Name: Banana Granola Muffins
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3 cups flour; 2 cups sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 cup butter (melted); 2 eggs; ¾ cup whole milk; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 1 cup ripe banana mashed (2-3 bananas); 1 cup ripe banana chopped (2-3 bananas); 1 cup pecans (chopped); 1 cup granola; 1 cup sweetened coconut

Banana granola muffins are a quick and easy breakfast treat using your favorite granola along with coconut and nuts for added crunch.

A muffin tip with baked banana muffins — Banana Granola Muffins

Do you always have a banana or two left in the bunch that got too ripe to eat, you need to freeze them so that you can make banana granola muffins. I eat a banana and peanut butter before I work out in the morning and always seem to have one to two bananas left at the end of the week that are just too ripe to eat or use for banana pudding. However, these bananas are perfect for brown butter banana bread, muffins or banana zucchini bread.

How do you save over ripe bananas

Did you know you can freeze bananas, you don’t even have to peel them, just place in a ziplock peel and all. Frozen bananas are also great for smoothies. Of course who doesn’t love a chocolate covered frozen banana. For banana muffins, you want the mostly black bananas that for me are too ripe to eat.
You can slow down the ripening process by putting bananas in the refrigerator. So once bananas get to the perfect stage, store them in the refrigerator. They outside will turn black but the inside will stay at the perfect stage for a couple of days.

I’m finding that I have more ripe bananas lately then I can eat. The groceries are only letting you buy them in a bunch instead of individually. So with extra bananas in a ziplock in my freezer, I decided to experiment with a new banana muffin recipe. My tried and true banana muffin recipe is super healthy with wheat germ and whole wheat flour and awesome. This recipe is completely different but equally delicious.

A white basket filled with banana granola muffins — Banana Granola Muffins

Adding granola to the muffin gives them a great texture and crunch. I also added some nuts and my favorite addition, coconut. You can use your favorite homemade granola or buy it pre-made.

If you want a more decadent breakfast with bananas, try a banana foster French toast casserole.

Pro Tip: If you’re bananas are not over ripe, learn how to ripen bananas in the oven.

What do you need to keep banana muffins from being dry

To keep granola muffins from being dry, you add lots of bananas to the batter, some mushed and some chopped into chunks. The butter and whole milk also help to keep the moisture in. Remember not to over mix or or bake them too long, and remove from the muffin tin as soon as they are cool enough to touch.

A platter of banana muffins with granola — Banana Granola Muffins

How do you make the BEST banana muffins

Step 1: If using frozen bananas, let them thaw. You will mash 2-3 bananas and chop 2-3 into small chunks.

Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients and add melted butter mixing in a stand mixer or hand held.

Step 3: In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk and vanilla and mashed bananas. Add to the flour mixture, don’t over mix.

Step 4: Fold in granola, nuts, coconut and diced bananas.

Step 5: Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop into muffin pans. top with more granola, nuts and coconut.

Step 5: Bake at 425º for 5 minutes, then turn down the oven to 350º and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Adding the granola, nuts or coconut to the top is optional, I’ve made them both ways.

A muffin pan full of banana granola muffins without a topping — Banana Granola Muffins without a topping

These banana nut muffins with coconut and granola are a step above a typical banana muffin. Baking them initially at a higher temperature and then turning down the temperature for the rest of the time, causes them to be a tall and beautiful bakery store worthy muffin.

A single muffin with a bite taken out on a napkin — Banana Granola Muffins

Can you freeze banana granola muffins

All muffins freeze well, and in fact you should freeze all you don’t eat on the first or second day as even these muffins will dry out after a couple of days. If frozen, let them come to room temperature, or if you want a warm muffin, let it come to room temperature and place it in a toaster oven or regular oven for a few minutes at 350º. There’s nothing like a warm banana muffin with a little butter on top!

This will make 18 large muffins that really taste like bananas. You can add whatever fillings you want but the coconut and pecans are great with a simple granola recipe. If the granola you are using already has nuts and coconut then just leave out some of the nuts and coconut or add a little less.

A muffin tin of banana muffins — Banana Granola Muffins

Banana muffins are great served with a quiche or with egg cups or to take to a breakfast meeting at work. Also great to share with friends if you’re not back in the office yet. You can whip this banana muffin recipe together in less time then it takes to pre-heat the oven.

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