Recipe – Banana Bread and Muffins

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted on here – sorry about that! This past month has been hectic – we’re closing escrow on another house, we’ve been preparing for Baby #2, and I started working in a COVID-19 lab. Now that things are settling down, I’m hoping to get back to posting on a regular basis, starting with today’s post on banana bread!

My reduced-guilt banana bread recipe can easily be converted to banana muffins. Nuts optional! I had some inspiration from America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) and modified my original recipe to add sliced bananas on top and to reduce down the banana juice before mixing the liquid ingredients. It’s been a hit!

Prepping the Bananas

Next, take 4 really ripe (freckled or even browned) bananas, peel them, and microwave them for 5min at full power. Be sure you use a big bowl – the banana juice will pool and start to bubble and can spill over if your bowl is too small! As your bananas are microwaving, place a small saucepan on a stove burner and place a strainer on top. Once the bananas are finished microwaving, place them in the bowl and let them strain for 15min. I suggest stirring occasionally with a spatula to make sure a lot of the banana juice passes through the strainer.

• 

• 

Boil the banana juice for 5min, stirring frequently. This concentrates down the liquid, making the banana flavor more robust (thanks, ATK!). Afterwards, add in the microwaved banana from the strainer to the saucepot and mix thoroughly with a spatula or whisk.

• 

• 

The Batter

Then, add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir to mix. Be sure the pot isn’t so hot that the eggs will cook! I add the eggs last, letting the other ingredients cool the pot first.

Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, then add the wet ingredients and mix until the ingredients are just combined. Be careful not to overmix, or the texture will be tough and rubbery!

• 

• 

The Bake

Line the bottom of a loaf pan with either parchment paper or a silicon mat. If you want the bread to come out even easier, grease the sides with a bit of olive oil. Pour the batter in, being sure that it’s level. Afterwards, slightly press the sliced banana in whatever design you like (thanks, ATK!).

If you’re baking muffins instead, fill up the muffin molds (I use silicon standing molds) at least 3/4 of the way up, then press a banana slice into the batter.

• 

• 

Doesn’t that look pretty?

Banana Bread or Muffins

Materials (makes 1 loaf or ~12 muffins):

Methods:

1. Peel and microwave 4 bananas for 5min. Set a strainer on top of a sauce pot.
2. Strain bananas into sauce pot for 15min, stirring with a spatula occasionally.
3. Boil the strained liquid for 5min, then stir in the microwaved bananas.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Add coconut oil (or olive oil), maple syrup, vanilla, and eggs to the pot and stir.
6. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, walnuts, and chocolate chips.
7. Add the banana mixture to the mixing bowl and mix until just combined, no more!
8. Pour into a lined loaf pan and smooth the top.
   • For muffins: pour into silicon muffin molds
9. Slice the 5th banana ~2-3mm thick and line the top of the batter with the slices.
10. Bake for 55min until a toothpick comes out clean.
    • For muffins: bake 20min until a toothpick comes out clean
11. Cool on a rack.

And here it is as banana muffins!