Quick Banana Muffins (with brown sugar)
This is my favorite version of the quintessential muffin recipe. They're sweet, very moist from the oil in the batter, and easy to make. They are ready in 45 minutes and freeze wonderfully.
Servings 12 regular muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup mashed bananas about 2 medium
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Line 12 regular muffin tins with paper liners or butter/spray the pans. For taller muffins, fill only 9 or 10 paper cups with batter and the remaining, unused muffin spaces with water so the pan doesn't tilt in the oven.
- Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ cup light brown sugar. Stir to combine.
- Whisk 1 egg, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Do not beat, but mix well until no streaks of egg whites remain.
- Add ⅔ cup mashed bananas and stir.
- Add the wet ingredients all at once to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Mix until you barely have streaks of flour, but do NOT overmix. It will be lumpy and not completely mixed, and that is fine.
- Divide evenly among the muffin cups or muffin liners.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the top is dry and golden brown, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake.
- Let cool on a wire rack and eat warm or let cool down completely.
- They are best eaten the day they are made, but they can be kept for a day at room temperature, covered or wrapped.
- Store leftovers, covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for a month.
Notes
Bananas: they should be very ripe (slightly overripe, some might say), with brown spots and a soft pulp. Green or just ripe bananas are not sweet enough and don't give the best banana flavor.
Mixing: This is not the recipe to use an electric or stand mixer, as it will overmix the batter. Use a whisk, two bowls, and then a spatula to fold in the fruit.
Baking time: Keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Add-ins: This is a great basic recipe to fold in ½ cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips.
