Description
These Strawberry Banana Muffins are soft, moist, and bursting with fresh fruit flavor. Made with mashed ripe bananas and chopped strawberries soaked in sugar, these muffins have a perfect balance of sweetness and texture, enhanced by the addition of oats for a wholesome bite. They are easy to prepare and baked to a golden finish, making them ideal for breakfast, snacks, or a healthy treat any time of day.
Ingredients
Fruit Mixture
- 1 ½ cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Muffin Batter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Juice reserved from strawberries
- Chopped strawberries reserved
Topping (optional)
- Coarse sugar or rolled oats for topping
Instructions
- Prepare strawberries: In a bowl, combine the chopped strawberries and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Let the mixture sit for 1 hour to macerate. After an hour, drain the strawberries, reserving both the liquid and the berries separately for use in the batter.
- Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners or grease the pan with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cream sugar and butter: In a medium bowl, beat together the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and softened butter until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which takes about 2-3 minutes.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the eggs until fully incorporated. Then mix in the mashed bananas and vanilla bean paste until smooth and well combined.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, quick-cooking oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This ensures even distribution of the leavening agents and salt.
- Combine batter: Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, alternating with the reserved strawberry juice. Finally, gently fold in the macerated strawberries to preserve their texture without overmixing.
- Fill muffin cups: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately two-thirds full. If desired, sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar or rolled oats for an added crunchy texture.
- Bake muffins: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The muffins should be golden on top and spring back lightly when touched.
- Cool: Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Macerating the strawberries with sugar helps to draw out their juices and intensify their flavor in the muffins.
- You can substitute vanilla bean paste with vanilla extract if necessary.
- To store, keep muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
- For gluten-free options, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend and ensure oats are gluten-free.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep muffins tender and light.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snack, Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
