The Ultimate Muffin

What happens when you’re torn between muffin choices of banana and chocolate chip? Since it might look a bit greedy and indulgent to actually eat the two of them, why not combine the two and have the best of both?

Well, that’s what you have right here along with the addition of rich pecans.

If your family loves banana nut bread with chocolate chips, then they’ll flip over these delicious muffins so whip up some–they’re easy–and surprise everyone.

You can make them super-sized or regular sized. Choice is yours.

Nuts

When it comes to the nuts in this recipe you have some choices.

First, if you have an allergy or can’t stand them, omit them. The nuts play no part in the chemical formula here, so it won’t affect the cake part.

Secondly, if you don’t have pecans but have walnuts, use the walnuts. It’ll taste just as good. I used pecans because for some odd reason, I had a ton of them. Plus I prefer them to walnuts because the skin is not as bitter. However, walnuts are significantly cheaper so they’re easier on the pocketbook.

Don’t hesitate to buy in bulk either if you catch a good sale on either variety. Nuts freeze well with no loss in flavor. I found a bag buried in my freezer not too long ago that I bought maybe five years ago. They were still as good as the day I bought them.

Mini Chips Are Better

You heard that one right. Mini chocolate chips are much better for baking than the regular size.

They disperse better in any batter which means that it’s likely that each mouthful of a cake, cookie or muffin will contain chips.

And another–and to me the best thing–is that you can use half the amount called for in a recipe that uses the regular size. So buying a packet of minis is like getting two packages of the standard. If you’re watching calories, then you get the feel of the same amount of chocolate with half the fat and calories.

The Recipe

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Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

The ultimate banana muffin

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana chocolate chip muffins, dressing up banana muffins, muffins that are like cake

Servings: 6

Calories: 548kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 3 large ripe bananas mashed
• 1/2 cup butter melted

Topping:

• Sanding or coarse sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl, mixing well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a Texas muffin pan (pan has 6 large muffins) with large muffin papers or grease the pan. Fill each cup 3/4 full; top with crumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool completely.
• Makes 6 large muffins.

For Regular Sized Muffins

• Follow the above instructions, except use a regular-sized muffin pan and bake for 18-20 minutes. This will make 12 regular-sized muffins.

Notes

Nutritional info is for the large Texas-sized muffin. Regular muffin would be approximately 1/2 those values.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 561mg | Potassium: 376mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 584IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg

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If you have leftover banana bread, use it in this dessert, and it’s easy to make too!

Disaster Becomes A Great Dessert

This dessert actually started out to be a cake!

The cake itself is one of my friend Holly’s from Spend With Pennies favorite recipes. I had plenty of bananas that were ripe having bought them in a recent sale and I was looking to use them up. So this cake was a great way to use them.

The cake was easy to prepare and in the oven it went. It smelled great too. The cake tested done at the time Holly gave but it didn’t look brown nor did it rise. Cake also felt dense when I touched it lightly in the center.

Now, I like to think I don’t need my reading glasses if I zoom in on something on my iPad, but I guess I do. And this one took me a while to figure out too. I did read a few comments where people said the cake was bit dense but those comments were only two among many. When I finally put on the glasses and re-read the recipe, I saw the error clearly. I only used 1/2 teaspoon of soda where the recipe called for 1/2 TABLESPOON.

I was having neighbors in for dinner and wanted to serve the cake, but I couldn’t serve them a kitchen disaster, so I had to think fast what I could do with this.

Bread Pudding To The Rescue

The dense texture actually lent itself to a bread pudding, where it would sop up all the added custard.

So that’s what I did and it turned out marvelously! It was soft, tender and very tasty with a good, strong banana flavor.

You can use any recipe leftover banana bread or cake in this pudding, but here is Holly’s recipe, and remember I only used 1/2 TEASPOON of soda. If you use the correct measurement of 1/2 TABLESPOON, you’ll end up with a great cake. Don’t forget to top it with her awesome icing that she includes with the recipe.

The Recipe

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Banana Bread Bread Pudding

If you have leftover banana bread, use it in this dessert, and it’s easy to make too!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana, bread pudding

Servings: 12

Calories: 274kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups cubed day-old banana bread or cake
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread cake cubes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk eggs until well beaten. Whisk in the milk and the sugar.
• Pour milk mixture over the cake cubes.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until custard is set.
• May be served warm or chilled.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 470IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1mg

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A taste of the tropics!  Gluten and dairy free too!

I love coconut…I mean REALLY love coconut.  I could live on that and avocados and never miss anything else.  Say, now avocado gives me ideas….

Since I love coconut so much, I figured I’d try to make something that resembled those old Good Humor bars…forget what they were called, but they were vanilla ice cream coated with shredded white coconut.  HEAVEN.  This comes pretty close.  Only difference is the hint of banana–which gives a wonderful, subtle flavor.

Anyway, these are simple to make and even easier to eat!

Coconut Banana Popsicles

Coconut Banana Popsicles

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Pure heaven.  This will give you the energy you need to start your day.

The secret ingredient here is coconut coffee creamer–just a drop adds great flavor.  A real taste of the tropics!

Good pick-me-up or quicky breakfast.  I used frozen mashed bananas, but fresh ones cut up can also be used, however, the partially frozen mashed produces a thick and foamy texture that is oh-so appetizing.

Great Breakfast

PS–lower-fat alternatives may be used with no sacrifice of flavor.

Banana Coconut Smoothie

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 2 tbs Carnation Coconut Creme coffee creamer 
• 1 1/2 whole banana, sliced OR 1/2 cup partially-frozen mashed
• 1 tbs toasted coconut for topping.

Put all ingredients except the toasted coconut in an immersion (stick) blender bowl–the one that comes with it, or a deep narrow container.

Process with immersion blender on high for 1 minute.  Pour into serving glass and top with toasted coconut.

Serves 1

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