Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread Muffins

My oldest son really loves baking with me, and he’s at an age where he’s able to help me a lot more. I usually bake something every weekend and he’s always right there with me, pulling a chair in from the dining room, saying, “What we makin’ today, Mommy? I help you!” When I told him one weekend that we were making peanut butter cup banana bread muffins, I rendered him speechless. So many of his favorite things, all in one treat – it was probably the pinnacle of his young life.

These muffins really are pretty incredible. The banana bread base is moist and flavorful on its own, but the addition of peanut butter cups just takes these muffins over the top. They were a huge hit with both of my boys and my husband. And to his credit, Andrew didn’t steal too many of the peanut butter cup pieces for snacking. He is three, though, so some product loss was to be expected. :)

Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread Muffins
adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

2 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
4 very ripe large bananas
4 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
10 regular sized peanut butter cups, chopped into small pieces and coated in 1 tablespoon of flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 12-cup muffin tins or line them with paper liners.

2. Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and bananas and beat until uniformly blended.

3. Sift together the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until you cannot longer see any of the dry ingredients. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in candy pieces.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.