Banana Oatmeal Muffin

Banana! It's one of my favourite fruits and I swear by Dole. They are best enjoyed when ripened with tiny freckles on the skin; however we could never wait long enough for them to reach this stage. So, whenever I feel like having a banana-y cake, I always had to approach the aunty fruit-seller and ask if they have ripened bananas. Usually they stash them under the table, thinking that no one will buy them! Hidden gems, indeed.

This banana muffin recipe is easy and delicious. It's my husband's favourite..when topped with sweet cinnamon struesel. Mine too but I try to go for the lesser evil and top them with cinnamon and rolled oats for some crunch. Not the same but well.. it means u maaaay be able to reach for the 2nd muffin without the additional guilt.

Banana Oatmeal Muffin
Adapted from here

• 195g all-purpose flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk (or sub with 1 cup normal milk + 15ml lemon juice, let stand for 10 min)
• 4 ripe bananas, yellow-skinned with many many freckles. Even those with browned skin is gd.
• 2 tablespoons sunflower/canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 190C.

#1. In a large bowl, mix  flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda together.

#2. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, 3 mashed banana, oil, egg and vanilla together.

Pour #2 into #1, stir just until blended. Do not over-mix. It's fine to see some bits of flour still seen in the mixture.

Pour batter into cupcake liners. Drop a chunk of banana (cut from the 4th banana) into each and press them into the middle of the cup. (I tend to grease the muffin pan and fill up to 95% of the cups so it creates a spill-over muffin top. Be sure to grease the pan for easy removal of muffins or the tops may break away.)

Mix rolled oats with cinnamon and spinkle generously over each muffin. Add some walnuts if you like.

Or

go all out and mix up some streusel topping and pour them even more generously over each muffin.

Streusel Topping (100g self-raising flour, 100g brown sugar, 70g cold butter, cinnamon powder)

Bake for around 15 to 20 minutes. Cool and enjoy!