Strawberry Banana Muffins - vegan

I have a habit, in this new home base of ours, of getting to the farmers' market about 20 minutes before it closes. Sometimes that means slim pickings, and sometimes that means the strawberry guy is shouting very loudly about $5 three packs he's doing his best to get rid of sell before closing. This Sunday, that meant I came home with normal amounts of onions, cherries, tomatoes, and peaches (yes!! peaches! they even taste good!). And strawberries. Lots of strawberries.

And so commenced a strawberry muffin search. The first one I tried wasn't bad exactly, but it sure wasn't good. I had such high hopes; the recipe came with pretty pictures and from a reputable source. I couldn't see a way to improve it enough, so I just started over and trusted myself.

This unfussy incarnation turned out sweet and light. In fact, I would be tempted to reduce the sugar even further next time, and I think almond extract could be a nice addition.


Strawberry Banana Muffins - vegan

1 1/2 C (8 oz) chopped strawberries

1/4 C plus 1/2 C sugar

1 C (16 oz) very ripe mashed banana (about 2 small)
1/3 C vegetable, olive, or coconut oil
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C flour
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with liners.

In a two-cup glass measuring cup or small bowl, combine strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar. Lightly mash and set aside.

Whisk together the banana, oil, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, 1/2 C sugar, and flour in a large bowl. Add in the strawberry mixture and vinegar and whisk until just combined.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. They should be about 3/4 full. Bake on center rack for 20-25 minutes. Muffins will be puffed and slightly golden, and a cake tester inserted into the middle will come out clean.

Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and allow to finish cooling on a rack.