I love having muffins in the house. Easy to grab, muffins are an easy snack for kids during the day and after school. While I might be the first to argue that the last thing we need on the internet is another muffin recipe, I nevertheless stand here proudly with my own offering. My Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins are loaded with as much goodness as I can impart with a few bells and whistles to make them a treat my monkeys…ahem, I mean my kids… devour.
I don’t know how the monkey business began at our house but every day after school, my girls each assume a particular monkey personality and the hilarity ensues. At least for them. They imagine different scenarios then pick at, prod, wrestle and chase each other throughout the house.
They are so convincing that at times I find myself enjoying a cuddle with a cooing baby monkey in my arms. Since hugs and cuddles from tweens can be few and far between, I’ll take my nuzzle any way I can.
Perhaps the monkey business started because my oldest has an almost insatiable appetite for bananas. In contrast, my youngest, “baby monkey,” can’t stand them. Just the smell of bananas makes her a bit queasy. As a result, we usually have a few spotted bananas languishing at the end of the week. They are too ripe for consumption yet by day’s end they risk being too rotten even for baking.
Yet again today we find ourselves with a couple of blackened bananas gasping their last breath. Banana bread lost its appeal for us years ago so we find ourselves looking for something new almost on a weekly basis.
With my Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins I wanted to tone down the sweetness and amp up the goodness, so to speak. Overly ripe bananas can be cloyingly sweet so we really don’t need too much added sugar. And, I have to be honest, I limit the amount of sugar because I want to want to add a few dark chocolate chips to make the muffins a special treat….for myself and my kids, of course.
I also add a few walnuts for crunch and the nutrients that walnuts provide. Rich in folate, vitamin E and omega-3s, walnuts provide a terrific brain boost making this a better choice for a mid-day snack than a pre-made carb-loaded snack. The nuts also provide a satiety to help us all get through the end of the day.
Since I’m throwing in some goodness, I also add a few tablespoons of ground flaxseed. It enhances the nuttiness of these muffins and, just like the walnuts, provides a good dose of omega-3s.
These Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins are easy to make and my kids are eager to help. I don’t try to hide the flaxseed and encourage them to eat the nuts, even though they are not their favorite. I try to educate my kids about food and encourage curiosity about different ingredients. But I digress.
Suffice to say, these Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins emerge from the oven with a delicate crust yielding to a pillowy moist interior that doesn’t hit you over the head with all its banana-ness. They satisfy with a savory sweetness even a banana hater can enjoy.
Baby monkey agrees. We hope your monkeys like them, too.
- 2 Sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1-1/4 cup sour milk (Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to milk in glass measuring cup)
- 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2-3 ripe spotty bananas, peeled and mashed with a fork.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and well combined.
- Add eggs one at a time, beat until combined and fluffy.
- Stir in milk.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add to wet ingredients a cup at a time until combined.
- Fill greased muffin cups ¾ full (I use an ice cream scoop with a spring action)*
- Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.
- *This is my spring action ice cream scoop: Norpro Stainless Steel Scoop, 56MM (4 Tablespoon)
