Dishfunctional Designs: Best Ever Homemade Banana Muffins

Every so often I come across a recipe that I land up making over and over again—a recipe that is too good not to share. This is one of them! A while back I was looking for a recipe to use my overripe bananas in, and after finding a bunch of different recipes on the web and carefully reading through them, I fashioned this one myself by combining what I thought were the very best ingredients.

Tried, and then tried again another day, and then another, I tweaked the recipe here and there until I was thrilled with the final version, which I am going to share with you today.

But before I start, there are a few secrets that are important to know, and that will make a huge difference in the final outcome of your muffins.

First off, use three bananas and not two. I've done it both ways and using two bananas for this recipe just doesn't cut it, unless you cut down the rest of the ingredients—which you would have to figure out for yourself caus I just don't have the time or capacity for all that math!

If you use two bananas instead of three bananas you will have dry muffins.

If you over-bake them you will have dry muffins.

If you over-mix them you will have rubbery muffins.

If you add chocolate chips you will have delectable muffins.

As you can see in the photos, I added a few walnuts and a few pinches of coconut (which you probably cannot see) to a few of the muffins before I baked them, and the rest I baked with only chocolate chips added. I like walnuts. It's a personal choice. If you want to add some to the recipe, that option is in the recipe as well.

To bake these, I use standard paper or aluminum baking cups inside of a muffin tin, and after filling the tin with the papers, I lightly spray the cups in the muffin tin with non-stick baking spray. Then I use a one cup measuring cup to fill the cups evenly until all the batter is used up. This recipe makes 12 delicious standard size banana muffins.

Oh, and before I forget—probably the most important hint from above that will make your muffins perfect is this: do NOT over mix when you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients! Just a few stirs until the dry and wet ingredients are completely combined is all you need. Over-mixing will ruin your muffins! Okay, enough talk, here you go:

Best Ever Homemade Banana Muffins

Preheat oven to 375 F

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers and then spray with cooking spray.

In a bowl mix dry ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Set aside dry ingredients

In electric mixer mix wet ingredients:

1 egg

3 ripe or over-ripe bananas, peeled

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

1/3 cup melted butter (not hot!)

Directions:

- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

- Mix wet ingredients with electric mixer on medium for a minute until all wet ingredients are well combined. *Note: do not use very hot melted butter. Warm the solid butter in your microwave just until it starts to melt, do not overcook or make too hot. You do not want the hot butter to cook the eggs when you add it to the wet ingredients!

- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer and mix just until the two are combined. Do not over-mix!

- Add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter and gently fold in with a spatula.
- Optional: add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

- Use a measuring cup to fill the prepared muffin cups with batter.

Bake in 375 degree F oven for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until muffins are light golden brown and the edges are a bit darker golden brown. Remove from oven and cool. Makes 12 muffins. Store in an air-tight container for up to three days.