Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love making homemade snacks for my boys.  There is something wonderful and magical about working and creating in the kitchen.  Our home may be messy and chaotic most of the time, but we frequently experience the warmth and joy of fresh baked goods made with love.  

Before you think I live in some Mom fantasy world where my kids are perfect angels and I have all kinds of free time to bake and create in the kitchen, the reality is that I usually make simple, but good recipes that I can't really goof up too much.  This is one of those easy and delicious recipes that I rely on.  My boys love my blueberry banana muffins so I just made them with chocolate chips to change things up a bit.  Easy and delicious these muffins are a hit in our house.  

In fact, I don't buy many prepared baked goods other than sandwich bread.  I figure it's healthier and less expensive to bake from scratch and I'm in my element when I'm in the kitchen.  My favorite part of teaching Family and Consumer Science was teaching in the Food Lab.  

1/3 cup butter (5 1/3 Tablespoons) softened
½ cup sugar
¼ cup honey
1 egg
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk*
2 cups sifted flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup chocolate chips


Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

2.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners

3.  Cream together butter, sugar, and honey.  Beat in egg, buttermilk, vanilla & mashed bananas.  

4.  Sift flour then measure 2 cups.

5.  Stir baking powder and salt into flour, mixing well.  Stir in oats.  Fold the flour mixture into the banana mixture.  

6.  Fold the chocolate chips into batter.  

7.  Scoop batter into a prepared muffin pan.  Fill muffins pretty full.  The batter is thick and should fill 12 cups nicely without running over.

8.  If you like sprinkle turbinado or sanding sugar on the tops of the muffins before baking.

9.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.


Makes 12 muffins

*If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, simply pour ½ T. lemon juice or vinegar into your measuring cup then fill with milk to get ½ cup liquid.  Let this sit for a minute before pouring it into the mixing bowl.  I freeze leftover buttermilk and thaw it in the fridge when I need it for a recipe.  

Linking up at Friendship Friday, The Mommy Club, Share the Wealth Sunday

Yum