Banana muffins

RECIPE FOR BANANA MUFFINS

Source: Adapted and modified from Cooking Crave

Makes: 14-18 small muffin paper cups (depending on the size of the muffin cups)

Ingredients:
250 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp desiccated coconuts (optional)
60 g unsalted butter (melted, at room temperature)
60 g fresh milk
2 eggs (lightly beaten) – I used large eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
80 g castor sugar
Pinch of salt
5 medium over-ripe bananas (mashed) – about 6 inches long

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (see note 1). Prepare muffin paper cups (see note 6).
2. Sieve plain flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon. Add in desiccated coconuts. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, milk, lighted beaten eggs and vanilla essence. Stir until well mixed. Add in sugar and salt. Mix till well combined.
4. Add in the mashed bananas and mix well.
5. Use a spatula to gently fold in the dried ingredients in step 2 till well combined and no traces of flour. Do not over-mix the batter. The batter should be thick (“spoonable” not “pourable”).
6. Transfer batter into a piping bag (see note 2) and pipe batter into the muffin cups until each cup is 80% full (see note 3).
7. Bake in the oven at 190°c for 10 minutes, then lower to 180°c for another 10 minutes (see note 1), or until the muffins have risen and turned to slightly golden brown. Insert a toothpick/ skewer into the centre to test. If it comes out clean, it means that the muffins are cooked though. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes:

1. Start off the oven hot – This sets the top crust quickly which allows the batter underneath to stay liquid, build up pressure and eventually burst up like a volcano. However, the baking time and oven temperatures vary depending on the types of oven, size of muffins, or whether you are using a paper cup or muffin tray to bake. So use your own judgment to experiment.
2. You can DIY your own piping bag by using a clean plastic bag and cut away a small corner.
3. If you want a dome-effect muffin, you can fill the batter almost to the brim (90% full). This tip works well for muffin tray. I only filled my muffin paper cups until 80% full. Otherwise, the muffins will overflow before setting. So do your own experiment to achieve the best results.
4. It’s best to serve warm. Keep extra muffins in the freezer for future consumption. Thaw it in the room temperature. Toast in the oven or steam it. I personally prefer to steam my muffin as it is more moist.
5. You will find tips on how to make muffins on my early post.
6.  The baking time and oven temperatures vary depending on the types of oven, so use your own judgment to experiment.
7. You can find paper muffin cups at any local baking supplies stores. I bought mine from Phoon Huat (Simei branch) and Sun Lik Trading (33 Seah Street, opposite Bras Basah Complex as well as Raffles Hotel. Same road with toy muzeum).

109 Comments

1. Shirley says:

   25 March 2012 at 8:00 am

   Ur muffin recipe is good.not too sweet. I guess ill be eating alot then.. Haha. Thanks

   Reply
   • food-4tots says:

     26 March 2012 at 8:19 am

     Shirley: Thanks for your kind feedback!! That’s great to know that you like them.

     Reply
2. Michelle says:

   24 April 2012 at 11:31 pm

   Hi.
   Itried this recipe tonight. It’s really good! Hmmwen I went back to your site to check the picture, it’s different from mine. It’s not golden brown. Do I need to leave it longer in the oven?

   Thanks

   Reply
   • food-4tots says:

     25 April 2012 at 10:04 pm

     Michelle: The colour of the muffins will turn darker (ie more brownish) and more moist after one night. I took my photo the next day. You can leave your muffins inside the oven for another 6-8 minutes after the baking time with power off. So, the residue heat will help to brown the muffins a little bit. Please note that the darker the muffins, the drier they become. Thus, it’s better not to over-bake them. Hope it helps!

     Reply