I grew up making Stephanie Alexander’s basic muffin recipe – which is completely fail-safe, super super quick and produces the most lovely fluffy muffins. This recipe is a little different, but follows the same principals (e.g. using oil), but substitutes in some slightly healthier ingredients. I like to balance those healthy ingredients by eating the hot muffins with beautiful fresh organic butter.
The key to making good banana muffins / cake / bread / anything is to ensure you have really ripe bananas. They should be so ripe you wouldn’t want to eat them raw – getting pretty squishy, brown etc. Interestingly, brown bananas have a higher level of antioxidants than yellow or green, unripe bananas. They’re also easier to digest for people with digestive ailments. I have a great recipe for banana bread here.
In brown bananas, the resistant starch has almost completely transformed into simple sugars which means they are the perfect natural sweetener for this recipe. The maple syrup supplements this and adds a lovely caramel undertone.
If you wanted this recipe to be slightly less sugary, don’t add the vanilla maple glaze. I love the glaze, but without it they are yummy too and almost like little banana bread muffins. I’ve adapted this recipe from this Cookie & Kate recipe.
If you like these, try my chocolate, coconut and banana muffins next 🙂
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 organic eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
- 1/4 cup almond milk (or other nut milk)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup icing sugar
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil (or butter works)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
-
Preheat oven to 165°C. Grease a 12 x muffin tin with butter or coconut oil, or line each one with patty pans.
-
In a large bowl, beat the melted coconut oil and maple syrup together with a whisk. Add eggs and beat well. Mix in the mashed bananas and milk, followed by the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon.
-
Add the flour to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined. Don't over mix. If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins, like nuts or chocolate - add them now.
-
Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups (it may only make 11), filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake the muffins for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool.
-
Meanwhile, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Lightly toast the slivered almonds in the oven or a dry fry pan.
-
Drizzle the glaze generously over the scones and while the glaze is wet, sprinkle over the chopped nuts.
