Banana Crumble Muffins

I enjoy finding new blogs and new virtual friends who share my affinity for good food, especially taking steps to make recipes a little bit healthier and better for you.  They inspire me just like my real-life friends do.  Half of my friends are very fit and exhibit a clean-eating lifestyle.  The other half could really care less about it and just cook what they can, when they can.  I like having pals on both ends of the spectrum. 

I'm somewhere in the middle.  I strive to eat better and cook better but I certainly enjoy good ole' white sugar and some preservatives every now and then too, in moderation.  It's all about the balance, right?  Here's one recipe that I don't think any of my friends could argue about.  This banana crumble yummy goodness is courtesy of a new blog I discovered called Muncher Cruncher.  I took her recipe and made a few adjustments for my taste buds, leaving out the pudding, adding in an additional banana and some flax seed too.  It's healthier than most muffin recipes and it's great tasting too!  Enjoy!






Banana Crumble Muffins
(Makes about 12 large or 24 mini muffins)
Adapted from Muncher Cruncher


1 and 1/2 cups wheat flour (I use King Arthur White Wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tbsp ground flax seed meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 bananas, mashed 
1/4 cup white sugar (I used Stevia)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg whites (or 1 regular egg)
3/4 cup fat free vanilla yogurt (I used Greek)

Crumble Topping: 
1 tbsp light butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoon wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Generously spray a 12-muffin tin baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the 1 and 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground flax seed meal and salt. 

In a separate bowl, beat together the bananas, sugars, egg whites, and yogurt. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until incorporated. Spoon batter into muffin tins until they are 3/4 of the way full.

Now you can prepare the crumble topping.  In a small bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour and cinnamon. It should form a crumble mixture.  Sprinkle topping over muffins. 




In the above photo, you can see that the top two muffins have the crumble topping.  The bottom two do not have the crumble (not yet anyway!)


Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.   Serve and enjoy. 




You wouldn't even know that they are banana muffins looking at them.  But just wait until you bite into them..... soooo good! 


You can also freeze these for later.  I love to make a batch of muffins and freeze 2/3 of them for another time.  I simply place them in freezer-safe storage bags, label them and pull them out when I want to eat them.  I can typically heat one up in the microwave for breakfast or a snack in less than a minute.  Muffins are great for on-the go too! 


Do you use liners when you make cupcakes or muffins? 

Fact: I can't stand using liners.  I know those pans can be a pain to clean but I like getting more out of my muffin and not having to peel it from those papers!