What do you do with over ripe bananas that have gone a little past their prime eating stage?
Bananas ripen so quickly from hard green to black soft in a week or so. If you put them in the fridge, they ripen even quicker.
Do you throw it, or feed it to the compost worms, or do you make one of the most delicious muffins ever! Here is a recipe that Kim uses to great effect when we have over ripe bananas in the fruit bowl.
Banana and Walnut Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (250 g) plain flour
- 1 tablespoon bicarb soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 1 cup (220 g) white sugar
- ¾ cup (115 g) brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
- 2/3 cup (170 ml) full cream milk
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts
Method
- Preheat oven to 180° C. Grease muffin trays with oil or butter. Alternatively line with paper muffin cases or baking paper. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, bicarb soda and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in the bananas. Add flour mixture alternately with the milk to the creamed mixture. Stir in chopped walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared muffin trays. Top each muffin with half a walnut for decoration.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool, then get stuck into them!
Just so you know what you are looking for during preparation, here are a few photos.
Banana and Walnut Muffin mixture in muffin cases
Kim said that these muffins are so easy to make. Not only do I love watching her bake, but the end result is amazing.
Banana and Walnut Muffin cooling on rack
This recipe makes between 14 to 18 muffins, depending on how much mixture you put in the muffin cases.
Banana and Walnut Muffin cut in half
Here is one of the muffins cut in half. It was moist and delicious with a cuppa. Kim has been packing one of these for my afternoon tea each day. I so look forward to 3.30 pm so that I can tuck in to this baked delight!
Just think. These muffins started life as bananas that were destined for the worm farm! It is amazing how you can reduce food waste when you put your mind to it.
Hi Gavin.Love the muffins. I tend to buy bananas when they’re cheap and throw them straight into the freezer, skin on, for future muffin or banana bread use. Works for me!
That is a great idea Julie. Might do the same thing next time I want to save some.
I freeze them in their skin until ready to use them. This makes the bananas sweeter and I use less sugar in the muffins.
Hi Gavin
Thanks to you and Kim for the great recipe. I made a batch today and so was able to use up some of the ripe bananas that have accumulated in the freezer. I shared them with friends and family for afternoon tea. Very successful as one friend took the recipe home to make some herself.
Thanks for the feedback AmelieAnne! Kim is making another batch tomorrow.