Apple Banana Pecan Muffins with Streusel Topping

Sometimes the best recipes come about by accident or experimentation, and that's how I came up with these delicious apple banana pecan muffins! 

Yesterday I had 3 apples and one overripe banana in our fruit bowl which I keep out on the counter. Normally, we like to eat most of our fruit plain, but I was in the mood to do some baking. And these delicious "appley" moist muffins were the result of some experimentation. 

First, I peeled and rough chopped the apples. I left some of the pieces a little larger than the others because I wanted some chunks of apple in the muffins to give them plenty of texture. These went into a bowl and I microwaved them on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping at the end of each minute to give the apples a stir. I didn't want to turn the apples into applesauce, but I wanted the apples to release some of their juices. Next I mashed up my one overripe banana and added it to the apple mixture. 

After mixing up the rest of the ingredients (which you can see in the printable recipe below) I put some paper liners into my muffin pan. Here's a tip when making muffins. Spray the inside of the paper liners with cooking spray so that whatever you put inside will release easily. I filled the liners about half full of the muffin mixture and then added a streusel topping. If you make these yourself, promise me you won't leave off the streusel topping. That's what makes these muffins so darn good! 

The kitchen smelled so wonderful while these were baking. As you can see, they didn't rise very much because the apples make them more dense. They are a bit crumbly when you eat them warm from the oven, but they firm up after cooling a bit. And they are just as good the next day and make a great snack. 

Leo and I have been having one with our coffee in the afternoons. It's kinda like having your own miniature coffee cake! I shared some with my mom, and of course, Lucy gets her fair share, too! 

Apple Banana Pecan Muffins with Streusel Topping

A delicious "applely" muffin that's just as good cold as a snack as it it warm out of the oven

For the muffins

• 3 apples (peeled and chopped)
• 1 ripe banana (mashed)
• ½ cup 1 stick butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ cup chopped pecans

For the streusel topping

• ½ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons cold butter (cut into small pieces)
• ¼ cup brown sugar

For the muffins

1. Cook the chopped apples in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, stopping at the end of each minute to stir. (You want them somewhat cooked but not mushy!)
2. Add the mashed banana to the cooked apples, mix thoroughly, and set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar.
5. Beat in the egg and the vanilla flavoring.
6. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and mix until combined.
7. Fold in the pecans and the cooked apple mixture.
8. Spray paper liners with cooking spray and fill them ½ to ⅔ full of the muffin batter.
9. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the streusel mixture onto each muffin batter.
10. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Cool 5 minutes before removing from the muffin pan.

For the streusel topping

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour and the cinnamon and cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Stir in brown sugar.

Serve these warm or cold.