Banana Nut Muffins

I already have a Banana Bread recipe posted here but this recipe for banana nut muffins is a bit different. It is lighter, fluffier, and is soy-free (the other recipe uses tofu). I don't actually like eating raw bananas but I love them in bread/muffin form, especially with walnuts and chocolate chips! My favorite way to eat these muffins is warm, cut in half and spread with some soy-free vegan margarine or coconut spread.

2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
6 TBSP safflower oil (or other vegetable oil)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup So Delicious coconut milk yogurt (I use plain but vanilla would work also)
1 TBSP vinegar
2 ripe bananas, mashed (equal to 1 cup or slightly under)
1 cup walnuts (optional)
2/3 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional), try Enjoy Life to keep this recipe soy-free

Combine sugar, vanilla, yogurt, oil, and vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on a low speed until well combined. In a smaller bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda and then add this to the wet ingredients. Mix starting at low and increasing to medium speed, periodically scraping the sides and bottom with a spoon until the batter is free of lumps. Add the mashed bananas and mix, then the walnuts and chocolate chips. The batter will be thick but stir-able. Scoop into lined muffin tins and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Makes 18 to 20 muffins if both walnuts and chocolate chips are included.

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes *

These are just like my original banana pancakes except that they're safe for vegans who cannot eat wheat or gluten. Actually, there is a second difference: unlike with wheat pancakes, you can put chocolate chips directly into this batter and not end up with pancakes that stick to the pan. Even if you don't avoid gluten you may want to give these delicious pancakes a try!

1 cup white rice flour or King Arthur gluten free multipurpose flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1 TBSP tapioca flour/starch
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups soymilk (or other nondairy milk)
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1/3 cup vegan gluten-free chocolate chips (optional)
margarine or oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients and stir. Add the vanilla and soymilk, stirring until any lumps are gone. Add the mashed banana (and chocolate chips if using) and stir, then allow the batter to sit for a few minutes. Place a bit of margarine or oil to your frying pan over medium-low heat; you may need to add about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp between each batch of cakes to avoid sticking so keep it nearby. Pour the pancake batter into the pan to form 3-4" diameter pancakes. These pancakes WILL NOT BUBBLE so you need to pay close attention and flip them when they are getting firm around the edges and the bottom is a very light golden brown (too dark and they will be crispy). These do not take long to cook so don't leave them unattended. Cook on the second side for about half as long as on the first & then enjoy!

NOTE: If you are not using salted margarine for frying you will want to add a pinch of salt to the batter. If making chocolate chip pancakes, I recommend using Enjoy Life chocolate chips because they are the size of mini chips and that way you get some in most bites.

Banana Pancakes

These are light, fluffy pancakes I developed after my sister requested banana pancakes to spread with peanut butter and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour OR white flour (King Arthur white whole wheat is great for this!)
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup agave
1 1/2 - 2 cups soymilk or almond milk
2 very ripe mashed bananas
margarine or oil for frying

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir. Add the agave and 1 1/2 cups soymilk, stir until the lumps are gone, and then stir in the banana. Add the extra soymilk if necessary to reach pancake batter consistency (you will need to add some but not necessarily all so do this slowly, stirring in a spoonful or two at a time). Add a little bit of oil or margarine to a frying pan at slightly below medium heat. Pour the pancake batter into the pan to form 3-4" cakes. Flip the cakes when a few bubbles form on top and the bottom is light golden brown. Cook on the second side for just a moment and then enjoy!

Don't have ripe bananas? You can still enjoy these pancakes. Just skip the bananas and use the whole 2 cups instead of 1 1/2 of nondairy milk to compensate for the lack of bananas. You can even stir chocolate chips right into the batter if you like; it just makes them a bit messier and sometimes a bit likely to stick in the pan mildly.

NOTE: If you use oil instead of margarine for frying you will want to add a pinch of salt to the batter. I do not recommend choosing hemp milk for your nondairy milk in this recipe as it leads to sticking in the pan; your best bets are soy or almond.

Banana Bread

When I was little I always looked forward to bananas getting past their prime because that meant my mother would make banana bread. I still love the way it smells when it bakes and the way it tastes when still warm from the oven; this is a comfort food! Although I couldn't find her recipe to adapt, I did manage to create one of my own and the resulting banana bread is possibly the best I've ever had.

1 cup Earth Balance or other dairy-free margarine
2 cups sugar (can be partly brown sugar)
1 package firm Japanese style silken tofu (Mori Nu)
4 cups flour (1 can be whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
5 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 10-oz package of dairy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life work well)
2 cups chopped walnuts
cooking spray

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar. Mash the tofu then mix thoroughly into the creamed mixture. In another bowl of a measuring cup, stir together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; add this to the large bowl and mix until lumps are gone. Stir in the bananas (you may have to use a hand to do this) and then the chocolate chips followed by the walnuts. Distribute this batter into 2 glass loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray or greased with margarine. If you prefer, bake as muffins in lined muffin pans. Bake at 325 degrees until the top is golden brown and the center is cooked, about 1 hour to 75 minutes.