{VeganMoFo} Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

Bananas are a staple in our house (ahem... very small apartment).  If we don't have them, it's a pretty safe bet that something crazy has happened.  Yet, because they're always around, they sometimes get passed by for more novel fruit, which means that overly-ripe bananas occasionally plague my kitchen counter.

Whenever I notice said offender(s), my mind instantly flashes to an episode of 'The Simpsons,' where Marge says to Lisa, "We have black bananas, and you know what that means!"  To which Lisa gleefully shouts, "Banana bread!"

Yep, in my mind, super-ripe bananas, 'The Simpsons,' and banana bread are inextricably linked.

The upshot is that a fair amount of banana bread - or in this case, muffins - gets baked around here.  And since I'm gonna take a leap of faith and guess that some of you are in the same boat (too many bananas), I thought I'd share my go-to solution here.  Feel free to chime in with a favorite 'way-too-ripe-banana-recipe' of your own.

I'll be waiting, and my bananas will, too.

Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
(adapted from 'The Joy of Vegan Baking')

2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. canola oil
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 c. non-dairy semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped walnuts

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, & lightly grease muffin tins.
2) In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, baking soda, & salt together.  Set aside.
3) In a large bowl, beat sugar & oil together.  Next, add the mashed bananas, water, & vanilla, & mix thoroughly.
4) Add the flour mixture to the large bowl, along with the chocolate chips & walnuts, & stir to mix.
5) Fill each muffin tin halfway with batter.  Bake for 20-30 mins, until muffins are golden brown & a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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