Nutella Swirled Banana Muffins

It’s happening!! We took nutella and bananas and made magic. These nutella swirled banana muffins are also stuffed with creamy, delicious nutella!

Have you ever had something so good you can hardly even bare to take the last bite because it will then be over? Man, we love food!! These are the softest, most moist banana muffins you’ll ever make but the nutella takes things to a whole new level. You haven’t lived until you’ve had our Nutella Swirled Banana Muffins!

Do you know that we eat more breakfast foods at dinner than we do for breakfast? I guess that’s not entirely true, but for Carrian and I (Hi, it’s Cade writing today while Carrian works on editing a few photos) we stick pretty closely to green protein shakes, oatmeal, and fruit and yogurt parfaits (with protein stirred into every one of those recipes to help us stay fit)  for breakfast so things like breakfast burritos, muffins and yes, even our FAMOUS Melt in your mouth buttermilk pancakes happen at the dinner table.

And why is that so awesome? Breakfast for dinner is one of our favorite things and it’s not even real dinner.

What’s the Difference Between Muffins and Cupcakes?

But seriously. Carrian claims they are the same thing after trying a few Costco muffins, but I guess it depends on where you buy them because a Costco muffin is in a whole different world compared to other muffins so I’m not sure yet.

Muffins can be sweet or savory and can use a variety of flours like all-purpose, oat, whole wheat etc. Cupcakes tend to stick with all-purpose or lately gluten free flours.

A cupcake has a higher level of butter and sugars as well which makes it much more cake like than a muffin.

Cupcake batter is beaten much longer than muffin batter; this creates a uniformness of air bubbles throughout the cupcake batter. Muffin batter, on the other hand, is only mixed briefly and remains relatively lumpy. This makes for a more dense baked good which is why a muffin even feels heavier than a cupcake.

How to Make Muffins From Scratch

Alright, so how do you make muffins from scratch instead of that Jiffy box we all grew up with? And yes, Carrian tells me that she will still eat them again and again because of the memories.

Start your muffins off with a fat and sugar. We love the way an oil makes muffins so moist and tender, but butter is a great flavor so you can try both or one or the other, but margarine and shortening just don’t turn out as flavorful and moist.

Once you’ve begun mixing, keep a light hand. Muffins hate to be over-mixed so make sure you stop when a few flour streaks remain in the batter. I know stirring and mixing is therapeutic and you want to get out all of the flour as it doesn’t seem done to leave it, but it’s best to stop and fill the muffin tin.

How to Make Muffins Fluffy

A few things will help your to make muffins fluffy. First up is correctly measuring the flour. Follow our guide for how to measure flour. Next, sifting the flour will remove any lumps and lighten the texture.

We already talked about mixing with a light hand, and I’ll add that any time we make muffins, Carrian makes me switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon or spatula. We never use a mixer as it beats the batter too much.

Finally, letting the batter rest is a little secret that Carrian insists upon, but neither of us know the science behind. We doubled a recipe and one pan went straight in the oven while the next waited in the pans and when it finally got baked they were higher than the first pan. We’ve started waiting a few minutes to bake and sure enough, they are always more fluffy!

Can Muffins be Frozen

Can muffins be frozen? And if so, how long can muffins keep in the freezer?

Muffins are the perfect bread to keep in the freezer. We usually just throw them in a freezer zip top bag for up to 2 weeks, but if we are going to push it longer we like to wrap the muffins individually first. You can thaw them directly on the counter when you’re ready to eat.

Muffins, when stored properly will keep for one month in the freezer unless you use a Food Saver, in which case they will last for 2 months. If you use a Food Saver you MUST seal it before it suck out all of the air or it will literally pull the air from the muffins and flatten them. It’s kind of annoying if you forget, especially when your wife already reminded you.

How Much to Fill Muffin Tin?

Oh the old question, how much to fill your muffin tin. Actually, it should be, how much to fill your muffin wells. The general rule is 2/3 full, and it’s what Carrian tells me when I’m helping in the kitchen, but I’ve seen her fill a muffin tin and she often goes 3/4 full, so I guess you just experiment with the recipe and see what works best for you.

Why do Muffins Fall?

Muffins fall for two reasons; Under-baked batter or a lack of leavener. Let’s talk about them in reverse. Baking powder, unless you’re making banana muffins, is the star of any quick bread. It puffs up the muffin without over browning or crisping the top of the muffin.

Under-baking is a whole new concern. There’s a tendency to worry about baked goods being over cooked so they get pulled from the oven too quickly. The cooking class Carrian and I took in college taught us that if you tap the top of a muffin it should quickly spring right back up if it’s done.

One way to ensure even baking and no sunken muffins is to turn off the oven, pull out the rack  and let them sit for a minute before moving to a cooling rack. This lowers the temperature slower so it doesn’t fall quickly from the cold air. You can place the entire tin on a cooling rack for a few minutes and then remove the muffins and place them on the cooling rack. Again, we are just trying to be gentle.

What Makes Muffins Stick to the Paper

Low fat and low quality of paper liners can make your muffins stick to the paper. Make sure you’re checking on both options as your first solution.

Just because you’re using a paper liner doesn’t mean you don’t have to use a release spray. Try spraying the paper liners with a nonstick spray, especially if you’ve substituted apple sauce or a lesser fat in the recipe.

Carrian often puts a small pan of water on the lower rack like her mom sometimes did and that also seems to help.

Finally, and I personally think this is the most important part, let the muffins cool before removing the paper. The heat can make the muffin cling to the paper so even though you want to eat those muffins warm, you might be better off waiting a moment.

Can Muffins be Left Out Overnight?

Muffins can be left out, but it’s best to cover them or we prefer to store them in a very large rubber container.

Nutella Swirled Banana Muffins

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