Banana muffins recipes are a dime-a-dozen & over the years I’ve tried quite a few.  My biggest frustration:  You can hardly taste the bananas!  Enter this recipe…it’s packed with a full 2 cups of bananas!  What better way to get a potassium hit AND use up a bunch of those overripe bananas in your freezer!!

Ingredients

• 1-2/3 c bread flour (see Notes below)
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 4-5 very ripe large bananas, mashed (about 2 c) (see Notes below)
• 3/4 c sugar
• 2 lg eggs
• 1/3 c oil (I use olive, but you can certainly use canola or coconut) (see Notes below)
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1/3 c chopped toasted nuts (walnuts, almonds, macadamias, etc), optional

Adjust oven rack to middle position & heat oven to 425 deg. Prepare muffin tins. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt together in medium bowl.

Whisk bananas, sugar, eggs, oil & vanilla in large bowl until fully combined. Add flour mixture & whisk until fully combined. Stir in nuts (if using). Using portion scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (about 1/2 c batter per cut; cups will be very full).

Bake until tops are golden brown & toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 14-18 min. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 min. Remove muffins from muffin tin & let cool for at least 5 min. Enjoy!

Notes:

• This recipe requires bread flour. DO NOT sub in all-purpose or cake flour as muffins will bake up short & gummy.
• You can use thawed frozen bananas, but be sure add any juice that is released as the bananas thaw.
• If using coconut oil, make sure all ingredients are at room temp. Any cold ingredients will cause coconut oil to solidify.

Additions:

• I’ve added unsweetened coconut flakes…which would also be delish with coconut oil.
• Bittersweet chocolate chunks would also be awesome.
• Adding peanut butter (whisk into banana mixture) would also be fabulous!

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated