Strawberry Banana Muffins

This recipe makes enough for about 15 muffins or an 8" x 4" loaf. The batter is dense because it is chock full of fruit, but yields a fluffy muffin with strawberry bits in every bite!

Ingredients

• 1 egg

• ¼ brown sugar

• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp. white sugar

• ⅓ cup canola oil

• ¼ cup whole milk yogurt (greek yogurt or sour cream would also work)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1½ cup + 1 tbsp. flour, divided

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 ripe bananas)

• 1½ cups fresh strawberries, quartered

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line muffin tins with baking cups.

2. Wash and slice strawberries, coat with 1 tbsp. flour to help suspend them in the batter.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together the egg, sugars, oil, yogurt, and vanilla. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. Fold in the mashed banana, then gently fold in strawberries.

5. Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Bake muffins for 20 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

6. Let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!!

Note: Baking time for an 8" x 4" loaf tin is 50 - 60 minutes.

Strawberry season is here! We just got a few pints of strawberries from a local area vendor. The berries are generally smaller than the ones in the store but they taste approximately 5 million times better. They're sweet with just a hit of tartness, which makes them perfect for eating raw or baked into something yummy! I was so excited to make something with them, especially since I hadn't baked for a week after being on vacation. When we got back, the bananas we left behind were super ripe and ready to be baked with. Thus, strawberry banana bread was the inevitable outcome.

Personally, I am not the biggest fan of banana bread because it's easy to end up with a dry loaf that doesn't taste like bananas. The whole milk yogurt, oil, and strawberries combine to make muffins that stay moist for a few days, while 1 cup of ripe banana ensures a good banana flavor. They aren't overly sweet so if using less sweet strawberries you can increase the sugar to suit your tastes. This recipe would also be delicious with raspberries, blueberries, or some combination thereof. It could also become a cupcake-like dessert if paired with a glaze or some cream cheese frosting. The possibilities are truly endless!

I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as I do! Enjoy the early summer weather, eat some berries, and bake some banana muffins! Happy baking :)