Chocolate Flecked Banana Muffins with Salted Pecan Crumble
These muffins are made for Saturday mornings when you want all of the week’s stresses to go up in a cloud of flour and glory.
Super-moist banana muffins with flecks of chocolate and a nutty, crumbly topping.
- 1.5 c. all-purpose flour (spooned into measuring cup)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1 large room temperature egg
- 1 c. (heaping) mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas, see TIP A below)
- 1/4 c. mascarpone or quark (see TIP B below)
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. (heaping) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, chopped into small flecks or shavings
- 2/3 c. coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/4 c. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 c. rolled, old-fashioned oats
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and firm
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
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Arrange your oven racks so that one is set in the middle and has at least 8 inches headspace. Preheat your oven to 350°. Coat up to 16 standard muffin cups (each about 2.5 inches in diameter) with cooking spray or line them non-stick muffin liners. Set pan aside.
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Combine the first 5 muffin ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl and set aside.
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Next, put the softened butter (1/2 cup) and granulated sugar in a second large bowl (if using a hand-held electric mixer) or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on this time. You want to create a very light and fluffy mixture.
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Add the egg to the butter-sugar mixture and beat on medium-high speed for an additional 15-20 seconds. Then add the mashed ripe banana, mascarpone or quark, and vanilla. Mix until combined and scrape down sides as needed.
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Before combining the wet and dry muffin ingredients (you want to do this as close to putting the muffins in the oven as possible), prepare the chocolate shavings and crumble topping. Measure a heaping 1/2 cup chocolate chips onto your cutting board and chop them into fine flecks or shavings for the muffins. Set aside. Next, put all of the crumble topping ingredients (pecans, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, cold butter, oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon) in the bowl of a mini or standard food processor and whir briefly until crumbly. Set aside.
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Return to your muffin batter. Add the dry muffin ingredients to the wet ingredients. Do in 2 batches and briefly mix in between each addition (don't over-mix). Then add the chocolate shavings from your cutting board and briefly mix again.
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Divide the muffin batter between 14-16 greased or lined muffin cups (each cup should be about three-fourths full). Use the back of a spoon to genty spread the batter across each muffin cup and then create a small well at the center of each cup. Fill the wells with a spoonful of crumble topping. Add 1-2 more spoonfuls of crumble topping over each muffin. Bake on the center rack of a preheated 350° for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden and crusty and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with moist crumble (no wet batter). Let the muffins cool at least 15 minutes before attempting to remove them from the pan. Enjoy warm or let cool completely and store in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Defrost at room temperature and warm briefly in the microwave before serving.
TIP A: The one thing that can stand in the way of making homemade banana muffins is not having ripe-enough bananas. When making these muffins, you really want bananas that are past their perfectly yellow stage. They should be either mostly black or heavily freckled with black spots—having just turned too ripe to eat whole. To quick-ripen bananas that are still yellow and firm, my mom's tip is to put them in a low-heat oven (peel on)—around 200-250°—for 30-60 minutes or until adequately black and softened. Let cool before use.
TIP B: Mascarpone or quark are my secrets to making super-moist banana muffins (or banana bread). They're both thick, tangy dairy products—like a cross between yogurt and cream cheese—commonly used in making cheesecake, tiramisu, and other savory-sweet desserts. If you can't find mascarpone or quark (often sold in the soft cheese or cream cheese sections), then a combination of 2 tablespoons whole-milk yogurt and 2 tablespoons cream cheese is a good substitute.