Strawberry Banana Muffins

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I simply just love these muffins. First of all, they're healthy; full of whole wheat, fruit in three forms, and a bit of agave to sweeten. Second of all, this recipe is a small batch which I love because muffins I usually bake for myself and I can never finish 24 muffins before they go bad. Thirdly, they're easy as can be. And lastly, they are freaking delicious! Sweet enough, perfectly moist and full of flavor; mmm I can't get enough of 'em.

About the lime glaze, it's definitely not necessary since the muffins are perfectly sweet on their own, and quite delicious nonetheless but, I happen to just looooove the lime in the glaze. It gives the muffins a nice zing-y taste and a pop of flavor.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Yields: 6 muffins

Each muffin is about 100 calories and less than 1 g fat.

Original recipe here.

3/4 cup chopped strawberries

2 tbsn. agave

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 banana, mashed

2 tbsn. applesauce

Optional glaze:

1 strawberry, finely chopped

1 tbsn. lime juice

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 6 muffin tins with paper liners, spray the paper liners with non stick spray (this MUST be done or else they stick to the liners like crazy), set aside. In a small bowl combine the chopped strawberries and agave, let sit. In the meantime, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine the mashed banana, egg, applesauce and vanilla. Add the dry mixture to the banana mixture. Mix with a fork until just combined. Fold in the strawberry mixture then spoon into the muffin tin, filling to the top as they don't rise much. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. If glaze is desired, mix all ingredients together and drizzle on top of the muffins. Enjoy!

Ricotta Anything Muffins: Two Ways

These muffins are delectable.

The ricotta in the batter is so unbelievable dreamy and creamy. The sugar on the tops add a teeny bit of crunch and the berries add a bit of tang. The almond extract is a nice addition as well, as it goes great with both blueberries and raspberries.

I ended up trying two different recipes just for experimental sake. I had only planned on making the blueberry muffins but the recipe only yielded 10 muffins plus I had tons of ricotta left over. The blueberry muffins use almond meal, which is a bit harder to come by and just a teeny bit more of a hassle to make. So for the raspberry muffins I eliminated the almond meal but still had all the delicious almond flavor by using extract and topping it with more almonds.

Raspberry Ricotta Muffins

Yields: 10 muffins

Slightly adapted from here.

Printable Recipe

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 stick butter

1 egg

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 cup fresh raspberries

1/4 cup slivered almonds, for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with liners and set aside. Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl cream together the sugar and butter. Add the egg, ricotta and extracts and mix well. Mix wet with dry until just moistened. Fold in the raspberries carefully. Pour batter into prepared tin. Sprinkle each with a little sugar then top with slivered almonds. Bake for 28 - 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

I really can't tell which muffin I like better. Each of them were incredible in my opinion. The ricotta is what really makes these muffins. They were so moist and full of flavor! But honestly you could add whatever fruit or flavorings you'd like in this muffin, I'm sure anything would be just as delicious as these combinations!

Blueberry Ricotta Muffins

Yields: 10 muffins

Original recipe from Stick to Your Hips, which can be found here.

Printable Recipe

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

1 egg + 1 white

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with liners and set aside. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, egg white, vanilla, almond extract and ricotta cheese. In a small bowl mix the flour, almond meal, salt and baking powder. Stir into the ricotta mixture until just moistened. Fold in 1 1/4 cups of the berries. Fill muffin tin with batter and press the remaining berries on top of the batter, then sprinkle with extra sugar and bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

Moist and bursting with juicy blueberries!

Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

It's fall. The weather might not agree, but the mood just reads fall. Do you know how I know it's fall? I know when I start to crave all things pumpkin; when my mind won't linger off of the topic of pumpkin. I... can't... get... it... out... of... my... MIND.

That's why I made these. Fall also marks the beginning of school for me. Times when I need something that sustains me yet is easy to bring around. Muffins qualify as a school-friendly snack to me. You can grab them and just go. But these? These will keep you satisfied since they're filled with loads of oats and yummy fall-ish pumpkin flavor.

They're made with whole wheat flour, just a smidgen of sugar and oats. So that way you can snack and still feel good about it, well even feel great about it, since it tastes so yummy! Without the glaze it's more like a pumpkin bread but I think the glaze added the right amount of sweetness to qualify it as a muffin.

Healthy Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Slightly adapted from here.

Printable Recipe

For the streusel:

2 tbsn. pumpkin puree

2 tbsn. honey

2/3 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

For the muffins:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 1 large banana or 2 small

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tbsn. canola oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

For the glaze (optional):

1/8 cup brown sugar

1 tbsn. milk/ half and half/ whatever you have on hand

1 tbsn. butter

1 tbsn. pumpkin puree

1/2 cup powdered sugar, as much as needed

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a muffin tin with liners, set aside. In a bowl combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In another bowl combine the pumpkin, bananas, brown sugar, oil and egg. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture. Stir together until incorporated. To make the streusel, combine the pumpkin, honey and cinnamon. Mix well, then mix in the oats, set aside. Divide batter evenly among muffin tin, top with streusel and bake for 16 - 18 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. To make the optional glaze, combine the brown sugar, milk and butter in a small saucepan. Heat until sugar is melted. Pour into small bowl, let cool a little then add in the puree and powdered sugar, mix well. Glaze each cooled muffin with 1 teaspoon of glaze. Enjoy!

Banana Nutella Muffins with Streusel Topping

I had some way-beyond-salvation-overripe bananas in my kitchen so I decided to make some muffins. I wanted to try something new and I remember seeing a recipe for Banana Nutella muffins so I quickly hopped to it! These were as simple as tying your shoes; mix, bake, enjoy!

Overall I was liked these muffins but was not very impressed, sadly. If I hadn't already known there was Nutella in the muffin, I would have never guessed it. I think next time swirling in the Nutella into the batter before baking rather than mixing it into the batter would be the more genius idea! But an extra spread of Nutella really did do the trick to fix these in a snap.

Banana Nutella Muffins with Streusel Topping

Yields: 12 muffins

Slightly adapted from here and here.

Printable Recipe

For the muffins:

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 large or 2 small ripe bananas, mashed

1 egg

3.5 oz. milk

4.5 tbsn. butter, room temperature

3 1/2 tbsn. sugar

3 - 4 tbsn. nutella

For the streusel:

2 tbsn. butter, room temperature

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup quick cooking oats

2 tbsn. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a muffin tin with liners and set aside. For the muffins, cream together the sugar, butter and egg. Once well creamed, fold in the nutella and the mashed bananas. In a small bowl combine the milk and the baking soda and mix well. In another medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour and milk mixtures to the creamed mixture alternatively. Incorporate well but make sure not to over mix as it can make your muffins tough. Fill the muffin tin about 2/3 full and set aside. For the streusel, mix all of the ingredients together and using your hands work the butter into the mixture until it is all combined and is crumble-y. Top each muffin with about a tablespoon each of the mixture. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool before eating and enjoy!

Ina Garden's Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

Every year for our family's Thanksgiving party, my sister and I always make the dessert and side dishes, which usually consists of crescent rolls (and I'm not ashamed either, they're way better than anything I could make) and cornbread. This year, I decided to give Ina Garden's cornbread recipe a try. I'm a big fan of Ina's show on the Food Network, Barefoot Contessa, and her simple approach to French cooking. Though this recipe was certainly not French inspired in any way, it was undeniably delicious, and true to her words, this cornbread definitely did not disappoint. The crisp, golden brown cheese was definitely the thing that put me over the edge. To those of you afraid of the jalapenos, don't fret, removing the seeds and the inner membrane cut down on a lot of the heat while still providing just enough bite to counter the sweet corn flavor.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread:

Yields: about 18 muffins

3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup yellow corn meal

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

2 cups milk

3 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded plus extra for garnish

3 jalapenos, seeded and minced

1/3 cup of scallions, chopped plus extra for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan, set aside. Combine the first five ingredients into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk and cooled butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix, be careful not to over mix. Fold in the two cups of the cheddar, 1/3 cup of the scallions, and the jalapenos. Let the mix sit at room temperature for roughly about 20 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with the remaining cheddar and scallions. Then pop into the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Slice into squares and serve.

Note: You can also bake these as muffins using a muffin pan, cook time change: 15-20 minutes.