Name: Banana-Walnut Muffins
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1⅔ cups (9⅛ ounces/259 grams) bread flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon table salt; 4-5 very ripe large bananas , peeled and mashed (2 cups); ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) plus 2 tablespoons sugar , divided; 2 large eggs; ⅓ cup vegetable oil; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; ⅓ cup chopped toasted walnuts

Why This Recipe Works

In pursuit of banana muffins with potent flavor, we added plenty of mashed bananas to our batter. To prevent the extra liquid and mass from weighing down the crumb and making our muffins dense and gummy, we used bread flour instead of all-purpose flour; its higher protein content not only makes it more absorbent and better able to accommodate the moisture but also provides extra strength, so our muffins have a uniformly light crumb. Adding extra baking powder ensures that each muffin's volume is maximized. Baking the muffins at a higher-than-normal temperature causes the outer edges to set before the middle, resulting in dramatic peaks on these quick homemade muffins. Walnuts add classic flavor and subtle crunch.

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Before You Begin

Be sure to use bananas that are very heavily speckled or even black; less-ripe bananas will produce dry muffins with less flavor. You can substitute thawed frozen bananas; be sure to add any juice that is released as the bananas thaw. We like the classic pairing of banana and walnuts here, but you can substitute chopped toasted pecans or omit the nuts altogether if you prefer. (Nut-free muffins will be slightly smaller.)

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 12-cup muffin tin. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.

Whisk bananas, ¾ cup sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla in large bowl until fully combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until fully combined. Stir in walnuts. Using portion scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (about ½ cup batter per cup; cups will be very full). Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 14 to 18 minutes. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.