Banana Nut Muffins & Chocolate

These are banana muffins that lean dessert. Instead of a quick stir-together batter, they start by creaming butter and sugar, which whips air into the mix for a lighter, more cake-like crumb than your average muffin.

Mashed banana keeps them moist, and the dry mix goes in alternating with milk so the batter stays smooth and evenly combined. Then come the good bits: chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts folded through for pockets of melt and crunch in every bite.

Fill the molds two-thirds full so they dome instead of spilling over. Once cooled, they get a generous swirl of whipped cream and a scatter of walnuts, which nudges them somewhere between muffin and cupcake.

Kitchen Tips

• Add the eggs one at a time, beating each in fully, so the batter doesn’t split.
• Alternate the flour and milk in batches to keep the batter smooth and avoid overmixing.
• Test with a toothpick; it should come out dry from the center before you pull them.

Variations

• Swap the hazelnuts for pecans or walnuts, or use a mix.
• Use dark chocolate chunks instead of chips for bigger melty pools.
• Skip the whipped cream topping for a more everyday, lunchbox-friendly muffin.