the best banana bread muffins you'll ever eat

happy valentine's day! :)

and hehehehe... that's some title eh? yes, the BEST banana bread muffins you'll ever eat (and make... according to m and me). seriously. it's loaded with tons of bananas, chocolate chips, and hints of vanilla and cinnamon flavor. oh, and to top it off, you've got a crispy cinnamon-pecan-cookie-like topping. O. M. G. i know! these guys disappeared like that. it was that good.

last weekend we finally had some rain in like forever! as you all know, we northern california folks have been enjoying quite the unseasonably warm winter (with high 60's and low 70's and no rain in sight at all!) until this past weekend. yup, it sure rain. and what's the best way to stay cozy and warm when it's awful and wet outside? well, none other than baking to warm up the house. and the bonus is the delicious smell throughout and goodies that you can actually eat! i think i ate like 5,000 calories this weekend from all the baked goods. must be my body telling me to fatten up for this stormy cold weather.

okay, so let's cut to it. below's the recipe should you want to make some. seriously, so good. i literally inhaled one right after a minute or two of it coming out of the oven. i told m it would make for a yummy dessert with a little ice cream next to it. the cold/hot combo would be perfect. m had one soon after it cooled off and said i could sell these. that's quite the compliment being that he's such a tough critic when it comes to me and my baked goodies.

alright, go bake some for your lovebugs today (or this weekend or whenever) and let me know what you think! enjoy and happy eating. :)


these banana bread muffins are amazing. it's loaded with tons of banana, chocolate chips and a cooke topping... so good you cannot just eat one.


instead of your typical banana bread loaf, why not make muffins? this recipe is super versatile, quick and easy to make, you can leave out the chocolate chips or cookie topping if you like. or throw in some nuts and you've got a crunchy muffin. yum!

banana bread muffins with chocolate chips & cinnamon-pecan cookie topping

for the banana bread muffins:

• 4 brown medium-size bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 cup chocolate chips (any kind, i used dark and semi sweet)

for the cookie topping:

• 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans, broken
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

directions:
preheat oven to 350°F. line cupcake muffin tins with paper cups.

for the cookie topping: in a medium-size bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar until fully incorporated. reserve a tablespoon or two and set them aside. then add in the pecans to the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss until they're coated. now add in the softened butter and mix until all the ingredients are blended together. lastly, add in the flour and mix until dough forms. set cookie dough aside (preferably in the fridge while you make the muffin batter).

for the muffins: in a good size bowl, mix everything but the chocolate chips together until combined. then throw in the chocolate chips and fold until fully incorporated. spoon out the mixture into the paper cups, about 2/3 full. top it off with the cookie batter and sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar on top. note: you may want to use a fork and kind of break the chilled dough a little bit so that it resembles crumbs, etc. otherwise, just put in bits on top of the muffin and that will do just fine too. if you run out of the cinnamon sugar, you can always make more by combining 1 part cinnamon to 2 parts sugar (or equal parts if you like).

bake muffins for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when you insert it into the muffin. let the muffins cool a little bit before taking them out of the tin and cooling on a wire rack. eat shortly after while still warm because they taste delicious or you can wait until they are completely cool. it'll still taste just as good. of course, i prefer it warm. ok, enjoy! :)

makes about 16-18 standard size muffins (you know, the regular cupcake kind).

banana bread, three ways

you know what you do with extremely ripe bananas right? of course! you make banana bread with it. that's what happened about 2 months ago when a giant bunch of bananas were going super ripe on us at work. instead of tossing it in the garbage, i took it home and turned it into these three delicious different variety of banana bread. the first one being the classic. yes, pure and simple, nothing to it. the second had some pecans added with a cinnamon-y sugar topping. and lastly the third one was in the shape of a bundt cake and turned into a banana bread coffee-cake of sort with a yummy cinnamon-swirl sugar and pecans inside and the same on top. the topping was super crispy and crunchy. all three breads tasted wonderfully with our morning coffee the next day after i baked it the night before. let's say everyone was quite happy with the end result of those ripening bananas.

so if you have some ripe bananas and you'd like to tackle or try a new recipe, why not give this a shot. i love how it uses vegetable oil and the buttermilk really makes it good, and not dry at all. i think these taste even better as it sits, like on the second or third day. but who's to say you can't eat it all in one day (the same day). and yes, this recipe is so good, i just made a loaf last night with some riped bananas. so go ahead and bake a loaf. it would be super perfect for later this week when everyone's around for thanksgiving. :)


i think what i love most about this recipe is that it doesn't use butter. especially when you're making 3 loaves. the oil makes it super easy to stir (when using a fork instead of doing it in a proper mixer).


i really like the cinnamon sugar streusel topping. it adds a nice crunchy texture to this bread. if you're a fan of sweets/sugary goodies, you should definitely try it.

banana bread
banana bread recipe from all recipes

ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup mashed bananas (no idea how many bananas, but a good rule of thumb is 2-3 really ripe medium bananas should do)
• 1-1/2 cups white sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

optional cinnamon streusel topping:

• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup (8 ounces) chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

directions

1. preheat oven to 325°f (165°c). spray one 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray coating.
2. blend together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and bananas.
3. sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. add to banana mixture and stir in pecans. mix well.
4. pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

makes 1 9x5-inch loaf. or you can triple it like i did and make 3. enjoy and happy eating. :)

three banana bread variations:

• plain: make as is, leave out the nuts.
• banana bread with pecans (or any nuts) & cinnamon streusel topping: make as is, but with the nuts. top the batter with cinnamon streusel topping.
• banana bread coffee cake: make as is, with the nuts. also make the cinnamon streusel topping. pour half the batter into a bundt cake pan, top it with half the streusel topping, then top it with the rest of the batter, follow by the rest of the topping. the result is something delicious-looking when you cut into it, like this.

banana nut bread

as mentioned in my cranberry scones post, i also made a bunch of banana bread for my uncle's funeral service. below is one of the recipes i used. i think i tried at least 3 different ones, some with nuts and some without. how did they all taste? i'm afraid i can't really tell you because i didn't try all three. but what i can say is, banana bread is banana bread. okay, actually, that's no true. some banana bread could be pretty dry out. this one here isn't too bad actually. i love how it stayed nice and moist even overnight (i made it friday, served it saturday morning).

so if you have some brown bananas you'd like to use up, i say go ahead and make some banana bread today. the recipe below is so easy to make and whips up in a flash. the only time consuming thing is waiting for it to finish baking in the oven. but it's kind of like, you set it and forget it (well, not totally, but while it's baking you can do other stuff).

below's the recipe should you want to make some. and if you do, let me know what you think. enjoy and happy baking!


i love my banana bread lightly toasted with a little butter spread on. so good.


banana breads are so easy to make. i love how they really put all those browning bananas to good use.

banana nut bread
adapted from my baking addiction

ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 overripe bananas
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup walnuts

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350°F. lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan – i used olive oil, but you can use butter or any oil of your choice.
2. in a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cake spice. in another large bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy – about 3 minutes. stir in eggs, vanilla and mashed bananas until well blended. using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently stir banana mixture and walnuts into flour mixture – stirring until ingredients are just combined. pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack.

notes:

• you can add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to your batter if you like. i personally don't care for it so i skipped it.
• banana bread is better served after it has had time to sit overnight at room temperature.
• banana bread will keep wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 days.
• this banana bread is amazing toasted with a pat of butter.