Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with Toasted Pecans
These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins have just the right balance of banana, chocolate, and nuts and are not overly sweet, so the all of the flavors really shine. They have that super satisfying sink-your-teeth-into banana bread texture and are wonderfully – I’m just gonna say it - moist. A comfort food that works just as well as a breakfast or dessert treat.
Create muffin “curb appeal” by reserving some of the chocolate chips and chopped pecans to sprinkle on top just before you put them in the oven. A few tablespoons of each.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe:
Yield:
12 muffins
Difficulty:
Easy
Ingredients:
1 cup (113 grams) unsalted pecans
125 grams all purpose flour
120 grams white, whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine kosher salt or table salt
8 TBSP (1 stick,113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 medium, very ripe bananas, equivalent to 1 cup mashed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
⅓ cup (74 grams) whole or 2% milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 cup (130 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease or spray one standard size 12-muffin tin. (I don’t recommend using paper liners for these muffins, the bottoms may get soggy.)
To toast pecans, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Spread out pecan halves in a single layer in the pan and heat until they become fragrant. 3-5 minutes. Use a wooden to stir one or twice while heating. Transfer to a cutting board to cool. Once cool enough to handle, chop and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl or bowl of stand mixer, beat butter, sugar, and banana together until smooth. Add egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix until thoroughly combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans, reserving some of each to sprinkle on the top before baking.
Fill all muffin wells, they will be pretty full. A muffin scoop is perfect for this. Tap the tins on the counter a few times to make sure the thick batter fills out the bottom. Sprinkle reserved chocolate chips and pecans on top.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffins spring back when touched.
Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack. Try not to leave them in the pan much longer so the bottoms don’t end up soggy.
Enjoy!
Bonus recommendation: I also love these Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins from King Arthur Flour. So delicious. You’d never think they were all whole wheat. Can’t wait until blueberry season is back! https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/100-whole-wheat-blueberry-muffins-recipe
