Introduction
This recipe came about because I wanted a quick homemade treat to serve when my son’s friends came over for playdates and, as always, I had a few very ripe bananas waiting to be used.
Banana and Nutella felt like the perfect combination: popular with children, equally popular with adults and easy enough for little helpers to get involved. The recipe is very quick to prepare, which also means less time for the children to create complete chaos in the kitchen!
The result is a batch of wonderfully soft, squidgy and moist banana muffins, each topped with a swirl of Nutella. They have now been tested by quite a few children, and the verdict has been an enthusiastic thumbs-up every time!
Materials
- 200 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 150 g unsalted butter, softened (10-20sec in the microwave)
- 100 g caster sugar
- 3 ripe bananas, thoroughly mashed with a fork
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Approximately 12 teaspoons Nutella, one for each muffin
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
- Lightly butter a 12-hole muffin tin or line it with muffin cases.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
- Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Beat on medium speed until smooth.
- Gradually add the sugar and continue beating for approximately 2 minutes, until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add the mashed bananas and mix for approximately 1 minute.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each one is incorporated before adding the next.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- The mixture may look slightly split or curdled at this stage, but do not worry, it will come together once the dry ingredients are added.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Place 1 teaspoon of Nutella on top of each muffin.
- Use the tip of a knife or a skewer to gently swirl it into the surface, taking care not to mix it in completely.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the muffins have risen and a skewer inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
- Leave the muffins in the tin for 5–10 minutes before transferring them.
Discussion
These muffins are extremely easy to make and a great way to use bananas that have become too ripe to eat on their own. They can also be made without the Nutella, the banana and cocoa muffins are still delicious by themselves.
I have deliberately reduced the amount of sugar compared with many similar recipes, as the ripe bananas and Nutella already provide plenty of sweetness.
I also tested a quicker method in which all the dry ingredients, including the sugar, were mixed together before being combined with the wet ingredients. The muffins were still delicious, but creaming the butter and sugar first produced a noticeably softer, lighter and more squidgy texture. In my opinion, it is worth the extra couple of minutes.
The same mixture can be baked in a cake tin, although it will need approximately 15 minutes longer in the oven. It remains perfectly edible and very tasty, but its exceptionally moist texture means that it may not slice as neatly as a traditional banana cake. For the best texture and easiest serving, I recommend making the recipe as muffins.
Inspired by the recipes below, with a few Foodblot adjustments after plenty of testing. Kids and adults have loved them. Enjoy!
