Banana Chip Muffins

April marks a year since the Covid Quarantine started. Feels strange how much time has past since the beginning of this pandemic. What a year... And what better way to reminisce the beginning other than baking one of the most popular recipes everyone was making while stuck at home! Well putting a little twist on it, instead of a banana loaf, we will be baking banana chocolate chip muffins! If you're not a huge fan of chocolate or just craving a plain banana muffin, just skip the chocolate chips.

The ingredients included are pretty basic kitchen ingredients, which makes it easy to whip up anytime. If you're anything like our house, we always have bananas around and they usually get a little spotty. When they do go a bit brown, pop them in the freezer until you want to bake something with them. Just a quick few hours at room temp and they should be defrosted and ready to use. If you do use frozen bananas, once they thaw they tend to be more wet, you can try to pour the excess liquid out or blot them before measuring and adding it to the bowl.

First whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl then set it off to the side.

Then in a separate mixing bowl (or bowl for the stand mixer) mash the banana. You can use a fork and mash the banana or just tear into chunks and let the stand mixer mash it for you.

Beat together all the other wet ingredients then beat in the dry ingredients.

Once combined, fold in the chocolate chips. The batter is rather thick.

Scoop the batter into each liner filling to the top. I like to add a few chocolate chips on the top before which is just for aesthetics, totally optional to do that step. Then add into the 425°F preheated oven for 5 minutes, leave muffins in the oven and turn down the temp to 350°F for another 17 minutes. The first 5 minutes of being exposed to a high temperature makes the muffin tops pop up then the remaining time cooks in the inside.

Check doneness by sticking a toothpick in the center, it should come out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes until cooled off enough to transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Voila!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (approx. 3 large ripe bananas)

6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temp

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line your 12 count muffin tray with cupcake liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray (or grease with some butter)

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl then set it off to the side.

3. In a large bowl (or stand mixer bowl) mash the bananas. On medium speed, beat in the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk.

4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Spoon the batter into the liners filling them to the top. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425 then reduce the oven temperature to 350 keeping the muffins in the oven the whole time. Bake for an additional 16-18 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean without dough then they are done! Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to continue to cool.