“Procrastibaking: the art of making muffins instead of whatever else you should be doing.”–as seen on INTO THE COOKIE JAR
I had work to do, but there it sat. The lone, leftover banana. Muddled and marred by dark brown spots, hiding its inner-sweetness. Too mushy to eat, but perfect for baking. But what?
Nosing around in my cabinets, I noticed a partial bag of chocolate chips. Hmm? Maybe I could bake chocolate chip cookies, but would I be able to use a banana in it? Not sure if that would work, at least regarding taste. Then, it hit me like a Monday morning: muffins!
I was pretty sure that I had once read that bananas can be used as a substitute for an egg in a recipe. Sure enough, for once, my memory was correct. One banana equals one egg. Now don’t get me wrong, bananas cannot do everything an egg can do when baking, but in a recipe such as this one, where I am also including vinegar and baking soda, bananas are a decent substitute.
Speaking of vinegar . . . Why add it to baking? Historically speaking, vinegar has been used in baking for centuries. One such example was during the Great Depression when rations, such as eggs and butter, were limited. One teaspoon of baking soda combined with one tablespoon of vinegar makes baked goods light and fluffy. Even if you are using an egg, adding one tablespoon of vinegar to a cake, cookie, or bread recipe will help batter rise, increase moisture, and even brighten the color.
Regarding flours, you will notice that I chose a combination of two different types as well as oat bran. This was an intentional choice due to the fact that I have celiac disease, so I cannot consume wheat. Additionally, I wanted to increase the fiber/nutritional content of these muffins while keeping the texture light and fluffy side. Think of it as a compromise–balancing out the white flour and sugar with the nutritional profile of oats! Plus, I happen to like baking with oats and oat flour due to the texture and moisture oats tend to create while not lending an overpowering flavor. Nonetheless, you could use almond flour, rice flour, or other preferred varieties. In fact, you could simply use nothing but all-purpose flour if that is your preference. As long as the total amount of flour remains the same, most flours should be fine!
Finally, feel free to play around with the stir-ins. There’s up to one cup total, so make the recipe yours. Stir in raisins, walnuts, peanut butter chips, dried cranberries, chopped dates, butterscotch chips, chopped pecans, and so forth. Make the recipe fit both your taste preferences and/or the ingredients you have on hand.
Once these muffins are baked and cool enough to serve, slather one with butter or your favorite nut butter. Dip them in maple syrup–who says it’s for pancakes only? Drizzle agave or honey over the tops. Then again, eat ‘em plain–after all, they will be plenty moist!
Customize this recipe, and make it work for you and yours! Then, hit me up on social media, or send me an email, and let me know what variation worked for you! In the meantime, enjoy procrastibaking! 🙂
Chocolate Chip Muffins, with gluten-free, plant based options
Recipe inspired by Betty Crocker’s 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook Betty Crocker’s Cookbook/40th Anniversary Edition Hardcover – September 1, 1991,
Allergy Awesomeness, Rhian’s Recipes, HealthyGirl Kitchen
Ingredients:
¾ cup oat flour*
¾ cup oat bran*
1 cup all purpose flour, gluten-free flour*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana
1 cup milk, any variation
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ -1 cup chocolate chips, gluten-free and/or vegan if desired/needed
½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
Sparkling sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line 12 muffin tins with parchment paper or nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Mash banana in a medium bowl.
Stir in milk, sugar, vanilla, and vinegar.
Gently combine liquid ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined.
Fold in chocolate chips and/or nuts, if using.
Divide batter evenly among cups.
Top with extra chips, and/or sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if desired.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack.
Serve immediately.
Can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, or can freeze for up to 3 months.
After refrigerating or freezing muffins, reheat muffins before serving.
Makes 12.
*Notes: Feel free to mix and match types of flours, and even leave out the bran, to suit your needs/taste preferences as long as the total amount of flour used equals 2 ½ cups. Additionally, while I have to bake/eat gluten free and choose to eat plant based, you choose the ingredients that match your preferences. Finally, you can use an egg, ¼ cup applesauce, or ¼ cup yogurt to replace the banana if desired or don’t have a banana on hand.
Enjoy the yummy results of procrastibaking!
Steph Simply 