Caramelized Banana Muffins with Peanut Butter Streusel - Cherry on my Sundae (2024)

These caramelized banana muffins with peanut butter streusel combine two amazing flavors to create one incredible bake! A delicious way to start the day.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Chunky peanut butter: Chunky peanut butter adds a nutty flavor and texture to the streusel topping of the muffins. You can use creamy peanut butter if you dislike peanut chunks. Make sure to use a conventional peanut butter brand and not natural peanut butter which only includes peanuts and salt.
• Ripe bananas: Ripe bananas are essential for caramelizing and incorporating into the muffin batter. When caramelized, they release natural sugars and develop a rich, sweet flavor that enhances the overall sweetness and moistness of the muffins.
• Buttermilk: Contributes to the tenderness and moisture of the muffins. Its acidity also reacts with the leavening agents, such as baking powder, to help the muffins rise and achieve a light and fluffy texture. If you can't find buttermilk, use whole milk instead.
• Greek yogurt: Serves as a source of moisture and richness in the muffin batter. It adds creaminess and helps keep the muffins tender while also contributing to the overall texture. If you don't have yogurt, you can use sour cream instead.
• Whole wheat flour: Adds nutritional value to the muffins, providing dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It also adds a nutty flavor and slightly denser texture compared to all-purpose flour, making the muffins more wholesome. You can choose to use only all-purpose for the muffins instead.
• Cinnamon: Adds warmth and depth of flavor to the muffins, complementing the sweetness of the caramelized bananas and the richness of the peanut butter streusel.

Substitutions and variations

• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour instead of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.
• Nuts: Try this recipe using a different nut butter such as cashew butter or almond butter.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Caramelize bananas

I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like banana bread. It's such a versatile and easy bake that always brightens the day. So why not start the day with banana bread's cousin, banana muffins? These muffins are, in my humble opinion, slightly tastier than banana bread because of the caramelized bananas.

When you caramelize bananas, or any fruit for that matter, the sugars break down, intensifying the flavors. It's a certain and quick way to turn ordinary fruits into extraordinary toppings.

To caramelize the bananas, first slice two medium ripe bananas into 1-inch thick slices. We want to caramelize as much of the surface of the banana as we can, so we're slicing them.

Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Then, add the sliced bananas and cook until they are browned and caramelized, ensuring to flip them to brown evenly. Once caramelized, transfer the bananas along with any remaining melted butter into a heat-safe bowl. Mash the bananas and set them aside to cool.

Step 2: Prepare peanut butter streusel

Next, prepare the peanut butter streusel topping. In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of melted butter with ½ cup of chunky peanut butter, mixing until well combined.

Add ½ cup of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup of brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the peanut butter mixture. Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, forming a cohesive streusel paste.

Streusels, in general, are more dry and crumbly but this topping is stickier from the peanut butter. If it looks thick, almost like cookie batter, then you're doing it right.

Step 3: Make muffin batter

Now, it's time to make the muffin batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon until evenly combined.

I decided to use a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose to make the muffins healthier. The nutty whole wheat flour also compliments the nutty peanut butter and deep banana flavors. However, the muffins are slightly denser, so if you want a fluffier muffin, use only all-purpose flour.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together 6 tablespoons of softened butter and ⅔ cup of brown sugar until creamy and fluffy, which should take about 4-5 minutes. Take your time with this step because the creaming method that helps these muffins achieve their soft texture.

Next, add ⅓ cup of buttermilk, ¼ cup of plain Greek yogurt, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and the mashed bananas to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing until well combined. Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.

Step 4: Bake

Fill each muffin cup with the batter, dividing it evenly among the cups. Top each muffin with a generous portion of the prepared peanut butter streusel, breaking it into smaller chunks as you go. It may seem like a lot of streusel but honestly, the more, the better!

Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake the muffins for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Once baked, remove the muffins from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy these caramelized banana muffins with peanut butter streusel warm or at room temperature.

As soon as these muffins came out of the oven and I saw how the streusel looked like peanut butter cookies, I knew I hit the jackpot. A peanut butter cookie and caramelized banana muffin mash-up? Now that is genius. And these muffins are proof of that!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: You can prepare the caramelized bananas and peanut butter streusel the day before and keep both in the fridge.
• Store: Keep the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

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