Banana Muffins with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing
We always seem to have two or three bananas left at the end of the week that are perfect for baking. I’m starting to wonder if the hubby purposely saves a few bananas so I’m forced to bake in my frugal state!
I had hoped to make Emma Galloway’s Gluten-Free Banana Cake from her very beautiful My Darling Lemon Thyme Blog. To my disappointment, I was seriously lacking in dry ingredients. I only had a small amount of brown rice flour left along with a tablespoon of cornflour. However, I was determined to bake and make it work and to my surprise the recipe I tried worked a prefect treat. These muffins were just divine, so moist and flavourful. I had a small amount of cream cheese left in the fridge along with a tablespoon of peanut butter in the pantry so I decided to try a cream cheese peanut butter icing. The combination of banana and creamy peanut butter was just delicious.
The small squares of dark chocolate aren’t necessary but we had two wee squares in the pantry and I thought they would make an indulgent little addition as we each enjoyed one of these little morsels for dessert one evening. The rest of the batch was sans chocolate!
Moist Banana Muffins with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing
Makes 16 muffins
115g butter, softened
1 cup organic raw sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 free-range eggs, room temperature
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
2 Tbspn of crème fraiche
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1 Tbspn gluten-free cornflour
3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1 Tbspn peanut butter (I used Pics crunchy peanut butter)
1 Tbspn pure maple syrup
To decorate (optional): 16 small squares of dark chocolate (>70%)
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease or line 16 medium-sized muffins pans. Or alternatively use muffins cases.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light a fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat in the eggs one at a time.
Stir through mashed banana and crème fraiche. If the mixture curdles at this stage, don’t worry!
Sift over the dry ingredients and fold everything together to form a smooth batter
Spoon the mixture into the muffin pans or cases and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. It may take more or less time depending upon your oven.
When the muffins are cooked remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before icing.
To make the peanut butter cream cheese icing, mix the softened cream cheese, peanut butter and maple syrup together.
Once the muffins are completely cooled, spoon a heaped teaspoon of the icing onto each muffin and smooth out with a knife or the back of the spoon.
Place a square of dark chocolate on each if you wish
Store the muffins in an air-tight container. They will keep for 4-5 days in a cool, dark place or in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Gluten-free