Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Almond Streusel Crumble

In the mornings, we are super low-key. Ryan, luckily, doesn't have to be at work until about 9, so we usually drop him off at the TRAX line that takes him downtown between 8:15 and 8:30 every morning. This gives us plenty of time in the morning to get our runs in, watch some cartoons with our favorite little clone child, and get ready for the day. 

Breakfast usually consists of peanut butter toast for the little guy, a granola bar and breakfast shake for the tall guy, and a green smoothie or my favorite Multi-Grain Cheerios cereal with Almond Milk for me. My Mom was a pro at making pancakes and waffles almost every morning for us before school. So sometimes I feel a little bad for not busting out the griddle for my little family. I figured making muffins is a good compromise? I mean, I turned on the freaking oven before 9am, that has to count for something, right? :) 

These muffins were effortless. That's always a plus when you're throwing something in the oven with only one eye willing to open in the morning. The inside of the muffins are so soft and dreamy. And if you eat them when they're warm, it really makes for something incredible.

I decided to add a few things to the original recipe for the topping/crumble. For me, banana muffins need a little texture on top. The crumble is always my favorite part, and I wanted to add a little something extra to make the topping sing like a canary. Toasted almonds fit the bill perfectly. It adds such a warmth to the topping, and the little nuttiness in this case goes a long way. I also added some old fashioned oats we had leftover in the pantry. I had only about a small handful left in the container, and I knew I'd be able to use it for a crumble or cookie somewhere. The overall crumble texture was such a beautiful contrast to the soft muffin insides. It was simply gorgeous. We ended up eating these for snacks, too. So if you're looking for a lovely new muffin recipe to try with those ripe bananas on your counter, these guys are calling your name.

xo, 

blondie

Happy weekending! I'll have something sweet for you lovelies on Sunday ;) If you've been following me on instagram, you probably know what I've been up to!

Banana Muffins with 

Cinnamon Almond Streusel Crumble

makes 12-16 muffins

ingredients:

muffins:

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt 

1 t ground cinnamon

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/4 C packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/3 C vegetable oil

1 1/2 t vanilla extract 

cinnamon almond streusel crumble

1/3 C packed brown sugar

2 T all-purpose flour

1/2 C old fashioned oatmeal oats

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/4 C toasted almond slivers (toasted lightly, more toasting will happen in the oven while baking)

3 T butter

method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prep muffin pan with cupcake/muffin liners. 

2. In a medium separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 C flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla. With the mixer on very low speed barely combine the dry ingredients into the banana mixture (don't over-mix). With an ice cream scoop with a release handle, scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. 

3. Make the crumb topping: combine all ingredients together except for the butter. Cube butter in small pieces, and cut into crumble mixture until evenly distributed throughout. Sprinkle topping over muffins (about 1-2 T per muffin). 

4. Bake for 19 minutes, or until center is fully cooked. Cool in pan for about a minute, then on a cooling rack for another minute or two. Serve warm! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

recipe adapted from: my baking addiction, Banana Crumb Muffins