, but you could put in chopped nuts or raisins or nothing if you prefer. Just mix as little as possible to combine all ingredients and remove any major lumps.

You can choose to grease your muffin tins, but I prefer the cupcake papers, since they are so much tidier. Try not to overfill. I found one heaping soup spoon to be the perfect amount of batter per muffin.


Place in the center of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a fork or toothpick comes away clean. Mine were perfect after 18 minutes.

And I do mean perfect.



Cut-And Paste Recipe:

Heavenly Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

4 overripe mashed bananas
1/2 C melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 C applesauce
1 C brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 C chocolate chips / chopped nuts / raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare two muffin pans (24 muffins) by greasing, spraying, or adding cupcake papers. Mash bananas. Melt and cool butter. Combine all wet ingredients in mixing bowl. Add all dry ingredients one at a time. Mix to combine with no major lumps. Fold in chocolate chips or nuts. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes until fork or toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. Oh you are GOOD to be in the thick of pregnancy and restrict yourself to just one cup of chocolate chips in your muffins! My cravings find it laughable even. ;) I just take the bag and start dumping... and then when it looks like there is an even ratio of batter to chocolate chips, I call it done. LOL

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  2. Ha ha... Well, Jenn... I made a double batch, and put the whole bag in. A bag is two cups, right? They were plenty chocolaty, and I have been eating them in abundance. I keep telling myself they're whole grain... and therefore healthy for me.

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