These Double Chocolate Banana Muffins look like they’re from a fancy bakery and are secretly SO easy to make.

I absolutely love making my Banana Bread Recipe when I have overripe bananas – but sometimes, I want an excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast.

So, using my decadent Double Chocolate Banana Bread recipe as a base, I made a few tweaks and created rich, ridiculously moist, tender, crave-worthy muffins.

Pure chocolate-banana bliss.

So if you have overripe bananas begging for a glow-up, look no further than these Double Chocolate Banana Muffins! Adults and kids alike will devour these easy, delicious muffins.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Do I Have to Use Espresso Powder? 

A little espresso powder in these muffins helps enhance the chocolate flavor without any noticeable coffee flavor. Feel free to skip it if needed. 

More Recipes You’ll Love:

• Double Chocolate Banana Bread (the loaf version of this recipe!)
• Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Chocolate Coffee Toffee Crunch Muffins
• Classic Banana Bread Recipe
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Photos by Joanie Simon.

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Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins are MOIST, tender, and so easy to make! These bakery-quality muffins are ready in just 30 minutes!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 17 muffins

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (159 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
• 1/2 cup (43 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• 1 1/2 cups (354 grams) mashed banana (from about 3-4 very overripe bananas)
• 1/2 cup (114 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (128 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup (64 grams) mini semisweet chocolate chips, for topping

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two standard muffin tins with 17 paper liners.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, espresso powder, and cinnamon.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, sour cream, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just barely combined. Gently fold in the ¾ cup chocolate chips, being careful not to overmix.
• Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin tin cavities, filling each to ¾ full. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips onto the batter in each cavity.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center (avoiding chocolate chips) comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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These Pumpkin Muffins are going to be your new go-to fall bake. Breakfast, dessert, or just a sweet snack – you really can’t go wrong!

These muffins are so quick to make and crazy easy. No mixer required. Plus, they freeze and thaw beautifully, so they’re a great make-ahead option for breakfast, brunch, or even just afternoon snacking.

I couldn’t resist adding a pecan-studded streusel to the tops of these muffins for a little cinnamony, nutty crunch – and who doesn’t love a good streusel!

During the testing process, some of Team HTH’s friends and family tasted these muffins. I knew we’d nailed the recipe when Dominic, aged 10, exclaimed, “This is the best muffin I’ve ever had! I never want this muffin to end, but I have to put it in my mouth.”

These Pumpkin Muffins will fill your house with the perfect autumnal aromas. The best part: they’re ready to enjoy in almost no time at all.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Pumpkin Muffins

How to Make MOIST Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin puree brings SO much moisture to muffins, but here are a few additional tips for ensuring you don’t end up with dry muffins:

• Do not over-measure the flour. I like to use a digital kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon-and-level method. Learn more about the importance of measuring flour correctly here.
• Oil: Oil (except coconut and palm oils) is always liquid at room temperature, even when refrigerated, so it gives the palate a sensation of moisture when you bite into something made with oil.
• Other ingredients: Dark brown sugar and buttermilk also bring even more moisture to these muffins (as well as a ton of flavor!). More on those ingredients just below.

Do I Have to Use Dark Brown Sugar?

Dark brown sugar brings depth of flavor, moisture, and richness to these Pumpkin Muffins. However, you can use light brown instead (1:1 ratio) instead. Note that your muffins will be lighter in color, slightly less rich in flavor, and the pumpkin puree flavor will be more noticeable. 

Do I Have to Use Buttermilk in Pumpkin Muffins?

• We tested this Pumpkin Muffin recipe using whole milk in place of the buttermilk. While the milk version was still good, it was missing the delightful tang of the buttermilk, which rounds out the flavors so perfectly. 
• If you’re unable to find real buttermilk, you can use whole milk in its place (1:1 ratio) but note that your resulting muffins won’t be quite as flavorful, and the pumpkin puree flavor will be more predominant. 
• I don’t recommend using 2% or skim milk. Learn more about the science of buttermilk, and buttermilk substitutes, here.

The Best Type of Pumpkin for Muffins

• Be sure to use canned pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
• Fresh pureed pumpkin could work too, but we haven’t experimented with this Pumpkin Muffin recipe specifically using fresh pumpkin to verify this.
• Check out my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin article for the differences between using fresh pumpkin puree, regular canned pumpkin, and organic canned pumpkin.
• Just take a look at the images below to see how different each variety looks, even before baking!

The Spices in Pumpkin Muffins

• This recipe is pretty spice-forward, for a well-rounded pumpkin spice flavor.
• Feel free to adjust the spices a little if you prefer less spice.
• Check your spices to ensure they’re not expired. If they are expired, toss them and purchase new ones – otherwise, your muffins may be bland.

Can I Add Chocolate Chips?

I actually have a recipe for that! Check out my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe here. Feel free to add this streusel to the tops of those muffins, if preferred.

How to Avoid Dense Pumpkin Muffins

Avoid overmixing! This will create dense, rubbery muffins. Ensure you mix gently until the ingredients are just combined. Also, as mentioned above, be sure to measure your flour correctly.

How to Bake TALL Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe uses a generous amount of baking powder in the batter and a generous amount of batter in each muffin tin cavity, for beautifully tall Pumpkin Muffins. Check out more of my my tips for baking tall muffins here. If you’re baking at high altitude, you may need to reduce the amount of baking powder.

How to Prevent Liners from Sticking to the Muffins

• Some brands of liners tend to stick more than others, so use a high-quality liner.
• This is my favorite brand of muffin/cupcake liners.
• If this is a common issue for you, check out my article on How to Prevent Muffin/Cupcake Liners from Sticking here.

How to Store Pumpkin Muffins

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 15 seconds, or in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes, or until heated through. Just note that the streusel will stay softer after the first day, even if refreshing in the oven.

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Muffins?

Yes, Pumpkin Muffins freeze beautifully! Freeze inside an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for an hour or so. Refresh in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes, or until heated through, if desired.

More Fall Baking You’ll Love:

• Banana Nut Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
• Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting
• Caramel Apple Streusel Pie

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Pumpkin Muffins

Look no further for the perfect Fall breakfast! These easy, super moist Pumpkin Muffins are loaded with spices and dark brown sugar, and topped with a pecan-studded streusel. So delicious, no one will be able to resist coming back for more.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

For the streusel:

• 3 tablespoons (43 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons (24 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (30 grams) pecans, finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the muffins:

• 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (200 grams) dark brown sugar*
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (178 grams) buttermilk**, at room temperature
• ½ cup (98 grams) neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 cup (244 grams) pure pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

Make the streusel:

• In a small bowl, combine all the streusel ingredients with a rubber spatula or a fork until combined. Set aside.

Make the muffins:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be thick.
• Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cavities, filling each to the brim of the pan.
• Staying away from the edges, place streusel mixture evenly over the center of the muffin batter in each cavity. Press lightly into the batter.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 22 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Let cool before serving.
• Once completely cooled, store Pumpkin Muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Note that the streusel will soften more the longer it sits, but the pumpkin spice flavor will intensify.

Video

Notes

*You can use light brown sugar in place of dark brown sugar (1:1 ratio), but note that your muffins will be lighter in color, and the pumpkin puree flavor will be more noticeable. 

**I recommend sticking with real buttermilk in this recipe, if possible, but whole milk can be substituted (1:1 ratio) if needed. Note that your muffins won’t be quite as flavorful, and the pumpkin puree flavor will be more predominant. I don’t recommend using 2% or skim milk. Learn more about buttermilk and buttermilk substitutes here.

More baking tips and recipe information can be found in the Sprinkle of Science tip box, above the recipe. 

Photos by Joanie Simon.

The post Pumpkin Muffins appeared first on Handle the Heat.

In high school, muffins were the little treat to break up the monotony. There would be a muffin cart in the main hallway once a week.

I’m pretty sure the muffins were from Costco. They weren’t wonderful, but it was nice to have a little sweet indulgence to look forward to.

Muffins will probably always have a place in my heart. They’re truly a multi-purpose treat. They’re perfect for breakfast, as a snack, or even for dessert.

Unfortunately, most muffins are bland. And in my experience, the muffins that often look the prettiest with the tallest muffin tops are often super cakey and dry – even from a good bakery.

I prefer a nice moist muffin with a bit of a springy texture. I don’t want pound cake. And I certainly don’t want a dry muffin. I want moist, tender, flavorful muffins that are a joy to eat!

So, if you feel the same or are just curious about the science of muffin baking, check out the tips below.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Secret Baking Science Tip: Chill Your Muffin Batter!

The very best thing you can do to make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (or any muffins!) more tender and even a little taller is to cover and chill your batter in the fridge overnight before baking.

It’s very similar to chilling cookie dough or even marinating meat. By chilling the batter, the starch in the flour is able to absorb more moisture, resulting in a more tender muffin.

Chilling thickens the batter without making it dry, which helps encourage taller muffin tops without that crumbly or cakey texture.

This technique works particularly well with muffin batter, which is usually made from melted butter or oil (not creamed butter + sugar) and uses only baking powder as the leavener, which is double-acting. Meaning, it’s activated both by the moisture of the batter and the heat of the oven. Baking soda is only activated by acid in the batter, not from the heat of the oven.

If you don’t believe me, just look at the comparison below. And what the image doesn’t quite capture is just how much more tender the chilled batter muffins are.

How Do I Get More Lemon Flavor in These Muffins?

Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract along with the juice and zest.

How Do I Stop My Muffins From Sticking to the Liner?

• This can sometimes be caused by the brand of liners.
• This is my favorite brand that I order in bulk from Amazon.
• If this is a common problem for you, check out my post on how to prevent muffin or cupcake liners from sticking here.

What’s the Best Muffin Tin?

I typically don’t like nonstick bakeware, which is why I was so surprised when I fell in love with the Wilton Recipe Right Nonstick Muffin Pan. They bake evenly and achieve lightly golden brown edges and clean up beautifully. I’ve had three of these tins for 6+ years and love them!

How to Store Muffins

Store cooled muffins inside an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Can You Freeze Muffins?

Yes! Unglazed Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost on the counter until room temperature. Refresh in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes if desired. If desired, glaze once thawed and at room temperature. 

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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are tangy, slightly crisp on the outside, and ultra moist inside. Topped with a simple, sweet lemony glaze. Quick, super easy, and so delicious! 25-minute recipe, no mixer required.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

• 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (237 grams) whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

For the lemon glaze:

• 1 cup (125 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, egg, juice, and zest. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix – there should be a couple streaks of flour remaining.* Divide evenly among the muffin tin cups.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool until barely warm.
• Serve, or store in an airtight at room temperature for 3 days. Muffins can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Make the glaze:

• In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon juice with a fork until a smooth and thick glaze forms. Drizzle or dip each cooled muffin top with the glaze. Let set before serving.

Video

Notes

*If time permits, cover and refrigerate the batter overnight for taller, more tender muffins. Chill the batter in one large bowl, as opposed to chilling it in the individual muffin cavities, to prevent it from drying out. Bake directly from the fridge.

If you prefer muffins with a stronger punch of lemon flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract along with the juice and zest.

This recipe was originally published in 2012 and updated with recipe improvements, new photos, and more baking tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins appeared first on Handle the Heat.

These Chocolate Chip Muffins use an extra dose of brown sugar to give it that slightly butterscotch taste that pairs so well with the chocolate.

They also have a generous amount of butter, which not only makes them taste amazing, but helps to create those slightly crispy muffin tops.

This recipe is simple and unassuming, but absolutely satisfying. I first published a version of this recipe over a decade ago (!!) and it’s actually evolved a fair amount since then. I think that just goes to show that the most minor tweaks and changes can make a big difference in the final result when it comes to baking.

Check out all my tips in the Sprinkle of Science section just below to learn the simple sweet science behind these magical muffins.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make The BEST Chocolate Chip Muffins

How to Make MOIST Chocolate Chip Muffins

• Measure your flour correctly: I like to use a digital kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon-and-level method to avoid accidentally adding too much flour, as this can create dry muffins. Learn more about the importance of measuring flour correctly here.
• Don’t reduce the sugar: Sugar does SO much more than simply sweetening these muffins. Learn more about sugar’s role in baking here.
• The butter: This Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe uses a generous amount of butter, which not only provides a ton of flavor, but also helps produce slightly crispy edges on the muffin tops.
• Use REAL buttermilk: More on this just below.

Do I Have to Use Buttermilk?

For best results, yes, I highly recommend using real buttermilk in this Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe. It provides a beautiful tang and helps produce a moist, tall, light muffin. DIY substitutions simply can’t offer the same benefits. Learn more about the science of buttermilk and buttermilk substitutes here. If you can’t find buttermilk, you can use whole milk instead, but please note that your muffins’ taste and texture will change as a result.

The Best Muffin Pan

I recommend using a light-colored metal pan. The darker your muffin tin, the darker your muffins will get while baking, and it can cause the muffins to dry out while baking. This is my favorite muffin tin.

Why You Should Never Overmix Muffin Batter!

Overmixing your batter will create dense or rubbery muffins, which no one wants. Once the dry ingredients are combined with the wet, gently stir with a rubber spatula *just* until combined. Since we’re adding chocolate chips next, leave a few streaks of flour. They’ll get stirred into the batter with the chocolate chips.

How to Bake Tall Chocolate Chip Muffins

You may have seen a trick for getting muffins to bake up nice and tall where you start baking at a high temperature for a few minutes, then reduce the temperature. That technique definitely works, but I almost always forget to lower the temperature! So, I simplified things for this recipe with just one temperature. I also recommend chilling your muffin batter, if time permits. Chilling your muffin batter overnight makes for the BEST muffins! Check out all my tips for baking tall muffins here.

Why Do My Muffin Liners Stick?

Oftentimes this is due to the brand of liners. This is my favorite brand that I order in bulk from Amazon. If this is a common issue for you, check out my article on How to Prevent Muffin/Cupcake Liners from Sticking here.

How to Store Chocolate Chip Muffins

Store Chocolate Chip Muffins in an airtight at room temperature for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 15 seconds if desired to get the chocolate chips nice and gooey. Muffins can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost on the counter or in the microwave before serving.

More Muffin Recipes You’ll Love:

• Ultimate Muffins (easy base muffin recipe!)
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Chocolate Coffee Toffee Crunch Muffins
• Double Chocolate Banana Muffins (rich and chocolatey!)

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Chocolate Chip Muffins

The BEST Chocolate Chip Muffins are moist and tender with buttery slightly crispy edges and tons of gooey chocolate chips throughout. Super easy recipe, ready in just 35 minutes!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

• 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup buttermilk*, at room temperature
• 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (if desired)
• 1 1/2 cups (255 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
• Using a large cookie scoop or a spoon, divide the muffin batter evenly among the muffin tin cups.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool until barely warm.
• Serve or store in an airtight at room temperature for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 15 seconds if desired. Muffins can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Notes

*I highly recommend using real buttermilk for the best flavor and texture. Avoid DIY buttermilk. Learn more in my Buttermilk 101 article here. If you can’t find real buttermilk, whole milk can be substituted if needed, but note that the muffins’ texture and flavor will change.

This recipe was originally published in 2009 and recently updated with recipe improvements, tips, and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post Chocolate Chip Muffins appeared first on Handle the Heat.

A few years ago, I posted my Ultimate Guide to Muffins where I made eight (!) experimental batches of muffins. I did it to figure out what exactly makes them moist, crumbly, tall, flat, tender, or tough.

All that experimenting was perfect to help me create the best possible base muffin recipe; a super easy homemade recipe you can turn to again and again and know it’ll work perfectly every time.

I love this Ultimate Muffins recipe because you can whatever your heart desires to make them your own. The flavor and add-in options are endless (and I’ve included lots of ideas in the tip box below).

If you’re interested in learning more about the science of baking and getting all of my best baking secrets in one place, I think you’ll love my online class, The Magic of Baking.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make The Ultimate Muffins

How to Make Moist Muffins

• Measure your flour correctly: I like to use a digital kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon-and-level method. Learn more about the importance of measuring flour correctly here.
• Don’t reduce the sugar: Sugar does SO much more than simply sweetening these muffins. Learn more about sugar’s role in baking here.
• Use REAL buttermilk: I highly recommend using real buttermilk in this recipe. It brings a beautiful tang and helps produce a moist, tall, light muffin. DIY substitutions simply can’t provide the same benefits. Learn more about the science of buttermilk and buttermilk substitutes here.

How to Prevent Liners from Sticking to the Muffins

Some brands of liners tend to stick more than others, so use a high-quality liner. This is my favorite brand of muffin/cupcake liners. If this is a common issue for you, check out my article on How to Prevent Muffin/Cupcake Liners from Sticking here.

How to Bake TALL Muffins

This Ultimate Muffins recipe uses a generous amount of baking powder in the batter and a generous amount of batter in each muffin tin cavity, for beautifully tall Ultimate Muffins. If you’re baking at high altitude, you may need to reduce the amount of baking powder. I also recommend chilling your muffin batter, if time permits. Chilling your muffin batter overnight makes for the BEST ever muffins! Learn more about baking tall muffins here.

How to Prevent Blueberries from Sinking in Muffins

When fruit sinks to the bottom, it gets soggy and can stick to the paper liner. The old trick of tossing your berries with flour to prevent them from sinking doesn’t always work all that well. Not to mention it can disturb the ratio of wet to dry in the recipe. There’s an easy way to prevent that from happening in three steps. I learned this tip from Stella Parks for Serious Eats.

1. Hold off on adding your fruit or mix-ins to your muffin batter.
2. Take your plain batter and scoop a tablespoon into the bottom of each muffin cavity to fill just the very bottom.
3. Gently fold in your mix-ins to the remaining batter. Scoop the batter over the plain muffin batter, dividing evenly between all the cavities. Bake as directed by the recipe!

How to Store Muffins

Muffins are best served the day they’re baked. If you have leftovers, store them for up to 1 day in an airtight container at room temperature. Refresh in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes or reheat in the microwave for 10 seconds. For best results, freeze leftover Ultimate Muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight at room temperature or reheat in the microwave for about 1 minute.

Ultimate Muffin Customization Options

Alternate Muffin Size Directions

• Jumbo muffins: Bake at 450°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 400°F and continue baking for about 16 minutes. Makes about 6 jumbo muffins.
• Mini muffins: Bake at 350°F for about 12 minutes. Makes about 24 to 28 mini muffins.

Muffin Flavor Variations

• Mix-ins: Add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, dried fruit, candy, etc. to the Ultimate Muffins batter. Be careful not to overmix.
• Flavorings: Add flavorings, such as extracts, fresh citrus zest, or espresso powder, from 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, depending on the desired intensity of flavor.

Fruit Muffins

• Add: 1 1/2 cups fruit (such as berries, apples, etc.), finely chopped and well drained
• Directions: To prevent your fruit from sinking to the bottom, spoon a little bit of plain batter (before adding in the fruit) to the bottom of each muffin cavity. Then, mix in the fruit to the batter and spoon it into each cavity.
• Note: If chilling your batter overnight, add fruit to the mixture just before baking. The juice of your fruit will more than likely bleed into your muffin if you put it in too early.

Chocolate Muffins

• Add: 1/3 cup (28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• Directions: Add the cocoa in with the other dry ingredients. Increase buttermilk to 1 1/2 cups.

Banana Muffins

• Add: 3/4 cup mashed overripe banana (from about 2 small bananas)
• Directions: Add in with the wet ingredients.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• Directions: Add the poppy seeds with the dry ingredients and the lemon zest with the wet ingredients.

Muffin Toppings, Icings, & Fillings

Streusel Topping

• 1/2 cup (64 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons (71 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• Directions: In a small bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut the butter into the mixture using the back of a fork until it is coarse and crumbly. Sprinkle over each muffin, gently pressing into the batter, before baking as directed.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• Directions: Combine all ingredients until mixture looks like wet sand. Sprinkle over every muffin before baking.

Muffin Glaze

• 1/3 cup (42 grams) powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon milk
• Directions: In a small bowl whisk together ingredients until a thick but pourable icing forms. Add more milk to thin, or more sugar to thicken, if needed. Use fresh citrus juice in place of milk, if desired. You may also added in fresh citrus zest to taste.

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Ultimate Muffins

This Ultimate Muffin recipe is THE master muffin base that is perfectly flavorful, tender, and moist. The flavor and add-in options are limitless! 

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (286 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup buttermilk*, at room temperature
• 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (if desired)
• Add-ins and flavorings of your choice
• Coarse or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (if desired)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Position an oven rack to the upper third of the oven. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a liquid measuring cup, beat together the buttermilk, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until only a few streaks of flour remain. Stir in any desired add-ins, such as fruit or chocolate chips.
• If time permits, cover the muffin batter and allow it to rest in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. This will produce more moist, tender, and tall muffins.
• Divide evenly among the muffin tin cups. Sprinkle each with coarse sugar, if desired.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 16 to 18 minutes.

Video

Notes

*I highly recommend using real buttermilk for the best flavor and texture. Avoid DIY buttermilks. Learn more in my Buttermilk 101 article here.

This post was originally published in 2014 and has been updated with additional baking tips and new photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post Ultimate Muffins appeared first on Handle the Heat.

Enjoy one of these banana muffins with a cup of coffee – you won’t regret it. Each bite is pure comfort!

I’ve shared all my sweet tips for making the BEST Banana Nut Muffins below.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Banana Nut Muffins

How Ripe Should Bananas be for Muffins?

• Be sure to use overripe bananas for this recipe.
• The best bananas for baking should be very well-speckled or even nearly black.
• This is important when baking Banana Bread, muffins, Banana Cake, or Banana Cupcakes!
• Why use overripe bananas? Besides the fact that they’re not good for much else in the kitchen, overripe bananas are actually significantly sweeter and will contribute more banana flavor AND more moisture to the recipe.
• If you use underripe bananas (and when I say ‘underripe,’ I mean for baking specifically), your muffins will be bland and dry.

How to Mash Bananas for Baking

1. Place bananas in a bowl and use a fork to mash them into a banana mixture.
2. OR, place bananas in a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the bananas until they’re mashed.

How to Toast Nuts for Baking

Toasting the chopped pecans or chopped walnuts for this recipe really and truly brings out their flavor and improves their texture.

• Option 1: To toast nuts on the stove, place nuts in a single layer on a dry skillet. Turn heat to medium, and toast for 4 to 7 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Nuts can go from toasted to burnt quickly, so don’t leave the stove. Remove nuts to a different container to prevent them from scorching.
• Option 2: To toast nuts in the oven, preheat to 350°F. Place nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and fragrant, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove nuts to a different container to prevent them from scorching.

Which Nuts Should I Use in Banana Nut Muffins? 

It’s entirely up to you which nuts you use, but these are my favorite options: 

• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Hazelnuts
• Cashews
• Macadamia nuts

Can I Leave Out the Nuts?

Check out my Plain Bakery Style Banana Muffins recipe if you prefer your muffins without walnuts or pecans.

You can also use chocolate chips instead if you prefer.

Do I Need to Adjust This Recipe for High-Altitude Baking?

Reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons if at high altitude. You may need to adjust more or less depending on your altitude.

How to Bake TALL Banana Nut Muffins

Tall Muffin Tip #1: Use Bread Flour!

• Bread flour has a higher level of protein content than all-purpose flour.
• That extra protein will allow the flour to absorb more moisture and add more structure.
• The result? Extra tall muffins that are still super moist and tender!
• Don’t have bread flour? Although bread flour does work best, you can use all-purpose flour.
• If you’ve got it, opt for King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, which has a higher protein content.

Tall Muffin Tip #2: Bake at a High Temperature!

• In this recipe, we bake at a high temperature of 425°F the entire time to get tall, beautiful muffins.
• You may have seen techniques that call for an initial burst of heat and then require you to drop the temperature down.
• I personally don’t love this method because all it takes is one time when you forget to lower the temperature, and you have scorched muffins.

Tall Muffin Tip #3: Fill Your Muffin Cavities 3/4 Full with Batter!

• For tall muffins that have a bit of a muffin top, it’s essential to fill each cavity of your muffin pan pretty full with batter.
• For this recipe, I find that filling each cavity 3/4 full using a standard 12-cup muffin tin works beautifully.
• However, if you want slightly smaller muffins or have a muffin pan with smaller cavities (each bakeware brand is different!), then feel free to fill the cavities 2/3 full. You’ll just need to fill 15 cavities across two pans.

How Long to Bake Muffins

This recipe was designed to bake at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time, just 14 to 15 minutes. Those overripe bananas help to keep the muffins moist instead of drying out in the hot oven.

How to Avoid Overbaking Muffins

Don’t use a dark-colored nonstick pan when baking muffins. It simply conducts heat too aggressively and can lead to burnt bottoms or dry edges. My favorite pan for muffin baking is either this Wilton or this USA Pan.

Does Resting the Batter Overnight Work for This Recipe?

I wouldn’t particularly recommend an overnight batter rest for this recipe.

If you’ve followed me for a little while, you may have seen my overnight muffin batter fridge trick. Basically, for muffin recipes that use baking powder, if you cover the batter and allow it to rest overnight in the fridge, then the muffins will bake up extra tall and tender the next day. Check out my full article on How to Bake Tall Bakery Style Muffins here.

However, this banana nut muffin recipe is a little different. It uses both baking powder and baking soda. Baking powder is double acting so it activates upon being mixed with liquid and when it hits the heat of the oven. Baking soda only acts upon being mixed with something acidic (like brown sugar). The baking soda in the batter will lose strength the longer it sits before being baked.

You can chill this batter in the fridge if you’d like to get a jump start on breakfast or brunch the night before. You’ll likely lose a little browning on the muffins while they bake. If you’re curious about learning more about baking soda vs. baking powder, click here!

How to Make MOIST Banana Muffins

1. Use a combination of oil AND butter! Use some oil for the sensation of moisture on the palate. This happens because oil is liquid at room temperature. It’s also my preference to use some melted butter so you get that beautiful distinct taste that only butter provides. This way, you get moistness and flavor!
2. Avoid overmixing your wet ingredients with the flour mixture as this will result in more dry, dense muffins instead of muffins with a moist crumb.
3. Follow the other tips above for using overripe bananas for the best guarantee of moist muffins!

How to Store Banana Nut Muffins

Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Can you Freeze Banana Nut Muffins? 

Place cooled muffins on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Remove them to an airtight container or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat in the microwave directly from the freezer (about 15 to 20 seconds) or thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven.

Print

Banana Nut Muffins

These are the BEST easy Banana Nut Muffins that the whole family will love! This recipe features super fluffy and moist banana muffins with crunchy walnuts or pecans studded throughout. You’ll love the crunchy topping of coarse sugar and extra nuts on top.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 large muffins

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (205 grams) bread flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder*
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
• 1 1/2 cups (354 grams) mashed, very ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)**
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) vegetable or canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (75 grams) walnut halves or pecans, toasted
• Coarse sugar, for garnish if desired

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Position an oven rack to the middle or upper middle position. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices if using.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the bananas, sugars, butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Pour into the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to stir until just barely combined. Stir in the nuts.
• Divide evenly among the muffin tin cups, filling each 3/4 full for large muffins. You can also make about 15 smaller muffins by filling the cavities of two pans just 2/3 full. Sprinkle each with a generous amount of coarse sugar for a crunchy shiny topping, if desired.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 14 to 15 minutes. Let cool in muffin pan for 5 to 10 minutes before removing to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

*Reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons if at high altitude.

**Be sure to use very ripe bananas that are deeply spotted and almost black for moist and flavorful muffins.

The post Banana Nut Muffins appeared first on Handle the Heat.

The best thing about banana muffins is they can be made so many different ways.

But banana and chocolate? This combination has a special place in my heart.

Enjoy one of these banana muffins with a cup of coffee to kick your day off with the MOST delicious start!

I’m sharing all my sweet tips for making the BEST Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins below.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins:

• Bread flour – Although bread flour does work best in this recipe, you can also use all-purpose flour instead. If you can, opt for King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, which has a higher protein content.
• Baking powder and baking soda – Be sure they’re fresh and active! Learn about baking soda vs. baking powder and how to test for freshness here!
• Fine salt – To balance out the sweetness.
• Ground cinnamon and nutmeg – To add a delicious warm spice to the muffins. These are optional – skip if desired.
• Bananas – Make sure your bananas are very ripe – more details on this below.
• Granulated sugar and light brown sugar – For sweetness and moisture. Learn more about all the things sugar does in your baking here.
• Unsalted butter and vegetable or canola oil – I always prefer unsalted butter in baking. Learn more about Salted vs. Unsalted Butter in Baking here. We are using both oil and butter in this recipe for multiple reasons – more on this below.
• Eggs – Eggs bring so much to baking, such as structure, tenderness, moisture, and more.
• Vanilla extract – For flavor.
• Semisweet chocolate chips – You could also use milk, dark, or white chocolate chips if you prefer. Mini chocolate chips will work just fine, too.
• Coarse sugar – For garnish, if desired.

How Ripe Should Bananas be for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins?

Be sure to use overripe bananas for these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins. Here are some of my best banana baking tips:

• The best bananas for baking should be very well-speckled or even nearly black.
• Overripe bananas are actually significantly sweeter and will contribute more banana flavor AND more moisture to the recipe.
• If you use underripe bananas (and when I say ‘underripe,’ I mean for baking specifically!), your muffins will be bland and dry.
• This is important when baking banana bread, banana muffins, banana cake, or banana cupcakes!

Can I Add Nuts to These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins?

• Sure! I created these muffins to include chocolate chips, but you can add some coarsely chopped nuts in place of some of the chocolate chips if you prefer.
• Just keep the same total volume of mix-ins the same as written in the recipe, for best results.
• I recommend lightly toasting your walnuts or pecans before adding them to the batter.

Do I Need To Adjust This Recipe For High-Altitude Baking?

Reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons if you are at high altitude. You may need to adjust more or less depending on your altitude.

How Do I Bake Tall Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins?

Tall Muffin Tip #1: Use Bread Flour!

• Bread flour has a higher level of protein content than all-purpose flour.
• That extra protein will allow the flour to absorb more moisture and add more structure.
• The result? Extra tall muffins that are still super moist and tender!

Tall Muffin Tip #2: Bake At A High Temperature!

• In this recipe, we bake at a high temperature for 425°F the entire time to get tall, beautiful muffins.
• You may have seen techniques that call for an initial burst of heat and then require you to drop the temperature down for a longer bake.
• I personally don’t love this method because all it takes is one time when you forget to lower the temperature, and you have scorched muffins.

Tall Muffin Tip #3: Fill Your Muffin Cavities 3/4 Full With Batter!

• For tall muffins that have a bit of a muffin top, it’s essential to fill each cavity of your muffin pan pretty full with batter. For this recipe, I find that filling each cavity 3/4 full using a standard 12-cup muffin tin works beautifully.
• If you want slightly smaller muffins or have a muffin pan with smaller cavities (each bakeware brand is different!), then feel free to fill the cavities 2/3 full. You’ll just need to fill 15 cavities across two pans.

Check out all my tips for baking tall muffins here.

How Long To Bake Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

This recipe was designed to bake at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time, just 14 to 15 minutes. Those overripe bananas help to keep the muffins moist instead of drying out in the hot oven.

How To Avoid Overbaking Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Don’t use a dark-colored nonstick pan when baking muffins. It simply conducts heat too aggressively and can lead to burnt bottoms and dry edges. My favorite pan for muffin baking is either this Wilton or this USA Pan.

How Do I Make MOIST Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins?

• Use a combination of oil AND butter! Use some oil for the sensation of moisture on the palate. This happens because oil is liquid at room temperature. It’s also my preference to use some melted butter so you get that beautiful distinct taste that only butter provides. This way, you get moistness and flavor! Learn more about oil and butter in baking here.
• Avoid overmixing your wet ingredients with the flour mixture as this will result in more dry, dense muffins instead of muffins with a moist crumb.
• Follow the other tips above for using overripe bananas for the best guarantee of moist muffins!

Does An Overnight Rest Of The Batter Work For Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins?

I wouldn’t particularly recommend an overnight batter rest for these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.

If you’ve followed me for a little while, you may have seen my overnight muffin batter fridge trick. Basically, for muffin recipes that use baking powder, if you cover the batter and allow it to rest overnight in the fridge, then the muffins will bake up extra tall and tender the next day. Check out my full article on How to Bake Tall Bakery Style Muffins here.

However, this banana nut muffin recipe is a little different. It uses both baking powder and baking soda. Baking powder is double acting so it activates upon being mixed with liquid, and also when it hits the heat of the oven. Baking soda only acts upon being mixed with something acidic (like brown sugar). The baking soda in the batter will lose strength the longer it sits before being baked.

You can chill this batter in the fridge if you’d like to get a jump start on breakfast or brunch the night before. You’ll likely lose a little browning on the muffins while they bake. If you’re curious about learning more about baking soda vs. baking powder, click here!

How to Store Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Can you Freeze Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins?

Place cooled Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Remove them to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat in the microwave directly from the freezer (about 15 to 20 seconds) or thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven.

Print

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Tall and fluffy, these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are loaded with sweet banana flavor and tons of gooey chocolate chips. They’re ultra moist without being too dense or claggy, and make for the perfect breakfast treat or sweet snack!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 large muffins

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (205 grams) bread flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder*
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
• 1 1/2 cups (354 grams) mashed, very ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)**
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) vegetable or canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
• Coarse sugar, for garnish if desired

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Position an oven rack to the middle or upper middle position. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices (if using).
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the bananas, sugars, butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just barely combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Divide evenly among the muffin tin cups, filling each 3/4 full for large muffins. You can also make about 15 smaller muffins by filling the cavities of two pans just 2/3 full. Sprinkle each with a generous amount of coarse sugar for a crunchy shiny topping, if desired.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 14 to 15 minutes. Let cool in muffin pan for 5 to 10 minutes before removing to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

*Reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons if at high altitude.

**Be sure to use very ripe bananas that are deeply spotted and almost black, for moist and flavorful muffins. 

This recipe was written in 2022 and updated in 2023 with additional baking tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins appeared first on Handle the Heat.

I love anything pumpkin this time of year. Give me ALL the fall flavors, cozy sweaters, and warm drinks. I’m basic like that.

It’s my favorite time of year, right alongside Christmas.

However… the one thing fall baking is often missing is chocolate. Don’t get me wrong, I love apples, caramel, and straight-up pumpkin spice. But I also require my daily dose of chocolate, so you know I’m going to find a way to bring it to the autumn party.

Enter, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins!

Quick and easy to make and so simple to throw together, these babies are ready in only 35 minutes. Check out just one of the countless 5-star recipes these muffins have received:

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Do I Have to Use Buttermilk? 

Do I Have to Use Dark Brown Sugar? 

You can use light brown instead (1:1 ratio) – however, dark brown sugar will lend more moisture and flavor.

Can I Leave Out the Chocolate Chips?

I actually have a separate recipe for that! Check out my streusel-topped Pumpkin Muffin recipe here. 

How to Make Flavorful Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

• Be sure all of your spices are fresh and not expired. The fresher the spice, the more powerful the flavor.
• I like to use canned pure pumpkin puree – preferably Libby’s brand.
• Never use canned pumpkin pie filling.
• Feel free to experiment with homemade pumpkin puree, but I don’t necessarily recommend it as it may add too much excess moisture.
• Check out my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin Puree post here.

How to Bake Tall Muffins

You may have seen that high-to-low baking temperature trick for getting muffins to bake up nice and tall. That trick works, but I almost always forget to lower the temperature – which, of course, ruins the whole batch! So, I simplified things for this recipe with just one temperature.

The height instead comes from using a generous amount of baking powder in the batter, and a generous amount of batter in each muffin tin cavity.

Check out my 3 tips for baking tall muffins here! Hint: Chilling your muffin batter overnight makes for the best muffins ever!!

Why Do My Muffin Liners Stick?

This is often due to the brand of liners. This is my favorite brand of muffin / cupcake liners. If this is a common issue for you, or you’ve just baked a batch of muffins and are finding the muffins sticking to the liners, check out my article on how to prevent muffin or cupcake liners from sticking here.

How to Store Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Store muffins in an airtight at room temperature for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 15 seconds, if desired, to get the chocolate chips nice and gooey.

Can You Freeze Muffins? 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins can be frozen inside an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave before serving.

Print

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are loaded with spices and gooey chocolate chips for a super easy 35 minute recipe, perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

• 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 cup (244 grams) pure pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix. Divide evenly among the muffin tin cups.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool until barely warm.
• Serve or store in an airtight at room temperature for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 15 seconds if desired. Muffins can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Notes

I don’t recommend using buttermilk substitutes for best results. Learn more about buttermilk in baking here. If you cannot use buttermilk, use whole milk instead (1:1 ratio) but note that your muffins won’t be quite as flavorful, and the pumpkin puree flavor may be more predominant. 

Be sure to use fresh spices for the most flavorful muffins. Older spices carry less flavor and may cause your muffins to be bland. 

This recipe was originally published in 2019 and has been updated with additional baking tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins appeared first on Handle the Heat.

When I was developing this banana muffin recipe earlier this year, Kelly, one of our Handle the Heat alumni, said, “They were perfectly moist and my hubby kept commenting on how fluffy they were. I say ‘were’ because they are all gone now!”

The inspiration for this banana muffin recipe came heavily from a recent issue of Cooks Illustrated which has been a longstanding source of inspiration for most of my career.

I made a few changes, including swapping out some of the oil for butter because butter… there’s no real explanation needed, but I do go into finer detail in the pink box below. I also added in some spices and brown sugar to boost the flavor.

What I love most about this recipe is that the banana muffins aren’t gummy or claggy. The texture doesn’t get stuck to the roof of your mouth and instead remains moist and fluffy. The best of both worlds!

Although this recipe is very simple, I’ve included tons of tips on the science of muffin baking in the pink box below. Read it to arm yourself with the answers to practically any muffin question you could have before trying out this recipe.

And after you bake a batch of these banana muffins, check out my Easy Banana Bread Recipe. Or even my Double Chocolate Banana Bread for an ultra-chocolatey breakfast treat.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Banana Muffins

How Ripe Should Bananas be for Muffins?

• Be sure to use overripe bananas for this recipe.
• The best bananas for baking should be very well-speckled or even nearly black.
• This is important when baking Banana Bread, muffins, Banana Cake, or Banana Cupcakes!
• Why use overripe bananas? Besides the fact that they’re not good for much else in the kitchen, overripe bananas are actually significantly sweeter and will contribute more banana flavor AND more moisture to the recipe.
• If you use underripe bananas (and when I say ‘underripe,’ I mean for baking specifically), your muffins will be bland and dry.

How to Mash Bananas for Banana Bread or Muffins:

1. Place bananas in a bowl or on a plate, and use a fork to mash them up.
2. OR, place bananas in a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the bananas until they’re mashed. 

Instructions for Baking TALL Banana Muffins:

Tall Muffin Tip #1: Use Bread Flour!

• Bread flour has a higher level of protein content than all-purpose flour.
• That extra protein will allow the flour to absorb more moisture and add more structure. The result? Extra tall muffins that are still super moist and tender!
• What if I Don’t Have Bread Flour? Although bread flour does work best, you can use all-purpose flour if you must.
• If you’ve got it, opt for King Arthur AP flour, which has a higher protein content.
• I haven’t tested these muffins with whole wheat flour.

Tall Muffin Tip #2: Bake at a High Temperature!

• In this recipe, we bake at a high temperature of 425°F the entire time to get tall beautiful muffins.
• You may have seen techniques that call for an initial burst of heat and then require you to drop the temperature down. I personally don’t love this method because if you forget to lower the temperature, you have a batch of scorched muffins.

Tall Muffin Tip #3: Fill Your Muffin Cavities 3/4 Full with Batter!

• For tall muffins that have a bit of a muffin top, you must fill your pan pretty full.
• For this recipe, I find that filling each cavity 3/4 full using a standard 12-cup muffin tin works beautifully.
• However, if you want slightly smaller muffins or have a muffin pan with smaller cavities (each brand is different!), then feel free to fill the cavities 2/3 full. You’ll just need to fill 15 cavities across two pans.

How Long to Bake Banana Muffins

This recipe was designed to bake at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time, just 14 to 15 minutes. Those overripe bananas help to keep the muffins moist instead of drying out in the hot oven.

How to Avoid Overbaking Muffins

Don’t use a dark-colored nonstick pan when baking muffins. It simply conducts heat too aggressively and can lead to burnt bottoms or dry edges. My favorite pan for muffin baking is either this Wilton pan or this USA Pan.

Does an Overnight Rest of the Batter Work for This Recipe?

Not perfectly. If you’ve followed me for a little while, you may have seen my overnight muffin batter trick. Basically, for muffin recipes that use baking powder, if you cover the batter and allow it to rest overnight in the fridge, then the muffins will bake up extra tall and tender the next day. Check out my full article on How to Bake Tall Bakery Style Muffins here.

However, this recipe is a little different. These muffins call for both baking powder and baking soda. Baking powder is double acting so it activates upon being mixed with liquid and when it hits the heat of the oven. Baking soda only acts upon being mixed with something acidic (like brown sugar). The baking soda in the batter will lose strength the longer it sits before being baked.

For this reason, I don’t particularly recommend the overnight chill for this recipe. You can do it if it’ll make your life easier, but you’ll lose a little browning on the muffins while they bake. If you’re curious about learning more about baking soda vs. baking powder, click here!

How to Make Moist Banana Muffins

1. Use a combination of oil AND butter! Use some oil for the sensation of moisture on the palate. This happens because oil is liquid at room temperature. It’s also my preference to use some melted butter so you get that beautiful distinct taste that only butter provides. This way, you get moistness and flavor!
2. Avoid overmixing your wet ingredients with the flour mixture as this will result in more dry, dense muffins instead of muffins with a moist crumb.
3. Follow the other tips above for using overripe bananas for the best guarantee of moist muffins!

Can I Add Nuts or Chocolate Chips to These Banana Muffins?

• Yes! Feel free to add 3/4 cup (75 grams) of walnut halves or pecans, chopped after measuring.
• For best results, toast them first too!
• You can also add 1 cup (170 grams) chocolate chips.
• Regular-size or mini chocolate chips will work.

How to Store Muffins

Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Can You Freeze These Muffins?

Place cooled muffins on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Remove them to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat in the microwave directly from the freezer (about 15 to 20 seconds) or thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven.

More Muffin Recipes You’ll Love:

• Pumpkin Muffins (with a brown sugar streusel on top!)
• Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Print

Easy Bakery Style Banana Muffins

Mile-high moist and flavorful banana muffins are sure to become your new favorite recipe. Be sure to use very ripe bananas that are deeply spotted and almost black for moist and flavorful muffins. Add in nuts or chocolate chips, or leave plain!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12 large muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (205 grams) bread flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder*
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
• 1 1/2 cups (354 grams) mashed, very ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)**
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) vegetable or canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• OPTIONAL: 3/4 cup (75 grams) walnut halves or pecans, toasted and chopped OR 1 (170 grams) cup chocolate chips
• Coarse sugar, for garnish if desired

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Position an oven rack to the middle or upper middle position. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices if using.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the bananas, sugars, butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just barely combined. Stir in the nuts or chocolate chips, if using.
• Divide evenly among the muffin tin cups, filling each 3/4 full for large muffins. You can also make about 15 smaller muffins by filling the cavities of two pans just 2/3 full. Sprinkle each with a generous amount of coarse sugar for a crunchy shiny topping, if desired.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 14 to 15 minutes. Let cool in muffin pan for 5 to 10 minutes before removing to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

*Reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons if at high altitude.

**Be sure to use very ripe bananas that are deeply spotted and almost black for moist and flavorful muffins.

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

This recipe was written in 2021 and has been updated with additional baking tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post Bakery Style Banana Muffins appeared first on Handle the Heat.

You know the ones: gorgeous mountainous domes with defined muffin tops that look like they belong on the shelf of a fancy bakery.

That’s what you’ll be baking up after you read this article! Your friends will ask you what fancy bakery you bought those muffins from.

Sprinkle of Science

How to Bake Tall Bakery Style Muffins

Option #1: Overnight Batter Rest (my favorite!)

• Chilling your muffin batter overnight in the fridge is the BEST thing you can do to make Tall Bakery Style Muffins.
• It makes them more moist, more tender, and TALLER!
• It’s very similar to chilling cookie dough, which if you know me you know I’m obsessed with chilling cookie dough. Think of it like marinating. 
• By chilling the batter, the starch in the flour is able to absorb more moisture, resulting in a more tender muffin.
• It also thickens the batter without drying it out, which helps encourage beautiful tall muffin tops without a crumbly or cakey texture.
• The flavors intensify and improve as well!
• This technique not only improves your muffins in all these ways, but it’s also perfect for getting a jump start on breakfast or brunch the night before!

Directions for Overnight Resting Muffin Batter:

• After mixing your batter, simply cover and chill in the fridge overnight before baking. No need to bring to room temperature before scooping into your muffin tin and baking.
• I prefer to rest the batter in one bowl instead of portioning out the batter into the muffin tin, then chilling. I believe the latter is more likely to dry out the batter and it doesn’t allow the flavors to meld together as nicely.
• Look at the pictures above to see just how much this technique improves the height of the muffins. But what you can’t see is how much more tender they are!

Before Overnight Resting Batter, Check Your Baking Powder

• Double-acting baking powder is necessary when chilling batter.
• Double-check your container, especially if using aluminum-free!
• Aluminum-free baking powders primarily react only with liquid and not with heat, which makes them react more quickly to your batter than most double-acting powders.
• With aluminum-free baking powder, you will need to bake your muffins right away, as the longer you wait, the less rise you’ll get.
• However, if you use a brand like Argo, which is aluminum-free but double-acting, you’re good to go!

Does Overnight Chilling Work For All Muffin Recipes?

• This will work for all muffin recipes containing baking powder as the leavener.
• Double-acting baking powder first activates upon being mixed with liquid and also when it hits the heat of the oven.
• Baking soda only acts upon being mixed with something acidic (like brown sugar). The baking soda in the batter will lose strength the longer it sits before being baked.
• You can chill batter containing both leaveners in the fridge, but you’ll likely lose a little browning on the muffins while they bake.
• If you’re curious about learning more about baking soda vs. baking powder, click here!

For Fruit Muffins (such as berries, apples, etc.), Should You Add the Fruit Before or After the Overnight Chill?

• Add fruit to the mixture just before baking.
• The juice of your fruit will more than likely bleed into your muffin if you put it in too early.
• To prevent your fruit from sinking to the bottom, spoon a little bit of plain batter (before adding in the fruit) to the bottom of each muffin cavity. Then, mix in the fruit to the batter and spoon it into each cavity.

Does The Overnight Chill Technique Work for Cupcake Batter?

• I don’t believe it will work quite the same for all cupcake recipes.
• Most muffin batters are quick breads, meaning there’s no creaming of butter + sugar.
• In muffins, there’s usually only baking powder. Baking powder is double-acting, meaning it activates upon mixing with moisture and then again upon the heat of the oven.
• For recipes only leavened with baking soda, which loses efficacy over time if it’s not baked immediately, this technique likely wouldn’t work as well.

Option #2: High to Low Baking Temperatures

The idea here is to start the muffins in a very hot oven for just a short amount of time. This activates the baking powder and allows the muffins to shoot up in height quickly. We then turn the heat down and continue to cook for longer. This is done to avoid overbrowning and overbaking. 

Directions for High-to-Low Temperature Muffin Baking

Start by baking for 5 minutes at 425°F, then turn the temperature down to 350°F and continue baking for 15 to 18 minutes.

Pros and Cons of High-to-Low Temperature Muffin Baking

• The muffins baked as instructed above were moist, soft, tall bakery style muffins.
• This technique is great if you have a thick muffin batter, don’t have the time to allow your batter to rest overnight, and you trust your oven (learn more about ovens here).
• This one isn’t my personal favorite because I find it annoying to mess around with the oven temperature while it’s baking. Not to mention if your oven is unreliable, this can be a challenging tip to follow. 
• Or… if you’re like me and forget to turn the oven back down, this technique is a bit traumatizing when you accidentally ruin a batch of muffins!! 
• That’s why in my Ultimate Muffin recipe, I prefer to bake at 400°F the entire time. You get more height than a lower temperature, just enough browning for slightly crisp buttery edges, but no risk of forgetting to turn the oven temperature down.

Option #3: Fill Your Muffin Tin Cavities with More Batter!

• Many muffin recipes instruct you to fill your muffin tin cavities two-thirds full. If you want taller muffins, fill three-quarters full or even all the way to the top of the pan.
• You may have less yield, but they’ll look more like beautiful tall bakery style muffins with more distinct muffin tops.
• This works especially well with muffin recipes that yield 15 muffins. I’ll typically just split that batter between 12 muffin cavities in a standard pan. Then add a minute or two to the baking time to ensure they cook through.
• If you try this with a recipe that yields 12 muffins, you may only get 9 – but they’ll be beautifully tall!

BONUS TIP: Use your oven’s convection setting!

If you have one, using the fan setting can help to encourage your muffins to rise up nice and tall. Some convection ovens automatically adjust the oven temperature, but if yours doesn’t, be sure to reduce your baking temperature or you’ll overcook your muffins. Learn more about convection oven settings here.

Troubleshooting Flat Muffins

Why Didn’t My Muffins Rise?

• Make sure your leavening agents are fresh and effective. Sometimes they lose their leavening power even before the expiration date printed on the packaging.
• Learn how to test your leavening agents for freshness here.
• Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. If it’s not hot enough, your muffins won’t rise well.
• Don’t undermix your batter. Sometimes people get so worried about overmixing (which will cause tough and rubbery muffins) that they barely bring the batter together. This doesn’t allow gluten to develop, which is the structural backbone of muffins. 

Why Did My Muffins Sink?

• Your muffins may have been underbaked. If they weren’t set enough, they’ll sink as they cool.
• Try adding a few extra minutes to your baking time.
• You want a toothpick inserted to come out with a few moist crumbs attached.

Delicious Muffin Recipes to Try:

• Ultimate Muffins
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
• Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Double Chocolate Muffins
• Chocolate Coffee Toffee Crunch Muffins

Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

The post How to Bake Tall Bakery Style Muffins appeared first on Handle the Heat.