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These caramelized banana muffins with peanut butter streusel combine two amazing flavors to create one incredible bake! A delicious way to start the day.
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What makes this recipe special
They say that many creations were accidental inventions. It's only through trial and error that we learn, right? Well, that applies to these caramelized banana muffins with peanut butter streusel. I've been toying with the idea of making some sort of banana and peanut butter muffin, but I wasn't sure how to approach it.
It wasn't until I caramelized bananas that I realized I had to make them the star of the muffin. And then, after testing the peanut butter streusel, I realized that the topping should almost resemble a peanut butter cookie. The result is the combination of a peanut butter cookie with an intense banana muffin (in a good way!). If you love peanut butter with bananas, I think you'll love these muffins!
For another peanut butter or banana treat, check out this peanut butter cinnamon bread, cinnamon streusel streusel coffee cake, and Neopolitan banana pudding!
Ingredients
- 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 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 flour 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.
Recipe
Caramelized Banana Muffins with Peanut Butter Streusel
Ingredients
Caramelized bananas
- 2 tablespoons butter (28 grams)
- 2 medium ripe bananas (227 grams)
Peanut butter streusel
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (28 grams)
- ½ cup chunky peanut butter (132 grams)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (65 grams)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (50 grams)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Muffins
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 grams)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (130 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons softened butter (85 grams)
- ⅔ cup brown sugar (133 grams)
- ⅓ cup buttermilk (83 ml)
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (57 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Caramelize bananas. Slice bananas into 1-inch thick slices. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add sliced bananas and cook until browned. Flip and cook until browned and caramelized. Remove from heat and transfer bananas and any remaining melted butter into a heat safe bowl. Mash bananas and let cool.
- Make peanut butter streusel. Combine melted butter with peanut butter in a medium bowl, mixing until combined. Add flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and stir until well combined. The streusel will almost be like a paste.
- Make muffin batter. Combine both flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- Combine softened butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for 4-5 minutes or until creamy and fluffy. Add buttermilk, yogurt, egg, vanilla, and mashed bananas and mix until well combined.
- Add dry flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fill muffin pan with batter and top with peanut butter streusel, breaking up the streusel into smaller chunks.
- Bake muffins for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Notes
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 drier and more 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 flour to make the muffins healthier. The nutty whole wheat flour also complements 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 stand mixer bowl, 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 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
Yes, you can use either creamy or chunky. The chunky peanut butter adds texture from the peanuts, but you can use creamy as well. The most important note is to use conventional peanut butter (not natural peanut butter), which has sugar in the ingredients.
Normally, you use overripe bananas for banana bread, but for this recipe, you want ripe bananas. The banana should have plenty of brown spots but not completely black. It should be fairly soft to the touch but not mushy.
Yes, these muffins freeze well. Once cooled completely, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat in the microwave before serving.
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