It’s a familiar scenario: You bought bananas a week ago, planning to enjoy them when they attained perfect ripeness, but life got in the way, so there they sit on your counter, fragrant and guilt-inducing, their once-sparse speckles now merging into uniformity. Banana bread is an option, but you’ve walked that road so many times. May I suggest muffins?
A dozen muffins come together as swiftly as a loaf of quick bread, but because muffins are smaller, they take less than 20 minutes to bake, making them the speediest possible route from countertop eyesore to satisfying snack. But to make muffins that look and taste great—stately, with potent banana flavor—you need a reliable recipe.