Delicious and moist banana bread or muffins that are perfect for breakfast. Makes one loaf or a dozen muffins. This is also a great base recipe for other muffins. Just leave out or replace the bananas with other fruit. Some variations are listed at the end of the recipe.
3 ripe bananas (with brown spots is extra good!)
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk or soy milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar (recommended to use less if the bananas are very ripe)
1 3/4 cups flour (I like it best with spelt flour, but a mix of whole wheat and white is good too)
1 tsp vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
Chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or other desired additions (optional)
Preheat oven to 350F.
Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. It sometimes is useful to add all or part of the liquid ingredients to get the bananas fully mashed up.
Mix all ingredients together except for the vinegar. Once everything is well combined, add the vinegar and just briefly mix. The batter should bubble up from the vinegar reacting with the baking soda.
Pour batter into muffin tins or loaf pan. Bake. The muffins take about 15-20 minutes and the loaf about 40-50 minutes. Remove from your oven when a toothpick comes out clean.
Some variations I like:
Blueberry: Replace bananas with 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.
Apple Spice: Replace bananas with 2 grated apples. Add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice.
Pumpkin Spice: Replace bananas with 1 cup pumpkin purée (can also use butternut squash). Add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice.
Carrot, Raisin and Nut: Replace bananas with 1 cup grated carrot. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of both raisins and chopped walnuts.
Zucchini and Nut: Replace bananas with 1 cup grated zucchini. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.
Almond Poppy Seed: Leave out bananas. Add approx 1 tsp almond extract (to taste) and 1/4 cup poppy seeds.
