Nutty Banana Muffins

By Dylan Wilde, Cedar Rose Assistant Teacher

Do you have overripe bananas wasting away on your counter? Make banana muffins!

These delicious banana muffins are made in one bowl (fewer dishes to wash!) and just so happen to be vegan (but you’d never know it). Best of all, kids will love to help by mashing the bananas and stirring the batter! Since some kids don’t like nuts (or can’t eat them), feel free to omit them from the recipe (or replace with chocolate or carob chips for dessert muffins).

Yield: 18 standard or 36 mini muffins (or a dozen of each)
Bake time: 12-25 minutes (depending on muffin size)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c mashed overripe* banana (2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas)
1 c nondairy milk of choice (dairy milk would work fine, too)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 c canola or olive oil (can sub 1/3 c applesauce or more mashed banana for oil-free muffins)
1/2 - 3/4 c granulated sweetener of choice (depending on how sweet you like your muffins)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour (can sub up to half with whole wheat pastry flour, or replace all flour with gluten-free flour for gluten-free muffins)
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

*If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, you can ripen them in the oven! Preheat your oven to 300 F and place your unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-30 minutes, checking frequently after 15 minutes. Once the peels look shiny and black, they’re done! Just peel and mash.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 F and grease your muffin tin (standard or mini). Measure out the milk, then add apple cider vinegar and whisk briskly. Set aside to curdle.

Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl, then measure to make sure you have about 1 1/4 c (a little over or under is okay).

Return the mashed banana to the mixing bowl and add the milk mixture, oil (or substitute), sugar, and vanilla. Whisk to mix it all together.

Add the flour and sprinkle on the baking powder and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the nuts, if using.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins until each cup is nearly (but not quite) full. Bake at 400 F until tops are golden and the edges are brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean (about 20-25 minutes for full-size muffins, 12-15 minutes for mini-muffins).

Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.

Enjoy!