Sunshine Banana Muffins

Bursting with the sunny sweetness of ripe bananas and infused with the subtle allure of vanilla, these flavorful muffins are simply irresistible! Whether you savor them for breakfast, delight in a midday snack, or indulge in having them for dessert, these muffins promise to bring warmth and joy to any occasion.

Recipe yield - 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (185g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp vanilla salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1½ cups (345g) ripe bananas (about 4 medium-sized)
• 6 tbsps (85g) unsalted butter/coconut oil, melted
• ⅔ cup (135g) packed brown sugar/coconut sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp (30ml) milk
• Optional - 1 cup chopped walnuts/pecans, or chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C. Spray a 12-count muffin pan with oil or line with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, mash the bananas until smooth. Add the melted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix until well combined.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined, don't overmix.
5. If adding nuts or chocolate chips, gently fold them into the batter.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan.
7. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (220°C) and then reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) without removing the muffins. Continue baking for an additional 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
9. Once cooled, store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

The following alternatives can be used if you have them:

• Banana Vanilla Sugar in place of the brown/coconut sugar.
• Banana Cassia Cinnamon Extract instead of the vanilla extract.
• Replace 1 tbsp of milk with 1 tbsp of Kraken Black Vanilla Paste.