About this Recipe
In grade school, my little sister and I attended a school which required a daily commute nearing 45 minutes one way. Breakfast had to be quick and portable, as it was usually eaten in the car. We were always running late. Usually, we had oatmeal or breakfast burritos, quick and filling. On the rare occasion when my angelic mom found some spare time, we would wake to the warm, sweet aroma of muffins. My mom usually made muffins with a combination of different flours. Whole wheat was her favorite, and it grew to be my favorite as well. I love the nutty complexity of ancient grains and I believe they make a muffin what it should be, a wholesome yet delicious snack, not dessert. So I modeled these muffins after hers. I made them with a combination of rye and oat flour because I love the smokiness of rye flour paired with banana. But, if you are gluten free, you can always use buckwheat flour in place of rye flour, or just use oat flour. If you can have wheat, I would also suggest using whole wheat flour because it is also nice with the sweet banana. I specify using “deeply dark” (extremely ripe) bananas, because they will be the easiest to mash and have the best flavor. I always top my muffins with something because I just hate to see a bare muffin. The cinnamon sugar adds a deliciously, crackly crust.
Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup oat flour
½ cup rye flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 bananas(deeply dark and ripe)
½ cup walnuts(optional)
Cinnamon Sugar:
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cups, or slather with butter and flour, and set aside.
Roast walnuts (if using) in the oven for 7-10 minutes until golden and fragrant. Once cooled, chop and set aside.
Using a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.
Using a fork or potato masher, smash the bananas until smooth ,or a little chunky depending on your taste, and set aside.
Using a medium sized bowl, add oat flour, rye flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk until combined.
Using a large bowl, combine butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. If your mixture seems a little curdled, don’t fear, just beat it a little longer, the force will eventually bring the mixture together. Add walnuts, flour mixture, and banana. Alternating between adding banana and flour mixture, folding until the mixture is just mixed. Don't worry about lumps, they will work themselves out in the oven!
Distribute batter evenly into the tin, and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a knife or cake tester comes out clean. Enjoy!