Banana Bran Muffins are the answer to what may look like a banana that is past it's prime.
I have this "thing" with super ripe bananas. You know, the brown, speckled, mushy kind that are a few days past being edible by themselves. In my kitchen, it's a sad day when these types of bananas are thrown away. It's almost devastatingly sad, to be honest. I chide myself for all the yummy treats that could be made with said bananas if I had only planned ahead to use them before they were past the point of no return. I guess freezing bananas is an option; if you're good about remembering they are there before frostbite gets the best of them. That's not usually the case with me....
Last week I managed to use my {almost} rotten bananas. High fives all around! I made sure of this in a strict effort to clean out my fridge, freezer and pantry before April 30th - you see, April 30th marks the day Ryan and I will begin 3 consecutive weeks of travel, and I want a fresh start with my kitchen ingredients when we get back! So I made you muffins. Banana Bran Muffins, to be exact.
I really wanted to name this "Bananas Foster Bran Muffins," but then I thought that title would scare away all the health nuts. The flavor of these muffins strongly resembles bananas foster; thanks to a little banana-flavor-enhancing trick I learned from Cooking Light a few years ago. The "trick" involves sauteeing your semi-chunky ripe banana mash in a little mixture of melted butter and brown sugar before you add the banana to your batter. This, my friends, is a total game changer when it comes to banana batters {be it cakes, cupcakes, breads, or muffins). It enhances the sweet flavor of the bananas so much that you can reduce the sugar your recipe calls for by half to two-thirds - whoop!
The flavor of these muffins just gets better with time once they are baked - although it wouldn't be difficult to eat them all the day they are fresh from the oven. They are a divine, fiber-filled way to start your day or great for pairing with your afternoon coffee or tea. Please plan to make a double batch and freeze half for later - or share with a friend - you'll be glad you did!
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Recipe
Bananas Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup unprocessed wheat or oat bran
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk well shaken
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 3 medium-size ripe bananas diced {about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg white
- 6 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
- ¾ cup golden raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 12-cup muffin tins and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the bran and buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chia seeds, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the mixture and set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Melt the butter and brown sugar in the skillet, then add the diced bananas. Saute the bananas for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, whisk the eggs, egg white, and molasses into this mixture until well incorporated.
- Add the banana mixture and bran/buttermilk mixture to the well in the center of the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix! Carefully fold the raisins into the batter.
- Scoop the batter into wells of your muffin tin, filling the wells about ¾ full. Bake for 19-22 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
- Serve warm or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Jenn says
Hey! I am curious if I could substitute the oat bran for gluten free oat flour and the whole wheat pastry flour for gluten free all purpose flour. Thanks!
Whitney Reist says
Hi Jenn - you could definitely sub a gluten-free AP flour for the whole wheat pastry flour. I'm not sure how subbing oat flour for oat bran would affect the texture of the muffin...however, Bob's Red Mill sells a certified gluten-free oat bran if you'd like to try using that - it will have much more fiber than the oat flour! http://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free-oat-bran.html