High-Altitude Banana Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins

Afternoon muffins. Image by author.

For most people I know, learning how to make banana bread is the entry point to baking. Bananas spoiled quickly in the humid climate where I grew up. In an effort to avoid wasting the fruit, my mother showed me early on how to get those bananas into a dessert and away from the landfill.

That original banana bread recipe from childhood resulted in a loaf with a sunken center when I attempted it at Denver’s high altitude. Shaking my fist at the heavens didn't improve the outcome the second time I tried the original recipe, so I began fiddling with banana bread and muffin recipes people shared until I came up with one that worked in my kitchen.

These high-altitude banana chocolate chip streusel muffins find their strength with the addition of a little more flour than sea-level recipes, the reduction in sugar, and the use of buttermilk instead of sweet milk. I also baked them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for a little less time than at sea level, which helped the batter set throughout. The streusel is not required, but I like a crunchy muffin top, so I definitely recommend it.

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Banana Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins

Makes 16 Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

• 1/4 cup granulated cane sugar

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into cubes

• a pinch of salt

• 4 tablespoons toasted chopped pecans

For Muffins:

• 1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature

• 1 cup (minus 1 tablespoon) granulated cane sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup mashed ripe banana

• 1/4 cup buttermilk

• 2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Make the streusel. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add butter to the bowl, and using your fingers, smoosh the butter until it’s the texture of a coarse meal.

2. Now, it’s muffin time! Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add muffin cup papers to the muffin pan. Lightly grease the area around the muffin pan cup edges to prevent larger muffins from sticking to the pan.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

4. In a stand mixer bowl (or in a medium-sized bowl), add butter and sugar and mix on medium-high until a consistent creamed mixture.

5. To the bowl, add eggs and mashed banana and mix until combined.

6. With the stand mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredient mix and the buttermilk to the wet batter. Stir in chocolate chips.

7. Pour/scoop the batter into prepared muffin pans, leaving about 1/4 inch space between batter and top of pan.

8. Sprinkle the streusel over the tops of each muffin, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the tops are a golden brown.

9. Remove from oven and cool before eating.