The classic banana muffin made with your choice of fresh milled flour.
I opened the freezer the other day and realized I had gobs of overripe bananas just hanging out, waiting to be transformed into something edible.
I am pretty sure this is the American Way of dealing with brown bananas: to not deal with them until they overtake the entire freezer. Or start oozing on the countertop. (Ewww. Don’t eat those.)
Banana muffins, it is!
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The easiest fresh milled flour treat
If you haven’t tried banana muffins with fresh milled flour, I think you’ll love how easy and satisfying they are to make.
When you start making fresh milled flour yeast breads, it can be a huge learning curve getting the proper rise and texture.
But quick breads like muffins are some of the easiest fresh milled breads to conquer. (At least, you’ll feel like a conqueror and that’s what matters here.)
And if you need to feed a crowd, you can make a big batch of these muffins and freeze them ahead of time for no-hassle breakfast or brunch.
What flour to use for FMF banana muffins
The other fun part of making muffins: it really doesn’t matter what kind of fresh milled flour you use.
The common practice is to use soft white wheat for quick breads (which use baking powder and/or baking soda as the leavening agent), and to use hard wheats for yeast breads.
However, I’ve learned that we don’t really love the taste of soft white wheat. So I typically use either spelt or hard white wheat (or a combination) for my quick breads instead. And they turn out wonderfully!
Whole, unsifted grains lend themselves well to muffins. And I promise these are so much better than those “bran muffins” of the 90s that were mostly sad imposters.
So if you’re ready to use up some of those bananas in your freezer (or on the counter), read on!
How to make fresh milled banana muffins
You’ll start by milling your grains as finely as you can. In the pictures for this recipe, I used half hard white wheat and half spelt, using my Nutrimill Harvest mill.
I have also started testing out the Nutrimill Impact Grain Mill. If you happen to be shopping for your first mill, this one is an excellent budget-conscious option. I honestly can’t tell the difference between the two mills in the end product.
Choosing flour(s)
I usually use all spelt for muffins. I think that’s my first choice, if you’re on the fence of indecision. 😉
You could easily use soft white wheat or any of the fancy ancient grains like Einkorn. Spelt is easier to find in my area and cheaper, so I tend to have plenty of it.
**Note: This recipe makes a big batch of 24 muffins. You can cut it in half if needed!
Mix ’em up
After milling your flour in a large bowl, you will add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
You can mash your bananas in another small bowl next. Overripe bananas are the best to use in baked goods, for the strongest and sweetest banana flavor.
Next, you’ll make a well in the flour bowl and add the wet ingredients and the sugars, along with the chopped walnuts if desired.
After stirring well to combine, I like to let the mixture sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes to soak up the grains. If it seems too dry after that, you can add a little more milk.
Fill your muffin liners at least 3/4 full. Note: I like to use these tulip muffin liners because they hold up well to hearty muffins!
Lastly, you can add the optional cinnamon/sugar topping just before baking. This adds a subtle crunch without being overly sweet.
See recipe card below for full instructions.
Fresh Milled Banana Muffins
Hearty whole grain muffins make an easy grab-and-go breakfast or anytime treat.
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh milled spelt flour (or a combination of spelt, hard white wheat, or soft white wheat, Einkorn, etc.)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar (such as organic cane sugar)
- 2 cups milk (or dairy free alternative)
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (or vinegar)
- 2 cups mashed bananas
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
Cinnamon Sugar Topping (optional)
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mix together the 2 cups milk and 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar in a small bowl (to create buttermilk). Let sit while mixing other ingredients.
- Whisk together all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugars.
- Make a well in the bowl of dry ingredients and add remaining ingredients: mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla, olive oil, and finally the milk/lemon juice mixture.
- Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes. In the meantime, mix together the cinnamon sugar topping in a small bowl.
- Line muffin tin with muffin liners and fill each 3/4 full with the muffin batter. Spoon cinnamon sugar topping on top of each muffin just before placing in oven (optional)
- Bake at 400 F for approx. 14-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Notes
*You can substitute honey or maple syrup for the sugar, if desired. I would use 1 cup of honey in place of all the sugar. You will also want to add the milk last and slowly add it until you get the desired texture (you will likely need to reduce the milk by about 1/4 cup).
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Spiced Fresh Milled Apple Bars