At our house, we know Summer is on the rise when our bananas brown before we have a chance to eat them.

The good news is those too-ripe bananas are perfect for making healthified baked goods! This week I turned our spotty fruit into a hearty muffin, perfect for breakfast or mid-morning pick-me-up. Spread on a little of your favorite local jam or, if you’re a fiend like me, more peanut butter!

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana-nut Muffins

This recipe is adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction. These muffins are initially baked at a high oven temperature to help them rise, then at a lowered temperature to ensure a soft, moist interior. Be sure to fill your muffin tins 3/4 of the way to ensure beautifully domed tops.

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 ripe large bananas, mashed with no chunks
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plain coconut yogurt (or Greek yogurt, any flavor/fat content)
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or cow’s milk, soy milk, rice milk)
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (non-oily natural style is OK)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup pecan flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425*F degrees. Spray 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

2. Mix the ground flax seed with 2 and 1/2 tablespoons warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes. The mixture will become a gel-like consistency.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the mashed bananas, maple syrup, brown sugar, yogurt, and milk together until combined. Add the flax mixture and stir to combine. Whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until smooth and thick. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, pecan flour (if using), cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and walnuts together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and lightly whisk until combined. Try not to over stir the muffin batter or your muffins will have a tough (not soft) texture. Stir as little as possible until no flour pockets remain.

5. Fill the muffin cups practically all the way to the top. Between 3/4 full and all the way full. Bake for 5 minutes at 425*F degrees. Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350*F and continue to bake for 12 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Muffins stay fresh at room temperature for three days. Muffins freeze well, up to 3 months.

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Kristina Beese is the co-owner of The Beese Knees, a gourmet ice cream cake company in Philadelphia. With a B.S. in Photography, she styles and photographs all her confections using both digital and 35mm film. Kristina believes cooking is a labor of love and wants to inspire others to find joy in their kitchens. View all posts by Kristina Beese