I don't love to bake, and I mostly don't love having baked goods on hand, as they tend to be a lot of carbs and sugar, which don't really work for my dietary needs. Banana Bread has always been the exception. My great-aunt Alice made the best banana nut bread. She used buttermilk, and it was always moist and delicious. With all of my family's food allergies, buttermilk and walnuts don't always make it into my mix. Trader Joe's sells a great box mix that I can use to make it with extra-creamy oatmilk, but I have to remember to buy it, and I don't always have it on hand when the bananas go ripe. So then I put the bananas into the freezer and try to remember to use them. I have decided to try making ahead my own dry mix, and maybe that will make it easier to keep the muffins my family (and I) love on hand. I kind of use the banana bread mix as a base for other muffin mix-ins. A cup of blueberries is a favorite, but other fruit works too, and a crumb topping is often a nice addition (kind of makes up for no nuts). So here is the recipe I found and am going to try.
Making the Dry Mix in Advance
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk together 6 cups of all-purpose flour, 1.5 cups of sugar (white or brown sugar works), 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon.
- Storage: Store this bulk dry mix in an airtight container or a large glass jar in a cool, dark pantry for up to 2 to 3 months. [1]
- Dry Portion: Measure out about 2.5 cups of your pre-made dry mix.
- Wet Ingredients: Mash 2 ripe, overripe bananas with a fork, then whisk them together with 1 large egg, 1/3 cup of melted butter or oil, 1/3 cup of milk or water, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. [1, 2, 3]
- Combine: Pour the wet banana mixture into your dry mix. Fold gently with a spatula until just moistened; do not overmix or the muffins will become dense. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- Bake: Divide into a lined muffin tin and bake at 350°F to 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes
