Cinnamon Oatmeal Topped Banana Muffins

When the wisps of the hushed morning creep throughthe slits in the kitchen curtains, the siren smell of coffee can only be enhanced by a delicate, nostalgic scent of nutty oats that intertwine with meltingly sweet bananas. How many of us remember a delicious, tender loaf of banana bread as a treat in your younger years? Thickly sliced, with little rivets of melty butter enveloping your senses, its velvety texture a pillow-like contrast to the crackle of the breakfast granola against your teeth.

When I was just a wisp of a child, we did not do a large amount of baking in my house. Some cookies and quick breads made their appearances occasionally, but decadent cakes, flaky pies, and delicate pastries were very special occasion treats that I liked but associated mainly with holidays. Quick breads, like Zucchini bread or Banana bread, evoke images of our old wood stove in the living room, or the crisp, biting air of a colorful autumn day in New England. We had a towering Pine Tree in our backyard that I used to climb up and bask in the expansive view of hayfields, cornfields, and beyond while nibbling things like a hearty banana bread.

Mountains of Cinnamon Oatmeal Topped Banana Muffins.

Since I don’t have a time honored recipe for banana bread passed down through generations, I spent a long time discovering what I really loved about the individual parts of banana bread, and what I did not like. The most tremendous part of a banana bread to me are the two outer slices, which have little crisped up edges that have amarked contrast to the luxurioustexture of the middle of the bread. If there is s a topping like coarse sugar, it satisfyingly crunches between your teeth and has crystalized with a hint of caramel flavor - Bananas Foster without the mess and extra effort.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Topped Banana Muffins, side by side like little soldiers.

Traditional banana bread is transformed into a slightly lighter texture in these muffins, with a fine, even crumb. One achieves the crisped edges of the end pieces perfectly 12 times with this recipe for banana muffins. To enhance the natural sweetness of the bananas, a granola inspired oatmeal topping adorns the little puffed up crowns of the muffins, lending a much needed cinnamon, salty crunch to delight your tastebuds in the morning.

These muffins are so easy to throw together in the quiet moments of your morning, early afternoon, or whenever strikes your fancy faced craving. They do notrequire a lot of fussing, and can be whipped up for an impromptu picnic, last minute treats for a young child’s playdate, or even an adult playdate over a steaming cup of Earl Gray tea.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Topped Banana Muffins, up close and personal.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Topped Banana Muffins

Author: Iris Anna Gohn

Servings: 12 Muffins

These delectable little muffins take less than 20 minutes to measure out and assemble, and for me, most of that time was filling the muffin tin and adding the topping before baking. The muffins are more tender and delicate than traditionally sturdy banana bread, but still maintain enough heartiness in texture to remain a muffin rather than cross the threshold to cupcakes. They are excellent with a bit of butter alongside a cup of tea or coffee, or ice cold milk.

They keep well in an airtight container or sturdy Ziplock bag on the counter. I don't recommend freezing these little guys because they're pretty moist and I think they may get a little gummy if you do that. You can, however, use frozen bananas in this recipe because lets be honest, who doesn't have a few "about to go bad but I can't throw them away" bananas kicking around in your freezer?

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1/3 Cup melted then cooled Butter *
1 Egg, room temperature
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
3 very ripe Bananas, mashed

Oatmeal Topping:

2 1/2 Tbsp melted then cooled Butter
1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 Tbsp packed Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F and grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
In one medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla, and bananas. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the rest of the melted butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and rolled oats. Set aside.
Carefully scrape wet ingredients into dry ingredients with a spatula and gently fold together till stiff batter forms. It should take about 15-20 folding strokes to incorporate everything together. Take care to not over-mix the batter, as this will result in tough muffins.
Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin tin. Evenly spoon Oatmeal topping mixture into each muffin cup.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in muffin tin for about 5 minutes, then gently transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Store in an airtight bag or container.

*i tend to always use salted butter as that's what I typically have on hand. There is roughly 1/4 Tsp salt per stick of butter, in case you need to adjust salt levels for taste or medical necessity.