Bad Banana Muffins

Bad Banana Bread or Muffins

  • 2 bad bananas (skin turning black, fruit inside is mushy)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2-1/2 cups flour
  • 3-1/2 teaspoons baking POWDER (do not substitute baking soda)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

If you are baking bread, grease and flour the bottom and sides of two mini bread loaf pans.  If you are baking muffins, grease the insides of two muffin pans (each pan has 12 muffin cups), then place a paper or foil cupcake or muffin liner in the greased cups.  Greasing the cups before inserting the liners makes it easier to remove the muffins when they are cooked.

Preheat the oven to bake at 350°F.

In a large bowl, mash up the peeled bananas with a mix-master or wooden spoon.  Add in the sugar, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla.  In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking POWDER (not baking soda), salt and cinnamon.  Gradually add these dry ingredients to the banana mixture.  Stir until well-blended but don’t keep stirring to make the mixture soupy.  It should be pretty thick.  Add in the nuts and/or chocolate chips if you like these add-ins.

Halve the dough between the two bread pans. To make muffins, use a 1/4-cup measuring cup, and ladle about 1/2-3/4 scoop of batter into the muffin cups. If you included the chocolate chips and nuts, 3/4 of a 1/4-cup measuring cup of this recipe will yield 18-19 muffin cups. You only fill the cups about one-half to three-fourths full, to allow room for the dough to rise as it bakes.

Bake the muffins 15 minutes and check with a toothpick.  If the toothpick inserted into the deepest part of one of the central muffins pulls out any particles, bake the muffins 5 more minutes. Bake the bread for about 40-50 minutes.  Test by inserting a toothpick into the thickest part of the bread or muffin.  The toothpick should not have any dough particles clinging to it when you withdraw the toothpick. If you see particles, bake another 5 minutes and test again.  Repeat until done.  This recipe for banana bread does not BROWN on top, so be careful not to overcook the bread or it will be dry.