Banana Coconut Crunch Muffins

There they are. Those old, brown bananas. They seem to be breeding fruit flies as you read. No, as you blink. But is plain ol' banana bread worth the effort? Should you toss those yellow beauties of yester-week and cut your losses?

No. 

Because now you have the recipe old, brown bananas were made for. Intended for. Over-ripened for. Allow me to give you the life-giving elixir [aka recipe] for those banished bananas:

The Muffins:

• 3 C all-purpose flour
• 2 C sugar
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t baking soda (Oops! -- I left this out on accident. Still turned out great)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 C whole milk (I had cream and 1%. After a little research, I learned you can combine 3 T cream with 1 C skim/1% to approximate whole milk)
• 2 t pure vanilla extract
• 1 C mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
• 1 C medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)
• 1 C small-diced pecans
• 1 C old-fashioned oats
• 1 C sweetened shredded coconut
• Streusel (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Grease or line muffin pans (makes 18-20). Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl using a whisk. Add the melted butter and stir well. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and mashed bananas. Add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and stir well to combine. Don't overmix.

Fold the diced bananas, pecans, oats and coconut into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each to the top. Top each muffin with streusel. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.

The Streusel: 

• 1/4 C butter, softened
• 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 C light brown sugar
• cinnamon (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Using two knives, cut the butter into the mixture [basically you're coarsely "chopping" the butter] as you would if making a pie crust (if that makes no sense to you, it's probably because of my bad explanation. Watch the video below). 

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/banana-crunch-muffins-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

WARNING: If you proceed any further down the page, you may not want to consume. I'm still including the nutrition information. You have been warned. But you should still make them. And eat one today. Save one for tomorrow. And take the rest to your neighbors. =)

Yeah, it's definitely not a hearty, healthy breakfast muffin. It's more of a dessert muffin. Those nutrition facts down there ... that's approximately per muffin.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 104 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 364 Calories from Fat 163

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 18.1g 28%

Saturated Fat 9.2g 46%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 48mg 16%

Sodium 215mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 47.6g 16%

Dietary Fiber 2.5g 10%

Sugars 25.0g

Protein 4.7g

Vitamin A 8% • Vitamin C 3% Calcium 5% • Iron 12%

Nutrition Grade D+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Bad points

• High in saturated fat
• High in sugar