Banana Nut Muffins with Black Bottoms
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Banana Nut Muffins with Black Bottoms have to be one of my favorite brunch recipes. They combine two of my most favorite flavors are banana and chocolate. Put them together in a jumbo muffin and the flavor combination is sublime!
This is a great recipe when made in a Jumbo Muffin Tin since it allows enough room to fully enjoy both flavors. For a pure Banana Muffin, check out my Banana Nut Muffins Recipe with Three Toppings.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- The moist banana bread on top, speckled with dark ribbons of chocolate is a little teaser for what is to come.
- The banana muffin top is moist and so flavorful it’s similar to my Ultimate Banana Bread Recipe
- No electric mixers needed! These batters can be whipped up with a bowl and a whisk!
- The chocolate bottom below is rich and chocolatey and so easy to make. To enjoy this flavor combination in a traditional loaf pan then try my chocolate banana bread, that’s another winner!
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A Fun Surprise
When your guests slice them open they will be pleasantly surprised with a rich chocolate bottom! The pattern is a nice touch and makes for a pretty muffin when sliced.
Step#1: Make the Chocolate Bottoms
First, make the chocolate batter. Then fill each muffin well with just one scoop of batter. If you use a standard-size ice cream scooper, that’s a perfect amount.
Skip the Muffin Papers
These muffins are prettier without muffin papers since you’ll see the exterior swirl. But spray your muffin cups well (even if it’s non-stick!) with baking spray. This will assure an easy release.
Step#2: Make the Banana Nut Batter
The secret to a flavorful banana muffin is a very ripe banana. If your bananas are not very ripe they will not impart much banana flavor or sweetness.
How-To Ripen a Banana Quickly
- Preheat oven to 300F
- Line a sheet pan with foil
- Place unripe bananas on the pan.
- Bake for 10 mins. Then flip
- Bake for another 10 mins until black on both sides
- Allow bananas to cool, then split them open and use as directed
Use a Potato Masher
Bananas are also easier to mash when they are very ripe. A potato masher is a handy tool for mashing bananas into a chunky puree. It works better than a fork.
Top The Chocolate Batter with the Banana Batter
Top each muffin well filled with the chocolate batter, with the banana batter, until it reaches almost the top of the tin. This will allow the muffins the ability to create a nice domed effect once they are baked.
STEP#3: Add Walnuts
I like to add walnuts on top for a bit of crunch, but you could omit them for any allergies or ad some chocolate chips or shredded unsweetened coconut would be great too. If you have extra unsweetened coconut use it to make my Ultimate Coconut Cream Pie recipe.
STEP#4: Bake and Cool
Bake at 400F (200C) for 15 minutes then reduce to 350F (175C) for 5 minutes. The higher temperature up front will force the muffins to rise up and dome on the top, then reducing the temperature prevents them from burning and allows the muffins the chance to fully bake inside.
The Benefits of Cooling
Allow to cool completely before serving. They will be easier to remove from the muffin tin that way. They will set up and be easier to slice too. I also find the flavors of the banana and the chocolate are even more pronounced the cooler the muffins are.
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Banana Nut Muffins with Black Bottoms
Two of my most favorite flavors are banana and chocolate. Put them together in a Banana Nut muffin and the flavor combination is sublime! This is a great recipe when made in a Jumbo Muffin Tin since it allows enough room to fully enjoy both flavors.
Ingredients
For chocolate bottoms:
- ¼ cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (120 ml) hot water
- ½ cup (100 g) of sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
- ½ cup (120 g) flour
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- ¼ tsp (1.25ml) baking soda
For Banana Nut Top:
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (120 ml) canola oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup (210 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- 2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
- 1/3 cup (50 g) chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
- Spay a jumbo 6-cup muffin tip with baking spray and set aside.
- Mix together the chocolate batter first. In a large bowl whisk together the cocoa powder, water, and sugar. Then add the oil, egg and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
- In a small bowl add the flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, whisk until combined.
- Using an ice cream scoop fill each well in the tin with 1 generous scoop and set aside.
- Then make the banana batter. In a large bowl mash the bananas with a fork or a potato masher. Add eggs, oil, water, sugar and vanilla, whisk until combined.
- In a smaller bowl add flour, salt and baking powdered, whisk until combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until combined.
- Scoop out banana mixture on top of chocolate mixture, going just about to the top (leave about ¼ inch at top)
- Place chopped walnuts on top.
- Bake muffins for 15 mins at 400F (200C) then reduce to 350F (176C) for 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely and then serve!
Notes
The secret to a flavorful banana muffin is a VERY ripe banana. If your bananas are not very ripe they will not impart much banana flavor or sweetness.
If you need to ripen bananas in a hurry place them on a sheet pan lined with foil and bake at 300F for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through. They will turn black and be sticky and sweet inside. Perfect for baking!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 228Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 38mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 7g
I love your recipes and have used quite a few in the past. I was just browsing through your site and came upon this muffin recipe. I have all the ingredients but do not have a jumbo pan. Can you advise me as to how much time the baking process should be while using a regular size muffin tin.
Thanks Beth (and I really enjoyed your videos from France this year.
Oh sure I would do 375F for 20-22 mins. I hope you enjoy them and so glad you enjoyed the videos in France! More coming up this summer!! 🙂
I have made this recipe twice now and I love it!
The first time I reduced the sugar slightly. The second time, in both batters of muffins, I reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup. They still turned out great and this is how I will be making it moving forward.
I just made these and completely forgot the walnuts at the end. I also had to substitute 100 grams of sugar with brown sugar since I ran out halfway. They still turned out delicious! I love watching your videos because it’s so detailed and clear, quite fool proof for a baking beginner like me.
I will try again another time, making sure I have all the ingredients set out. The only direction I didn’t follow from the written recipe was 15 minutes at 400C since in the video you suggested 12 – 13 minutes.
Hi, I made these muffins. Everyone loved it. Thanks
YAY! So glad they were a hit! 🙂
looks delicious and i guess we’re going to try it in the morning because i’m done eating all those omelettes. thanks for sharing this tasty dessert. looking forward to seeing more of it