Name: Peanut Butter–Banana 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 1 tablespoon sugar , divided; 2 large eggs; ⅓ cup vegetable oil; ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; ½ cup dry-roasted peanuts , chopped fine, divided

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. The additions of creamy peanut butter and crunchy peanuts in this variation recall the timeless appeal of a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Before You Begin

Use bananas that are very heavily speckled or even black; less-ripe bananas will produce dry muffins with less flavor. You should have 1¾ to 2 cups of mashed bananas. You can substitute thawed frozen bananas; be sure to add any juice that is released as the bananas thaw. We developed this recipe with our favorite conventional creamy peanut butter, Skippy. You can substitute a natural peanut butter, if desired, but be sure to stir it very well before measuring.

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, peanut butter, and vanilla in large bowl until fully combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until fully combined. Set aside 2 tablespoons peanuts for topping. Fold remaining peanuts into batter. 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 1 tablespoon sugar and reserved peanuts.

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.