Banana Coffeecake Muffins

A pile of sad over-ripe bananas almost, but not quite rotting in the fruit bowl snagged my attention this week. No matter how hard I try and anticipate what foods will be loved or despised by my children’s constantly evolving taste buds, I never quite hit the target. Last week? I had to stop in at the store mid-week to grab an extra bunch of bananas for smoothies and yogurt parfaits. This week? The bananas are turning brown and going completely untouched.

But I had a plan: a batch of simple muffins to the rescue and no banana goes to waste. These sweet and delicious muffins have a light texture much like a coffee cake but in muffin form. The decadent crumble topping makes them feel extra special without a lot of extra effort and the hint of espresso in the batter is the perfect compliment to the sweet bananas. (What’s coffee cake if it doesn’t have a little coffee in it?)

I made a batch of these muffins for the family and everyone gobbled them up before I could even brew a pot of coffee. We all decided they tasted best warm, split open with a little pat of butter. The muffins were gone in a day and requests were made for another batch to be made immediately. I would call that a win. Of course, there’s always room to modify and a sprinkle of blueberries mixed into the batter or a handful of chocolate chips would be a lovely addition. However you decide to make them, you can’t go wrong. Perfect as an everyday treat or special enough to share with friends and coworkers.

Banana Coffeecake Muffins

• 3 large very-ripe bananas

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Crumble topping

• 4 tablespoons softened butter

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup rolled oats

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and line with cupcake wrappers.

In a large bowl, peel and mash the ripe bananas. Add the eggs, sugars, vanilla, oil and Greek yogurt to the bowl. Whisk to combine, stirring until the ingredients are well-combined and smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon and instant espresso. Whisk to combine.

In two batches, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, gently stirring until a batter forms.

To make the crumble topping, combine the butter, brown sugar, oats and flour in a small bowl. Use a fork to mix the ingredients until a crumbly mixture forms.

Scoop the batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup about 80 percent. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of the crumble topping over the tops of the muffins. Bake in the oven for about 18 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve warm with a slather of butter and a nice fresh cup of coffee or tea. Recipe makes 14-16 muffins.