Streusel-Topped Banana Caramel Muffins

Banana bread and sourdough were very popular during this quarantine period. I wasn’t going to bake banana bread just because everyone else was doing it... Then came the day that I had some overripe bananas. I played with my food and it paid! Here are the results.

YIELDS 12 MUFFINS

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1³⁄₄ cups flour
• ¹⁄₂ cup sugar
• ¹⁄₂ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¹⁄₂ tsp baking soda
• ¹⁄₂ tsp salt
• ¹⁄₂ cup canola oil
• ¹⁄₄ cup heavy cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

FILLING

• ¹⁄₄ cup caramel sauce

STREUSEL TOPPING

• ¹⁄₂ cup flour
• ¹⁄₄ cup brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp oil or 3 Tbsp butter, softened
• ¹⁄₄ tsp kosher salt
• ¹⁄₄ cup extra-mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Combine topping ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix with a fork. Set aside. Place bananas in a large bowl and mash. Stir in lemon juice. Add all remaining ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Do not overmix.

Fill each muffin cup halfway with batter. Microwave the caramel sauce for 20 seconds so it pours easily. Drop about 1 tsp of caramel sauce into the center of the batter in each cup. Top with remaining batter, filling each muffin cup almost to the top. Sprinkle each muffin with 1 Tbsp streusel topping. Bake for 25–30 minutes until set and golden.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 702)