Banana Espresso Swirl Muffins

These easy muffins are a twist on classic banana bread with a coffee kick! Top with raw or maple sugar for an extra sweet crunch.

A new way to use old bananas

We all know that feeling… you bought another bunch of bananas, vowing to eat them all in time, yet one is always left behind. Brown and mushy, the best way to redeem this nearly-lost piece of fruit is in a baked good.

But what if you’re sick of banana bread?

Kick it up with these Banana Espresso Swirl Muffins.

The benefit of letting bananas ripen beyond their prime is that the starches convert to sugars over time, creating a sweeter fruit. This, combined with their soft texture, lends excellent moisture and sweetness to the finished product.

To add contrast, I chose to blend 1/3 of the finished batter with a hefty tablespoon of instant espresso powder and a bit of cinnamon, for complexity. By swirling this rich batter into the sweet banana batter with a toothpick—be gentle, or it’ll blend completely—you get the benefit of sweet banana and rich espresso balancing each other out.

Top muffin tips:

Muffins are incredibly easy to throw together, but there are steps that should be taken to avoid a dense final product. To ensure that your muffins remain fluffy and light, follow these tips!

1. Mash the banana thoroughly and ensure all liquid ingredients are well-blended before mixing into the dry ingredients.

2. Spoon your flour into your measuring cup and level it with a knife rather than dipping into the bag or flour container directly. Too much flour will result in a denser finished product. Better yet, use the grams measurements I provide. Don’t have a scale? Purchase one here.

3. Be sure not to overmix! There will be lumps in the batter—as long as you see no dry streaks of flour remaining, you can proceed. Overmixing develops gluten and in the case of muffins, too much gluten will translate to a tougher, chewier baked good.

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Banana Espresso Swirl Muffin Recipe

Makes 6 large, bakery-style muffins or 12 standard muffins

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes | Cool: 10+ minutes

Ingredients

2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour

1 tablespoon (10 g) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large (115 g) very ripe banana

1/2 cup (110 g) vegetable oil, coconut oil, or melted butter

1 cup (245 g) whole milk plain yogurt (if using Greek yogurt, thin with a bit of milk or water)

2/3 cup (145 g) packed dark brown sugar

1 large (50 g) egg

1 tablespoon (9 g) vanilla extract

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Raw sugar or maple sugar for topping, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a muffin tin—either 6 large cups or 12 standard cups.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In medium bowl, mash the banana until very few lumps remain. Thoroughly whisk in oil or butter, yogurt, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.

4. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in banana mixture. Using a gentle folding motion, mix together the wet and dry ingredients until no dry streaks of flour remain (there may be lumps, this is okay).

5. Remove 1/3 of the batter—you can use the bowl the wet ingredients were in—and to it add instant espresso powder and ground cinnamon. Stir until combined, but do not be too vigorous.

6. Spoon a bit of plain banana batter into the bottom of each muffin cup, then layer espresso batter on top. Repeat, alternating, until you end with banana batter on top. Using a toothpick, create a swirl in each cup by dragging the toothpick up and down through the batter. Less is more—if you over-blend the two you will lose definition.

7. If topping muffins, sprinkle raw or maple sugar on top before baking.

8. Bake muffins until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-22 minutes.

9. Remove muffins from oven and cool in the tin for 5 minutes, them remove and place on a rack. Cool for an additional 5 minutes (or more) before serving.

Muffins can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days.

Like this recipe? Leave a comment below, and tag @breadandbasil and use #breadandbasil on Instagram!