WHOLE WHEAT BANANA BREAD MUFFINS WITH APPLES AND PECANS

Low-fat, whole wheat banana bread muffins with apples and pecans – these taste so good!  Perfect for breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert.  If you want to make light and moist whole wheat muffins that are less dense – this is the recipe for you.

Whole wheat banana bread muffins packed with chopped apples and topped with pecans.  These muffins are moist and not dense at all.  I provide tips for how to make whole wheat muffins with the moist and light texture.  

INGREDIENTS

Whole Wheat Muffins:

• 1 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter , very soft, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 2 bananas , ripe, mashed
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour , sifted (I am using Prairie Gold: Flour 100% Whole Wheat by Wheat Montana - see my very important note about aerating the flour!)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups apples , cored and chopped. Use sweeter and crisper apples, such as Fuji apples
• 1/2 cup pecans , lightly toasted, chopped

Topping (OPTIONAL):

• 1/2 cup caramel sauce or dulce de leche
• 1/3 cup pecans , chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

How to make whole wheat muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter on high speed for 1.5 minutes. The consistency will be somewhat crumbly. Add egg and continue beating for several more minutes until the mixture becomes fluffy and lighter in color.
3. Add mashed bananas, Green yogurt, and vanilla extract and continue beating until all ingredients are well incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix. Fold in chopped apples.
6. Grease muffin pan. Fill each muffin cup almost to the top (about 3/4) - DO NOT FILL MUFFIN CUPS TO THE VERY TOP otherwise they overflow. In fact, with this recipe, I am usually able to fill regular 12 muffin pan plus 2 or 3 separate extra muffin cups. 
7. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees F in the preheated oven. Watch baking times closely: do not overbake and keep in mind that the "actual" individual oven temperatures might vary. When inserted toothpick comes out clean - the muffins are ready! It could be 20 minutes for your oven, or 30 minutes!

How to make topping (OPTIONAL)

1. Warm the caramel sauce in a microwave for 5-10 seconds. Using small spoon, drizzle some caramel over the top of each muffin. Sprinkle with chopped and toasted pecans.
2. Also try our other recipes