Recipe: Banana Crunch Muffins

Banana Crunch Muffins have lots of banana flavour with subtle crunch from the added granola.  This is a nice comination of flavours.  Our MOMS Club delivers meals to members who've just had a baby or are in need.  This week I delivered a breakfast tray to one of our moms.

The night before I made the muffins, I made some of Martha Stewart's Maple Granola.  I make this every week because we love it.  The next morning I made these easy Banana Crunch Muffins and added the granola.  I also cut-up a tray of fresh fruit and put some of the granola in a jar. 

I wanted to deliver an easy meal so the mom, husband and their toddler could nibble on it throughout the day.  With a new baby in the house, quick, easy, and healthful food is always a treat.

BANANA CRUNCH MUFFINS

from The Barefoot Contessa

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)
1 cup small-diced walnuts
1 cup granola
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Dried banana chips, granola, or shredded coconut, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners (I used non-stick spray instead).

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend.

Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well. Don’t overmix.

Fold the diced bananas, walnuts, granola, and coconut into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Top each muffin with dried banana chips, granola  (this was my topping), or coconut, if desired.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly (actually cool alot or the tops of the muffins will seperate from the bottoms when you flip the tray over - lesson learned), remove from the pan, and serve.

Printable Recipe
 
Enjoy!


from the book "Wind Song"
by Carl Sandburg
1960 Curtis Publishing Company