Banana Sweet Potato Fig Muffins. Yum.

When I was little, my grandpa used to say he was waiting for someone to invent "smell-a-vision" so that when you watched a cooking show or talked on the phone with someone, you would be able to smell whatever it was that was cooking in their kitchen. If smell-a-vision was here today, you might want to call my house now.

The little guy and I had a muffin adventure in the kitchen this morning... an experimental recipe that went awry when I realized (after putting the muffins in the oven) that I had forgotten the baking soda AND the baking powder. Ugh.

I spent a full moment debating whether I should fix it or leave it - apparently aloud. When my son started saying "Mommy, what you forgot?" I realized we had come too far to have a muffin disaster. My son had personally added nearly every ingredient. He stuck his chubby little fingers into the batter so delightfully when it was fully mixed. He was excited about the final product. And I was too. So I took them out, poured the warm batter into a bowl, added the missing ingredients and put them back in the oven.

Boy does it smell awesome in here. And thankfully, the old adage about better late than never is totally true when it comes to rising agents. My son just wolfed down two of these muffins (with my assistance, of course). 

Here's the recipe for Banana Sweet Potato Fig Muffins - baking soda and powder included. 

Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl combine:

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 1 cup canned unsweetened sweet potato puree
• 1 TB maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 4 dried figs, chopped
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

Mix thoroughly. Pour into muffin lined tin and bake for approximately 24 minutes.

Kids Licking the Bowl? Absolutely.

My little guy is turning 2 on Friday. Hooray! In preparation for his party, I bought fun cupcake liners yesterday and when he found them on the kitchen counter this morning, he pleaded, "Mama! My want a muppin peez." Really, how can you say no to that? 

As it happens, we had four bananas that were desperate for muffin making, so we set to work. My son gets a big thrill out of pouring and stirring -- this particular batch has about three times the recommended cinnamon - but he was having such a good time, I just let it go. They still taste pretty good! And with no added sugar, these are a nice snack. 

Years ago, my daughter went to preschool with a child who had dairy and egg allergies so I found and refined a recipe for vegan banana muffins that I could safely bring into her classroom. It has become my go-to recipe any time I'm baking with my kids. They love to lick the bowl so this egg-free recipe is a winning solution for everyone. 

Dairy and Egg Free Banana Muffins

Ingredients: 

• 4 super ripe bananas

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 c vegetable oil

• 1 c applesauce 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Mix all dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, mash the bananas. Add vanilla extract, vegetable oil and applesauce and mix together. Add dry ingredients to wet ones and stir to combine. We like leaving the banans slightly chunky. 

Pour into muffin pan lined with cupcake liners and bake for approximately 22-24 minutes. Makes about 12 muffins. 

Let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy! 

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