Banoffee Muffins

My first ever cookbook was a flimsy little thing not even 60 pages long entitled “Even more muffins” – the sequel to “Muffins” (which a part of me always regretted not owning). It is in German with the cover depicting a single blueberry muffin with a background of the Stars and Stripes, lest you should forget how thoroughly un-German the muffin is. The book came with a 6 hole muffin tray, or perhaps the book came with the tray. Either way, my 14 year old self then embarked on a baking frenzy, baking my way through at least 10 or 12 muffin recipes until everyone in my family was so thoroughly sick of them that they banned me from baking anymore. However I never ventured into the savoury section of the book. “American Tuna Muffins”, “Hungarian Paprika Muffins” and “Chinese Muffins” not holding much appeal. (In case you are wondering – Chinese muffins were flavoured with tinned pineapple, beansprouts, cooked meat and, soy sauce and tomato puree).

Sadly the muffin craze didn’t last long, soon to be replaced with (in my opinion) the vastly inferior cupcake. Sickly sweet and with a dry vanilla sponge they never held much appeal to me. Now, muffins are often just little things you buy in desperation when you’re hungry at a coffeeshop and there isn’t much to eat. However, that is so thoroughly underserving for muffins are so wonderful – they can be turned into loads of different little cakes of wonders. They can go so far beyond chocolate and blueberry – with fruit, cheesecake, gooey toffee, liquor. Topped with crumble, lemon icing, glazed with chocolate. The possibilities are absolutely endless. Just, maybe, stay clear of the American Tuna version.

My banoffee version was born out of yet another glut of overripe bananas (for another idea try my luxury banana cake https://www.theliterarychef.com/recipe/luxury-banana-bread). And banoffee pie has always been one of my absolute favourite desserts, with the toffee being sweet yet not overly sickly. Banana, cream, biscuit and chocolate all come together like all your dreams coming true at once. These muffins have all the flavours a good banoffee pie needs, plus an extra dose of chocolate. Because of course chocolate makes everything taste better. The middle has a gooey toffee filling that also seeps into the cake surrounding it. Yes they are sweet, but not overly so which makes them absolutely perfect for a mid week afternoon snack. Take a batch to the office – everyone will be your friend.

The recipe makes more toffee than you need, but it keeps at least a week in the fridge. Use it to top ice cream or a milkshake.

Secrets to Success:

• You can replace the vegetable oil in the muffins with 125g of butter. However vegetable oil give the muffins that moist and tender crumb.
• Don’t overfill your muffin tin – each hole should be about 3/4 full as they rise considerably!

Print Recipe

Banoffee Muffins

Course

Breakfast, Brunch, Patisserie, Snack

Cuisine

European

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

30 min

Servings

muffins

Ingredients

For the toffee filling

• 75 g butter
• 75 g dark brown soft sugar
• 397 g condensed milk

For the muffins

• 300 g plain flour
• large pinch of salt
• 150 g chocolate chips
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 medium eggs
• 90 g light brown soft sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80 ml vegetable oil
• 2 bananas very ripe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Patisserie, Snack Cuisine European Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 30 min Servings muffins Ingredients For the toffee filling 75 g butter 75 g dark brown soft sugar 397 g condensed milk For the muffins 300 g plain flour large pinch of salt 150 g chocolate chips 2.5 tsp baking powder 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 medium eggs 90 g light brown soft sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 80 ml vegetable oil 2 bananas very ripe

Instructions

1. For the toffee, in a medium saucepan dissolve the butter with the sugar on low heat. Add the condensed milk then increase the heat to medium and keep stirring constantly for about a minute until you have a thick caramel. Leave to cool.
2. Heat the oven to 160°C. Line the muffin tin with muffin papers. Alternatively grease well.
3. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Then add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
4. In another, large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together until lighter in colour. Then beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
5. Mash the banana and then beat in. Finally, fold in the dry ingredients and combine.
6. Half fill the muffin mix, then add a tablespoon of toffee. Top with more of the muffin mix so they are 3/4 full. Bake on the middle shelf for 25-30 min until golden brown and a skewer comes out free of crumbs.
7. Leave to cool 10 min then remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Recipe Notes

Share this Recipe