Simple, healthy, dairy-free banana muffins
Simple.
Don’t you just read that word, and already feel a sigh of relief?
Occam’s razor had it down. Sometimes, the simplest answer is really the best one.
Simply delicious? Now we’re talking. But of course, not at the expense of other important things too.
At the beginning of the week, at the beginning of the new year, we want something simple, healthy, and delicious. And some of us need that something to also be dairy free.
Bold hypothesis 1: We CAN make simple swaps to adjust a tried-and-true banana bread recipe to be even simpler, a little healthier, and just as delicious!
Method
Recipe Source:
I’ve made this recipe many times, mostly as is (see next dairy-free modifications section, next). It is reliably delicious, moist, and tender, just as a banana bread should be.
Dairy-Free Modifications:
Instead of melted butter, I swapped in vegetable oil.
In the past, I’ve also used melted margarine or melted coconut oil. Both have been delicious. But I couldn’t help but wonder, could it be just as delicious, and even easier, if I just poured in the equivalent amount of vegetable oil?
Procedures:
The steps to the recipe are happily simple.
Mash your bananas (Figure 1). I often store extra bananas in the freezer, and take them out for smoothies and banana bread needs. Pro tip: cut in half, peel, and put in a freezer safe bag. It’s much easier and less gross than defrosting a whole banana.
Figure 1. Mashed bananas, mashed bananas.
2. Mix in the rest of the wet ingredients (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Bananas and other liquids.
3. Mix your dry ingredients. Here is where I made two simple changes:
I swapped in some whole wheat flour for some of the all purpose flour, so that I had a 1:1 ratio.
I added in about a tablespoon of cinnamon. Because, banana bread needs cinnamon.
Figure 3. I have a dry sense of humor.
4. Mix until just combined, then pour into muffin tins. Mine made a little more than a dozen muffins, though you could top them up a bit more if you desire. Instead, I chose to make one special one as well (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Ready, set, bake!
Results
One dozen + one bonus fluffy, yummy, and delicious muffins (Figures 5-6)! Free of dairy, and by some definitions, slightly healthier than the original. They were enjoyed as breakfasts and snacks by a few happy family members.
These were great as is, and also great when slightly warmed with a shmear of peanut butter or margarine on them.
Figure 5. Some banana muffins in the sunshine.
Figure 6. Mmmmm!
Discussion
Sometimes, you don’t have to overcomplicate things. We were able to make three tiny changes to make this great recipe dairy-free, slightly healthier, and even more delicious.
A simple swap of vegetable oil for melted butter works in this recipe to make it free of dairy, just like most quick breads and cakes. In fact, some prefer oil to butter in these baked goods, to help with moisture retention and lightness. You might notice that some recipes even call for both, to try to get the best of both worlds. I would not recommend this substitution when the recipe relies on butter taste (recipes forthcoming on dairy-free “browned butter”!) or the solidity at room temperature (e.g. cookies).
Everyone’s definitions of healthy are probably different, but if you’re looking to add more whole grain or fiber into your diet, making a swap of half of the all purpose flour for whole wheat flour seemed to work in this recipe! Given that these muffins could be part of a breakfast or snack, it’s a good time to address these goals (rather than ruining your brownies- although I do recommend checking out my early post on whole wheat chocolate chip cookies!).
Finally, we added in cinnamon to complement the bananas, a very tiny tweak with subtle but yummy results. Quick breads are adaptable so you could certainly add your own flair with a combination of spices, add-ins like nuts or chocolate chips, or swirl in some peanut butter or tahini.
Banana bread and muffins freeze great if you’re looking to preserve your leftovers. Just pop them out of the freezer when ready, and either let them defrost naturally or warm them gently in the microwave or oven. However, you’ll have to make an effort not to let your family eat them all at once!