Honey Cinnamon Banana Muffins

As usual, we had a handful of overripe bananas sitting on the counter this week, so it was time to whip up some banana bread. It has become a staple in our house, but I always try to do something a little different each time I make it. This time I skipped butter, and used honey and a little brown sugar in place of the white sugar...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 T cinnamon

6 oz (one small container) plain yogurt (ours came from our organic farm delivery)

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2 large eggs

3 large overripe bananas

Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a stand mixer (or large bowl), cream together the brown sugar and yogurt. Add in the honey and continue to mix well. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Slowly pour the flour mixture into the honey mixture, and blend together (but don't over mix). Finally, add the bananas and mix until combined.

Pour into greased muffin tin, and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

I spotted a recipe for Nigel Barker's banana pancakes in a recent issue of People Magazine, and decided to try it out. Here is the list of ingredients for 10-12 pancakes:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 pinch nutmeg

2 pinches cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 ripe bananas, mashed

sliced strawberries and bananas (optional)

I made two small changes to the recipe...I added a lot more than two pinches of cinnamon, more like 3 teaspoons (I love cinnamon, and tend to always add extra), and I used canola oil in place of the veggie oil.

Directions:

Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, veggie oil, vanilla and bananas.

Stir flour mixture into banana mixture (batter will be slightly lumpy).

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides. Top with fruit if desired. Serve hot.

**TIP**

Do not use more than 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. I used a little too much for the first few pancakes, and it was hard to tell if the pancakes were done, or if they just had banana oozing out of them. Go for the smaller pancakes and they will be easier to cook properly. :-)

As you can see, Audrey was very happy with the results. :-) I refrigerated the leftovers and have served them to her three mornings in a row.

***TIP*** To me, the strawberries and bananas were not really optional. The strawberries especially bring out the sweetness of the pancakes, and without them the pancakes are almost bland. In order to really make it a healthy breakfast, add the strawberries and skip the syrup!

Cinnamon Banana Nut Muffins

Audrey loves muffins (hence the title of my blog), and I've made these for her quite a few times. If you are feeding them to a baby, be careful with the walnuts, and make sure they are finely chopped (or just feed the baby parts of the muffin without walnuts).



1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce (I used organic TJ's applesauce)
1/2 cup plain lowfat organic yogurt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tspn ground cinnamon
1 tspn vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
3-4 bananas (I used 3.5 this time because I only had 4, and Audrey wanted to eat some) :-)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan or muffin tin (I used a muffin tin this time) with 100% canola oil spray.

Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl. In a mixing bowl (or stand mixer), combine the butter and sugar. Blend until light and fluffy, about one minute. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat to incorporate. Then, mix in the applesauce, flaxseed meal, and yogurt and blend until pretty smooth. Pour the flour mixture slowly into the mixing bowl while the mixer is still running, or add it a little at a time and mix by hand while you make the additions.

Lastly, add the walnuts and bananas, mix well, and use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes (45-60 if you use a loaf pan). Start checking the muffins around 30 minutes with the toothpick test. If you want a little extra treat, add a pinch of brown sugar to the top of each muffin after the first 30 minutes of baking. It will come out with a crispy, melted sugary topping. YUM!

Set the entire pan on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes, then carefully remove the muffins and enjoy. :)



This recipe yields about 12 muffins.