Banana Muffins for the Folding Table
Cardamom, nutmeg and a buttery crumb top turn three spotted bananas into a dozen muffins you can carry next door.
Dan Cooks5 min readPrint this post
Grilling is how I show love. Muffins come in a close second.
Something for the folding table
Most of what I cook happens outside, over hickory. But when neighbors are coming and the coals aren't lit yet, I turn to these muffins. They're tender, spiced and sweet, and a dozen costs about $5.14, which is $0.43 a muffin. Put them on the table next to the sweet tea and watch them go.
25 minutes, and you’re ready to cook.
Get everything laid out before the bowl comes out. Twelve small steps, in the order I'd do them, and the oven gets going first.
- Gather EquipmentGather a 12-cup muffin tin, paper liners or cooking spray, two large mixing bowls, one small mixing bowl, a whisk, a spatula, measuring cups and spoons, a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl for melting butter, and a wire cooling rack.1 min
- Preheat OvenPreheat your oven to 375°F.
- Prepare Muffin Batter Dry IngredientsIn a large bowl, whisk together 280 g All-Purpose Flour, 5 g Baking Soda, 3 g Kosher Salt, 3 g Cinnamon, 1 g Nutmeg, and 1.5 g Cardamom. Set aside in the bowl.2 min
- Melt Butter for BatterMelt 85 g Butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.2 min
- Measure SugarsMeasure 150 g Granulated Sugar and 75 g Brown Sugar into a prep container.1 min
- Prepare BananasPeel and mash 480 g Bananas until smooth. Place in a prep container.3 min
- Measure EggsCrack 2 Eggs into a small bowl.30s
- Measure Sour Cream and Vanilla ExtractMeasure 120 g Sour Cream and 8 g Vanilla Extract into a prep container.1 min
- Melt Butter for Crumb ToppingMelt 45 g Butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.2 min
- Measure Crumb Topping Dry IngredientsMeasure 60 g Brown Sugar, 60 g All-Purpose Flour, and 1.5 g Cinnamon into a small prep container.2 min
- Prepare Muffin TinLine a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease each cup with cooking spray.2 min
- Stage IngredientsArrange all prepped ingredients near your work station in the following order: melted butter for batter, sugars, eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla extract, dry ingredients bowl, melted butter for topping, crumb topping dry ingredients, and prepared muffin tin.1 min
The corner you can cut
Melt both portions of butter in one go and split them. Measure the dry ingredients and the crumb topping while the oven heats, and mash the bananas right in the wet bowl. That way everything is ready when the soda starts working, and you skip washing a bowl.
Stand next to me for this one
Fill each cup about two-thirds full and pile the crumb on generously. Check at 20 minutes with a toothpick. You want a few moist crumbs clinging to it, not wet batter and not a clean stick. Then wait the full 10 minutes in the pan before moving them to the rack.
If you're feeding a crowd, check what's in these first. Milk, egg and wheat are all in the batter.
- Contains
- milk, egg, wheat, gluten
- Fits
- Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Nut-Free, Halal, Kosher
Halal and kosher also depend on how the ingredients are sourced and certified.
Substitutions that still taste like the recipe.
Short on something? These are the swaps on the list for four of the pantry items.
- baking powder↓ salty
Brings tangy notes.
- instant yeast↓ salty↑ savory
Brings fruity and caramelly notes; more aromatic.
- fajita seasoning↑ spicy↓ bitter
Brings fiery, piney, citrusy, clove-like and smoky notes.
- sea salt
- Himalayan pink salt
- salt
Brings fresh and grassy notes.
- advieh
- baharat↓ sweet
- Italian seasoning↓ sweet↑ savory
- advieh
Brings fresh and grassy notes.
- juniper berries
- herbes de Provence
Brings buttery notes.
Feeding the neighbors doesn't take much money. Here's how the cost breaks down.
- Produce
- $0.55
- Dairy & Eggs
- $3.08
- Spices & Seasonings
- $0.52
- Baking
- $0.99
Common questions
How many muffins does this make?
Go bake a batch
Mash the bananas, get the oven to 375°F and call the neighbors. Take your time with the fold, and don't leave the tin unattended past 22 minutes. Share them while they're warm. Fire up something good.
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