Banana Muffins

These banana muffins are one of those bakes that are always worth having in the kitchen. They’re soft, sweet, and wonderfully simple to make, which makes them perfect for little bakers to get involved with too. The ripe bananas bring plenty of natural sweetness and help keep the muffins lovely and moist, while the sprinkle of oats on top gives them a nice homely finish. They’re ideal for breakfast on the go, popping into lunch boxes, or keeping in a tin for an easy homemade treat through the week. And because they freeze so well, they’re the sort of bake that’s always handy to have ready.

Timings:

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20–25 minutes

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas

• 3 tbsp milk

• 150g butter, softened

• 225g plain flour

• 225g golden caster sugar

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 3 large free-range eggs

  
  

For the topping:

• Breakfast oats

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.

2. Place 12 muffin cases into a muffin tray.

3. Add the ripe bananas to a mixing bowl and mash until smooth.

4. Add the milk, softened butter, plain flour, golden caster sugar, baking powder, and eggs.

5. Mix everything together until smooth.

6. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases, filling each one about three-quarters full.

7. Sprinkle a little breakfast oats over the top of each muffin.

8. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until risen and golden.

   
   

Chef’s Tip:

The riper the bananas, the better the flavour, so this is a brilliant recipe for using up bananas that are past their best for eating. These muffins also freeze really well, so you can make a batch and keep some back for lunch boxes or quick snacks.