Another spur-of-the-moment baking experience that yielded great results. After finishing up the Apple and Carrot Nut Bread, I needed another grab-and-go breakfast item and, as usual, wanted to go about it with little or no additional shopping.
This recipe fits the bill, especially, because of its flexibility. I used agave nectar, but that can easily be substituted with an equal amount of honey or maple syrup. I almost always have a few bananas in the freezer, but you could also use roughly 1 - 1 1/2 cups of another mashed item like pumpkin or sweet potato. Everything else is pretty much always in my house!
I have now made these twice and am still enthusiastic about the results. I've mixed in about 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (whatever you have on hand - for me, it was a mix of walnuts and almonds) on one occasion and then 1 cup of frozen blueberries handpicked in Vermont last season on the second. Each worked nicely, so I've recommended a "grab bag" of 1/2-3/4 cup mix-ins of your choice. Leave your variations in the comments if you play with this recipe!
Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
- 1/3 cup organic agave nectar
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 large ripe bananas (or 1 1/2 cups pumpkin or sweet potato puree)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 3 tbsp plain whole milk (or lowfat) yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2-3/4 cup mix-ins (nuts, dried fruit, berries - fresh or frozen, grated carrot or zucchini, have fun!)
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine all ingredients until well mixed.
- For 6 large muffins, cook 20 minutes (for 12 regular, cook 10 minutes). For loaf bread, cook 35-40 minutes.