Banana Date Muffins

It's officially back to school time for all your kiddos, and mornings can start to get a bit hectic for the family! To take some of that away, serve your family some ready-made breakfasts that they can grab on the go. These muffins are packed with many nutrients and will give everyone a nice energy boost for their early morning schedules. These are inspired by your traditional banana nut muffins with a few tweaks to make them stand out a bit! I added some fresh dates into the batter and topped the muffins off with a chopped pecan crumble for a finishing touch!

Using ripened bananas is a key part in making these muffins moist and extremely flavorful!

Keep this nut-free by leaving the pecans out of the crumble! You can top this muffin in many different ways!

I absolutely must have something to eat in the mornings for breakfast before my day starts. It's what gives me the energy and nutrients to push through the day until lunch! Muffins are one of my favorite sweet breakfast items for many reasons. You can make them the night before and keep them stored in a container for the family to grab on their way out for the whole week!

I wanted to personalize these muffins with some unique flavors that you wouldn't usually find in a muffin. I absolutely love dates, and they are a perfect natural sugar to add into dishes. I also added a pecan, oats, cinnamon, and honey together to create a textured and delicious crumble for the top of the muffin!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes Yields: 1 Dozen Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

For the Topping:

• 1 cup Pecans, chopped

• 1 cup Rolled Oats

• 2 Tbsp. Honey

• 1 tsp. Cinnamon

For the Batter:

• 1 2/3 cups All-Purpose Flour

• 1 tsp. Baking Powder

• 1 tsp. Baking Soda

• 1/2 tsp. Salt

• 1 Stick of Butter, softened

• 2/3 cup Sugar

• 1/4 cup Honey

• 2 Eggs

• 1 cup Bananas, mashed

• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

• 1/3 cup Sour Cream

• 1/4 cup Dates, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, add in the ingredients for the topping together using a wooden spoon. Once the ingredients are combined, set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your muffin tin with a dozen liners.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside

4. In a large mixing bowl, add in the butter, sugar, and honey. Beat the ingredients with an electric mixer for 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, and continue beating the mixture until combined.

5. Add in the bananas, vanilla, and yogurt to the mix and continue combining with the electric mixer, just until the ingredients are incorporated. Slowly add in the dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients and mix with the electric mixer until you have a thick even batter. Once you have the batter ready, fold in the chopped dates until they are evenly distributed into the batter.

6. Using a tablespoon, pour in the batter to the prepared muffin tins. Keep adding batter to each paper liner until they are filled to the top. This will give the muffins the dome effect.

7. Once all the liners are filled, sprinkle the crumble onto each prepared muffin tin.

8. Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes, until the muffins are golden and have risen, and a toothpick comes out clean.

9. Allow the muffins to cool on a cooling rack. Serve at room temperature.

Note: These will remain fresh for up to seven days, in an airtight container in a cool place.