Homemade banana-coconut muffins are cheaper and more fresh than gourmet varieties.
Buying gourmet muffins for a Mother’s Day treat is a nice idea, but it can set you back some serious cash if you head to a fancy bakery. But in less than an hour you can bake a dozen luxurious banana-coconut muffins for less than 50 cents each.
Even better, with a few simple tweaks, this recipe can perform triple duty as a deluxe quick bread or pancake batter.
To make pancake batter, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and coconut. In another bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, 3 mashed ripe bananas, 3/4 cup buttermilk and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Using a rubber spatula, fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until no traces of flour remain.
To make a quick bread batter, follow the same ingredient list as the muffins, but increase the flour to 1 3/4 cups. Bake in a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean.
Banana-coconut muffins
Start to finish: 45 minutes (15 minutes active)
Servings: 12
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil 12 muffin cups or coat them with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir in the coconut and set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on high to beat the butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes longer. Beat in the egg.
With the mixer on low, alternately beat in the dry ingredients in three additions and the banana mixture in two additions, beating until just combined each time.
Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed at the center and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 244 calories; 87 calories from fat; 10 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 329 mg sodium.