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.

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.