Sticky Date Banana Muffins

I’m always the most optimistic version of myself when purchasing bananas. I see that fat stack at the grocery store looking like Smaug’s hoard of gold and all logic leaves my brain. Surely I should buy more than two people can reasonably eat before they turn brown because I can always toss them in the freezer and make banana muffins. There is no such thing as a wasted banana in this house. But the banana buying outpaces the bread making and all of a sudden your freezer is a brown banana graveyard. This recipe was born of a banana purge and I couldn’t be more grateful.

All muffin tops are good. Full stop.

I can’t think of a single topic that is more universally agreed upon than the – I’m just going to say it – FACT that the top is the best part of the muffin. Even without a crispy little dusting of sugar or crumbly topping, the textural sensation that is the crisp exterior and moist interior of a muffin is something I could write poetry about if I were more creative.

This banana muffin in particular has an especially delightful top. A scattering of brown sugar and butter crumble increases the surface area of the top and adds to the texture making each bite mouthwateringly delicious. The crumble is super simple too! Toss cold cubed butter in with the flour, brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Press the cubes of butter between your thumb and fingers to break into smaller pieces and mashing everything together. You will know you are done when you can no longer see visible pieces of butter and when you pinch some together between your fingers it forms a clump.

No Muffin Liners, No Problem

I’ve been actively working to pair down unnecessary items from my kitchen, I can be a bit of a collector and it mostly just leads to mess that irritates me. So something I’m no longer buying is muffin cups. Parchment paper is something I always have on hand and works just as well! For a jumbo muffin tin simply cut 6″ squares of parchment, they really don’t have to be perfect. Then halfway down the length of each side make a 2″ long cut directly into the center. Voila!

I think that dates are truly magical. They are naturally quite sweet with a jammy texture and caramel-like flavour. By bringing chopped dates, sugar and water to a simmer you’re able to soften the dates and dissolve the sugar as the water evaporates making a sweet, rich and chunky date filling. This simple sauce is swirled into the batter to add a sweet and textural delight to each bite.