Banana Oreo Muffins

These muffins were born of a special request.  A friend asked if I could make banana Oreo muffins and I thought, oh definitely!  Based off my banana bread recipe with my now favorite muffin method, the base banana muffin is wonderful.  I liked the golden Oreo version the best but the regular was good too.  If you want it less sweet, you can just sprinkle with crumbs before baking as I did for the extra batter testers.  (I divided my batter in half by weight to make six of each flavor.)

 

I needed to make them again because the entire batch was happily delivered and devoured before I realized I hadn't taken any nice pictures!  And while we really liked the golden Oreo version, the recipients proclaimed the original Oreo muffin to be their favorite version.  The bitterness of the cocoa can help balance the sweetness of the banana muffin.  Both are excellent!  (In a family where three out of four usually skip the muffins, everyone came running for these, especially the second batch we got to keep, and youngest used a, ahem, colorful metaphor to emphasize their goodness!)  The next morning, I got up to find only 1 golden muffin left, I guess the fam really likes those ones best!

First batch had more chopped Oreos but I decided less was more!

Oreo Banana Muffins
makes 14 standard muffins

¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup avocado oil
½ cup + 1 tbsp buttermilk (or ¼ cup sour cream + ⅓ cup milk - will brown a little less)
2 overripe bananas, mashed with 1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla 
2⁄3 cup sugar 
1 egg
1½ cups all purpose flour 
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
1-1½ cups Oreos, roughly chopped (About 10-12 Oreos)

Optional glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp milk, enough to achieve drizzle consistency 

Garnish:
½ cup Oreos, chopped (About 6 Oreos)

Grease or line a muffin tin with paper liners.  Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and sugar in a large bowl.  Combine the oil and melted butter and stir into the flour mixture until fully blended into fine crumbs.  Work with fingers if necessary to break up any larger crumbs.  In small bowl or liquid measure, whisk together the egg, sour cream, milk, mashed banana with lemon juice, and the vanilla.  Add to the flour/butter mixture and whisk just until smooth and no lumps remain.   Gently fold in the chopped Oreos. Fill muffin wells about about two thirds full.  (If no glaze is desired, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with finely chopped Oreo crumbs before baking.)

Icing free option that still lets you 
easily tell which flavor is which.

 Bake at 375º for 23-28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Sour cream version, less browning.

While the muffins are cooling, combine the glaze ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until smooth.  Thin with enough milk to achieve a thick drizzle.  When the muffins have cooled, pipe or drizzle the icing across the tops.  Drizzle just two at a time to prevent the icing crusting before the cookie pieces can adhere.  Immediately sprinkle with additional chopped Oreos if desired. 

I love having a tester.

 Enjoy! 

Here are some more muffins for your Monday:

• Banana Oreo Muffins: A Messy Kitchen
• Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Muffins:  Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Chunky Monkey Muffins:  A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Coconut Bran Muffins:  Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Double Chocolate Guinness Muffins: Food Lust People Love