Blueberry Banana Bread Muffins

Blue skies and blueberry fields… sounds like a perfect Sunday afternoon, doesn’t it? Lucky for us, there are several farms in the area that offer pick-your-own blueberries. Recently we spent a long summer Sunday afternoon at Lockbriar Farms picking all of the blueberries we could carry. There were several different types of blueberries available, ranging from mild and sweet, to tart and tangy. Some were teeny tiny, and others were nearly as big as a grape!

We brought home over 4 pints of fresh blueberries from our adventure that day! I love blueberries as a snack, but there was no way that we would be able to eat them all in time. Since then, I’ve been using the berries in every way imaginable- in smoothies, as a topping for yogurt, and to make smiley face pancakes for the kiddos (I won’t lie, I secretly like the smiley faces just as much as they do)!

This weekend, I set out to make banana bread muffins and on a whim, tossed in a cup of the blueberries. I’m glad I did, because the end result was nothing short of bite-sized perfection! These Blueberry Banana Bread Muffins are moist and bursting with flavor of fresh berries. An added bonus is that they are completely gluten free and contain no refined sugar. Each muffin is sprinkled with a homemade crumbly oat topping that caramelizes in the oven, making them an absolutely irresistible morning treat.

I think muffins are best when they are served warm, so I sliced mine in half and popped it into the toaster. While it was still nice and toasty, I topped it with a pat of butter and a drizzle of local honey from the farmer’s market. Pair it with a nice hot cup of coffee and your morning will be off to a great start!

There are still tons of blueberries in our freezer and we’ll be enjoying them long after summer fades into fall. These Blueberry Banana Bread Muffins were a huge hit with everyone in our family, and I think knowing that we picked the berries ourselves made them even more delicious. It’s safe to say that I will be making these muffins again, and I hope that each bite brings back fond summer memories, even when there’s snow on the ground (YIKES, winter- that is something I don’t want to even think about right now).

Here’s a look at our blueberry picking adventure, which ended with a sweet treat- homemade ice cream fresh from the farm! This was my first time going blueberry picking and it was so much fun that I can’t wait to go again next year. If you get a chance to try your hand at berry picking, go for it (and then make these muffins). You will thank me later- for the sweet morning treat, and for the even sweeter memories you will make!

Lockbriar Farms, Worton, MD

Blueberry Banana Bread Muffins
(makes about 20 muffins, depending on the size of your bananas)

For the Muffins:
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour (gluten free)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
3 eggs, whisked
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 oz organic applesauce (unsweetened)
1/3 cup honey (local and organic if possible)
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen will work)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat your oven to 350*. Prepare two muffin tins with liners.
2. Prepare the Oat Topping (See instructions below). Set aside until step 8.
3. In a large bowl, sift together your dry ingredients.
4. In a separate large bowl, combine your wet ingredients.
5. Carefully mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir only until combined, you do not want to over mix the muffin batter.
6. Then, fold in the blueberries until they are evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
7. Using a batter bottle (a spoon works just as well too), fill each muffin liner about 2/3 of the way. Each muffin liner should have the same amount of batter in it.
8. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the Oat Topping.
9. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes. These muffins are moist, so they take a little longer than most in the oven. Best way to tell if they are done is to do the old toothpick trick. (Stick a toothpick into a muffin, and if it comes out clean, they are done. If the toothpick has batter on it, they need longer in the oven.)

For the Oat Topping:
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup organic oats
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp butter (cold)

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the oats, coconut sugar, salt, and cinnamon into a small bowl.
2. Using two forks (or your hands), mix the butter into the oats until a nice crumbly topping is formed.