Strawberry Banana Muffins

The first anniversary of Marc's death. July 18, 2023. I took the day off work. I cooked all day — his favorite meals, the foods he loved, the things he ate at every family gathering. Smothered pork chops, ribs, mac and cheese, banana pudding. I made enough for the family and brought it to Mama's, where we gathered, not to celebrate but to remember. We ate Marc's food. We told Marc's stories. We cried and laughed and the two sounds mixed together and the mixture was the only appropriate response to the anniversary of losing someone you love.

Banana pudding was always the one Marc went back for — thirds, sometimes, with no apology and that wide grin. I couldn’t separate the smell of ripe bananas from the memory of him even on a regular Tuesday, let alone on that day. These strawberry banana muffins don’t replace the pudding I made for Mama’s table, but they carry the same warmth, the same softness, and I’ve baked them every year since as a quieter way of keeping that sweetness close when the grief gets loud again.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 22 minutes | Total Time: 37 minutes | Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced small
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/3 cup neutral vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease each cup well with butter or nonstick spray.
Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until evenly blended.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
Bring it together. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. Do not overmix or the muffins will be dense.
Fold in the strawberries. Add the diced strawberries and fold them in with two or three gentle strokes. The berries will release juice as they bake, so keeping them chunky helps them hold their shape.
Fill and bake. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Cool before serving. Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature. They keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze well for up to 2 months.

Nutrition (per serving)

Strawberry Banana Muffins — Baked With Marc in Mind