Banana Muffins

My boys love to bake with me and this is a recipe that we make together quite a bit. They love to mash the bananas, crack the eggs, and line the muffin tins with muffin liners. Sometimes we will even put dark chocolate chips in them, which makes them more like dessert than a snack or breakfast! I top them with oats and walnuts or you can find a yummy mascarpone cream frosting recipe here. The recipe comes from one of my favorites, Giada De Laurentiis. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed
• Oats and walnuts for topping (optional)
• Dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Mash the Banana. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir. Stir in chocolate chips if desired. 

Place the batter in the muffin tins. Top with oats and walnuts if desired. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly.