Super Moist Banana Muffins with Pecan-Brown Sugar Crumble

A lot of people, when they come to know that I am a diabetic and a food blogger, ask for diabetic friendly dessert recipe. More often than not, this is my standard reply: "Instead of using sugar substitute and compromising on taste and getting depressed, enjoy a proper dessert once in a while, with all its sinful glory by incorporating it in your meal plan." My profound wisdom comes from bucketful  tears I have shed, after repeated botched attempts at diabetic friendly desserts. I-will-eat-a-proper-dessert-when-I-want-to has been my mantra ever since. But when a 'healthy' Banana Muffins with Pecan Crumble tastes like this, you swallow your words, make puppy eyes and wolf down a couple with just a teeny bit of guilt!

It all started with a couple of over ripened bananas that Sid refused to eat and I shoved it in the freezer, because I couldn't simply throw them away. I was searching for banana muffin recipe when I stumbled on this amazing blog called Ambitious Kitchen by Monique. Her blog is a treasure trove of healthy recipes. And I love all her recipes, especially her muffins! This girl has a serious crush on muffins and is bananas about bananas! I was spoiled for choices. 

Her Skinny Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins was the recipe, I had my heart set on. We are trying to control our refined sugar intake and that goes for the five and half year too. Our body gets the required sugar from milk, yogurt, fruits and vegetables.  Diabetes or no diabetes, loading our bodies with extra sugar is just plain cruel. 

But with Valentines day around the corner, a fancy muffin was on the cards, especially when Sid has been a good boy and I have been successful in bringing down his dependency on sugary stuff to a great extent. A little leeway was in order.

After a tiny mental duel, Pecan - Brown Sugar Crumble emerged victorious, marginally defeating  the Chocolate Chips. I got the idea of the crumble from the Better-For-You Banana Muffins with Brown Sugar Walnut Crumble. So technically I combined two separate recipes, putting  my own spin by adding some wheat germ for a additional boost of fiber and created my very own Super Moist Banana Muffins with Pecan - Brown Sugar Crumble!

These muffins comes together very fast. The prep time is not more than 15 minutes and in next 15 to 20 minutes, it magically perfumes your house and kicks up your appetite. In 40 minutes from start to finish, you sink your teeth into one of the most incredible muffins ever. And the secret lies in that crumble topping. It's well worth that extra step.

This muffin might not be "diabetic friendly", in the true sense of the word,  but it is full of good-for-you stuff. The wheat germ provides a good boost of fiber and folic acid. The Greek yogurt buffs up the protein quotient and keeps the muffins super moist. Bananas are rich in potassium and slow carbs, plus they are naturally sweet and you end up with less added sweetener. The whole wheat flour, not only more nutritious than their refined version, they are also more flavorful and imparts a delicious nutty flavor.

These muffins are a great choice for breakfast on the go. I am not a certified nutritionist, but I imagine each muffin would have about 30 gms of carbs. So adjust your meal plan accordingly. It is an awesome and filling and almost guilt free after-school snack for kids. Just add a cup of milk or a fruit and it a well rounded snack.

So what are you guys waiting for? Whip up a batch and please let me know how it turned out!

Recipe Snapshot: Super Moist Banana Muffins with Pecan-Brown Sugar Crumble Adapted from here and here from the site Ambitious Kitchen Serves: 12 serving (1 serving = 1 muffin) What I used: For the Muffins: Whole Wheat Flour (Atta) - 1 cup Wheat Germ - 2 tsbp Baking Soda - 1 tsp Salt - a tiny pinch Banana - 2, very ripe ones (can used frozen bananas too) Non fat Greek Yogurt - 1/2 cup Honey or Agave Nectar or Pure Maple syrup - 1/4 cup (I used Agave) Olive Oil  - 1 tbsp (Can use any other oil like canola or soybean oil too) Vanilla Extract - 1 tbsp Milk - 1 tbsp Egg - 1  For the Pecan-Brown Sugar Crumble: Pecans - 1/4 cup (Can use walnut too) Dark Brown Sugar - 3 tbsp (light brown sugar can also be used) Cinnamon Powder - 1 tsp Butter - 1 tbsp, cold What I did: 1. Preheat the oven at 350 F and either grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners.  2. In the food processor or a blender, combine the pecan (or walnuts), brown sugar, cinnamon powder and butter and pulse it slowly till it resembles a crumble. Pour it in a clean bowl or plate and keep aside. 3. In the same food processor or a blender (no need to clean it... Yay!), add the bananas, oil, honey, Greek yogurt, milk, vanilla extract and egg. Blend on high for a minute or until well combined. If using frozen banana, thaw it before putting in the blender.  4. In a separate big bowl,  whisk together the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, baking soda and salt. 5. Now, add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix or else it will result in tougher muffins. 6. Divide batter evenly into the prepared 12 cup muffin tin. Top each muffin cup with a table spoon of the prepared Pecan crumble. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cool muffins for 5 minutes then remove and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.  7. These muffins tastes best when served warm. Store in an airtight box in a cool place.  Notes/Tip: The pecan-browns sugar crumble is purely optional, but no doubts tastes phenomenal. If omitting it, add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, berries or nuts of choice to the muffin batter and gently fold it in.

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