If you have kids (or grandkids!), you know how busy early mornings can be. You also know how important it is for kids to have a fairly nutritious breakfast. It can be tough fitting that in, especially given the frantic pace of the holiday season. Well, I have the answer! Yummy, tummy- filling muffins.

I swear you can make these muffins (any muffin, really) in minutes! From first banana mash to last scooping of batter, you won’t spend 10 minutes. They bake in about 20 minutes, which is just about the time you need to get everyone washed, brushed, dressed and packed up! If you’re one of those plan-ahead people, you can make a batch of muffins on the weekend and dole them out during the week.

You can add things to your muffins like any kind of nut, dried fruit, grain, oats and fun things, like chocolate chips and candied ginger. You can top your muffins with a sprinkle of sugar or a powdered sugar glaze. It’s all good, and a banankin muffin is way better than a cardboard-tasting, cellophane-wrapped processed bar. At least it is in my opinion!!

Bananakin Muffins

Yield about 12 to 16 Muffins

40 Minute Cuisine (10)

What’s better than combining bananas with pumpkin? Well, nothin’!! So, let’s give into our passion and mix up a batch of moist, yummy muffins to go great with that first, early morning sip.

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

3 to 4 ripe bananas

2 eggs

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 ½ cups canned pumpkin puree

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place cupcake liners into one or two cupcake pans. You’ll have 12 to 16 muffins depending on the size.

Whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Mash the bananas in a larger bowl. Stir in eggs, vegetable oil, canned pumpkin, and both sugars. Stir in the seasoned flour. Use an ice cream scoop (pictured below) to fill the muffin cups with batter. Bake, until a tester inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean, and the top springs back when touched, about 20 to 22 minutes.