By midterm, I get bored with packing lunch boxes everyday. I seem to pack the same thing and get too caught up in the morning rush to be inventive.
Add to this, at least once a week I have some overripe bananas that no one will touch, I either peel them and put them in the freezer till I can use them, or I gather a willing kid to help me squish them to make a great lunchbox snack.
Weather you feel the same or not, these banana muffins will cheer up any school or office lunch box, so whip them up with your kids the evening before and don’t forget to include an extra one for the teacher.
Watch the video on my YouTube channel Everyday Baking with Grace Stevens
Ingredients:
4 overripe bananas
250 ml brown sugar
125ml oil
2 squirts of vanilla paste (or 5 ml vanilla extract)
2 eggs
250ml flour
125ml oats
125ml desiccated coconut
5ml cinnamon
5ml baking powder
5ml bicarbonate of soda
- Preheat the oven to 180º C and either grease a 12 hole muffin tin or place muffin liners into the tin.
- In a large bowl, mash bananas and sugar until no large pieces of banana are left.
3. Add eggs, oil and vanilla paste and mix well.
4. Add flour, coconut, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarb to the banana mixture.
Mix well, you can add chopped walnuts or pecan nuts at this stage if you wish.
5. I use a 80 ml measuring cup (1/3 of a cup) to put the batter into prepared muffin tins.
6. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. I touch the top of the muffin gently with my finger, if it springs back quickly, it’s baked, if it doesn’t, leave the muffins for a bit longer.
7. Tip the hot muffins in the tin to prevent soggy bottoms while they cool.
8. Store in an airtight container till you pop them into lunch boxes or serve with cheese for breakfast.
