Delicious & Kind of "Healthy" Banana Pecan Muffins

I have made these twice in 2 weeks and am making another batch today. They are a keeper recipe. Everyone in the house loves them even though I adapted the original recipe to make it a bit healthier.

I'll put the original recipe and then my tweaks for healthier muffins.

Banana Nut Muffins

~original recipe~

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1 C chopped walnuts

1/2 C toasted wheat germ

1/2 C brown sugar

1 T baking powder

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 C milk

5 T melted butter

1 egg

Cinnamon sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400*. Fit 12 muffin cups w/paper liner. Coat each w/cooking spray.

2. Mix flour, walnuts, wheat germ, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in large bowl. Stir in bananas, milk, butter and egg. Mix just until blended.

3. Using an ice cream scoop, fill muffin cups evenly w/batter. Sprinkle w/cinnamon sugar, if desired.

4. Bake muffins until a skewer inserted into centers comes out clean, 20 -22 minutes. Cool 1 minute, then remove from the muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.

My Tweaks for a healthier version

Sub flour like this: 1 C self-rising flour & 1/2 C whole wheat. Skip the baking powder and sub 1/2 t salt for a shake of sea salt.

Sub walnuts for pecans b/c that's what I had in the freezer.

Sub nutmeg for a couple of shakes of pumpkin pie spice.

Sub 3/4 cup milk for 2/4 cup 2% milk and 1/4 cup buttermilk. (I would have used all buttermilk but only had a 1/4 cup left.)

Sub 1/2 C brown sugar for almost 1/2 C honey.

Sub 5 T of butter for 4 T of butter & 1 T of unsweetened applesauce.

I didn't top w/cinnamon sugar.

I only put nuts in 1/2 of the muffin batter b/c one son doesn't like nuts.

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