When is a Muffin Not a Loaf? When It's Both!

We have stacks of over-ripe bananas in our freezer and were craving an afternoon sweet treat.  Banana muffins seemed the fastest, most obvious solution....until I discovered I didn't have a muffin tin!  When you go to make muffins and discover you don't have a muffin tin where do you turn? To a loaf tin!

This muffin (and now loaf) recipe is from Epicurious. I added about half a cup of yoghurt and the same if desiccated coconut, slightly more milk and whole rolled oats instead of oat bran. I didn't have pecans so I used sunflower seeds and sprinkled some chia seeds on top as well.  Cook slightly longer if you're adding yoghurt.

End result? Demolition in two days - we honestly tried to restrain ourselves!!

The recipe is really pretty healthy as far as muffins (and loaves) go, boosted with whole oats, yoghurt, sunflower and chia seeds. Serve it hot or cold (with more yoghurt, fruit, ice cream, lemon curd) or just eat it unadorned. It's delicious any which way.

Quick Oat Bran and Banana Muffins

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ripe bananas, peeled, chopped
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups or line with paper muffin cups. Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk milk, butter, egg whites and vanilla to blend in medium bowl. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Mix in bananas and 1/2 cup pecans. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining pecans over each muffin. Bake until toothpick inserted into centers of muffins comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.