When I walked into the pantry last night I discovered some neglected bananas from last week’s grocery run. I’m a bit of a banana snob and don’t enjoy eating them plain once the brown spots start to take over, so I decided it was time for some baking. Here is one of my favorite ways to use up the ripe fruit:

  • 3 cups whole wheat flour (or you can do a combination of whole wheat and white)
  • 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1 cup plain yogurt (and/or sour cream)
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup chocolate (semi-sweet chips/chunks)
  • 2 cups mashed ripe bananas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease two muffin pans–enough for two dozen muffins.  Mash up the bananas with a fork in a small bowl.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla and then mix into the dry ingredients just until it is all moist. If you are using dark or bittersweet chocolate, chop it into small chunks.  Fold the chocolate and bananas into the flour mixture. Fill the muffin pans 3/4 full and bake for 22 – 25 minutes.

If you want a different twist, you can throw in a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg and add 1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. My roommate also suggested cutting back on the vanilla and adding some coconut extract!  As with everything else in the kitchen, the sky is the limit. Enjoy!

 

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fruit, whole wheat

October 23, 2010

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