CARAMELIZED BANANA MUFFINS
Caramelizing banana brings out its delicious natural sweetness in these irresistible banana muffins. It’s a simple trick that allows you to drop the sugar by 50% compared to a typical banana muffin. As with most low sugar baked goods, these muffins required a lot of experimenting to get to the perfect flavor and texture.
I learned two key things while developing this recipe. First, adding butter to the maple and bananas as they caramelize allows them to become one warm ingredient, and also serves to smooth out the bananas a bit, creating a more cohesive batter and ultimately a better crumb. With a banana muffin, it’s all about the perfect crumb! Second, without paper liners in the muffin tin there can be more of a steaming effect, leading to a moister product (in this case, not in a good way), so lining the muffin tins with paper liners works better here.
CARAMELIZED BANANA MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 over ripe medium bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter (cut into tablespoon size pieces)
1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
1 egg plus 1 yolk, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. Combine the mashed banana with the maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until slightly darkened and caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Add butter and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until melted and fully incorporated, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to large bowl and let cool completely, 15 minutes.
4. Add the yogurt, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the cooled banana mixture and whisk vigorously to combine.
5. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir gently to combine. Avoid over mixing. The batter will be thick.
6. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 23-27 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a baking rack to cool completely. Muffins will keep tightly wrapped in your refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, and in your freezer for up to a month.
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 over ripe medium bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup coconut oil or unsalted butter (cut into tablespoon size pieces)
- ½ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1 egg plus 1 yolk, beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts, optional
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Combine the mashed banana with the maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until slightly darkened and caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Add butter and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until melted and fully incorporated, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to large bowl and let cool completely, 15 minutes.
- Add the yogurt, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the cooled banana mixture and whisk vigorously to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir gently to combine. Avoid over mixing. The batter will be thick.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 23-27 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a baking rack to cool completely. Muffins will keep tightly wrapped in your refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, and in your freezer for up to a month.
