Banana Nut Muffins

 

Do your kids ever go through bananas like they're the best snack EVER so then you buy more and then they're totally over them?  Yeah, mine too.  I had six...SIX bananas in our fruit basket that no one would touch.  So I decided I wasn't going to make breakfast for the next few days and pumped out 3 dozen of the most delicious banana nut muffins I've ever made.  I was able to use all 6 bananas and everyone had grab-and-go breakfast for several days.  Win WIN!

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

6 very ripe bananas 

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon 

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 cups chopped walnuts

*Optional Topping (but you should totally do it!):

additional chopped walnuts

about 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Fill 3 muffin tins with cupcake liners (I ran out and just sprayed the muffin tins with cooking spray and it worked just fine).

In a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.

Using a paddle attachment cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes.  

Add in the bananas.  No need to mash them before hand.  Let the paddle attachment do all the work.

Once the bananas are incorporated (the mixture will be runny), add in the vanilla and eggs.  Mix until well combined.  

Add the dry ingredients and the walnuts to the wet ingredients and allow the mixer to stir the ingredients together until just mixed.

Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to add the batter to the muffin tins.  I used a heaping 1/4 cup.  Just make sure the muffin cups are 3/4 full.

If you're doing the topping (DO IT) sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. of granulated sugar to the top each muffin and sprinkle with a few more chopped walnuts.  I just eyeballed it.

Place the muffins in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Mine are never done by 30 minutes so I continue baking in 3 minute increments until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tins and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.