Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

With our little guy eating a 'naner a day ~~ We often have the super ripes bananas around. Seeing that little guy doesn't care for the super ripe, I've been on the search for banana recipes. These are easy to make, no mixer even needed and really good. Next time you find yourselves with some extra bananas in the house give this a try!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Source: Allrecipes.com

Makes 16 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• 1. 
     

• 1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ben's mom gave me Jane Brody's Good Food Cookbook. It's a nice cookbook because every recipe is just a little healthier. These 'grab & go' muffins are nice for breakfast, with a cup of coffee or even a snack. Less sugar, wheat flour only make it better in my eyes.

Pumpkin Muffins
Source: Jane Brody's Good Food Cookbook

IIngredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs (or if you’re trying to lower the cholesterol you can use 1 whole egg and 1 egg white)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: 1/4 cup dark raisins; 1/4 golden raisins; 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, pumpkin, and eggs.

In a medium bowl, stir together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Fold this into the pumpkin mixture (dump the dry into the wet all at once and then gently mix) until dry ingredients are just moist. If you decided to include raisins and/or nuts stir them in now.

Butter your muffin tin (will make 12 regular sized or 6 jumbo muffins) and spoon the batter into the muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Let muffins cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, and then pull the out to cool completely or enjoy right away.

Strawberry Muffins

My mother in law gave me a wonderful cookbook full of healthy recipes.  The cookbook is "Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet".  I've been overloading on strawberries and have been looking for a way to use some.  Strawberry muffins completely hit the spot.  This is a great, healthy recipe.  The muffins also freeze well.  

Strawberry Muffins

Source:  Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet Cookbook

Yields 24 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup sugar

4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. salt

1 egg white

2 eggs

1 cups apple cider or apple juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil (preferably canola)

2 cups sliced strawberries, divided (if using frozen berries, measure them after defrosting & draining them)

1.  Preheat oven to 400.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon & salt.

3.  In a medium-sized bowl, lightly beat the egg white and whole eggs.  Beat in the apple cider or juice and the oil.  Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring the ingredients until they are just moist.

4.  Gently stir in all but 24 slices of the strawberries.  Divide the batter among 2 greased muffin cups.  Top each muffin with a reserved strawberry slice.

5.  Place the muffin tins in the hot oven, and bake for about 25 minutes.  I did use muffin liners & lightly sprayed them with PAM.

Very Berry Blueberry Muffins

Flipping through a Self magazine, I found this recipe. I knew I had blueberries in the fridge. Whala! An evening project. I thought they were good. This recipe definitely cut out some of the fat and calories of many others. I think they would also freeze very well.

Very Berry Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup light margarine, softened
1 cup Splenda
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, thawed) - I know I used a bit more

Directions
1. Place oven rack in the top 1/3 of oven.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. Beat margarine at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add Splenda Granulated sweetener and honey beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Fold in blueberries.
5. Spoon batter evenly into paper lined muffin cups. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.