15-Cent Pantry Staple Banana Muffins
Look, I get it. We’ve all been there. It’s Tuesday, your bank account is looking like a desert wasteland, and you’re staring at three bananas on your counter that look like they’ve been through a war. Most people see a biohazard; I see these 15-cent banana muffins as a ticket to a better morning.
I remember junior year when I had exactly $4 until Friday. I couldn’t afford the $3.50 “Artisanal Banana Bread” at the campus coffee shop, but I realized I could make an entire dozen of these cheap banana muffins for about the price of a single postage stamp. If you’re looking for more of the [/roundups/best-breakfast-muffins](best breakfast muffins), this is the budget king. These aren’t “gourmet” in the sense that they require expensive vanilla beans or organic almond flour. They are, however, deeply satisfying, ridiculously easy, and a total victory for your wallet.
The “Broke But Eating” Math
Let’s break it down, because one of the best pantry staple recipes proves that cheap doesn’t mean sad:
- 3 Black Bananas: Usually free if you forgot them, or about $0.30 at the “oops” bin in the grocery store.
- Pantry Staples (Flour, Sugar, Oil, Egg): Roughly $1.50 for the whole batch.
- Total: $1.80 for 12 muffins. That’s $0.15 per muffin.
Your bank account just exhaled a sigh of relief.
Why “Ugly” is Better for Overripe Banana Recipes
Real talk: the blacker the banana, the better the muffin. As a banana ripens, it converts starches into sugar. Those terrifyingly dark bananas are basically nature’s candy. They provide the moisture and the sweetness, which is why we can get away with using cheap store-brand vegetable oil instead of pricey butter. 100% fat content in oil means these stay moist even if you forget them in your backpack for a day.
No Equipment? No Problem.
I know half of you don’t own a whisk, let alone a stand mixer. This is a one-bowl, one-fork operation, making it one of my favorite no mixer banana muffins. It’s just as simple as my [/recipes/one-bowl-20-minute-blueberry-breakfast-muffins](One-Bowl 20-Minute Blueberry Breakfast Muffins). We use a fork to mash the bananas and a fork to mix the batter.
The key technique here is the “Dry-into-Wet Fold.” When you add that flour, don’t go crazy. If you stir it like you’re trying to win a race, you’ll develop the gluten and end up with tough, bready hockey pucks. Stop as soon as the white powder disappears. Trust the process.
Tyler’s Pro-Tips for Budget Baking for Students
- The Paperclip Trick: If you don’t have toothpicks to check for doneness, find a clean paperclip, straighten it out, and poke the center of a muffin. If it comes out without wet batter on it, you’re done.
- The “Found Some” Upgrade: If you happen to find half a bag of chocolate chips or a stray spoonful of peanut butter in the back of the pantry, stir it in. It’s your kitchen, no one’s judging.
- Storage: These last about three days in a plastic bag. If you can’t eat 12 muffins before then (challenge accepted?), they freeze perfectly. Throw one in the microwave for 15 seconds before class and you’re good to go.
Broke doesn’t have to mean boring. Now go rescue those bananas. And if you still have some fruit left over, these [/recipes/5-minute-banana-blender-pancakes](5-Minute Banana Blender Pancakes) are another great way to use them up.
15-Cent Pantry Staple Banana Muffins
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). If you've got a muffin tin, grease it with a little oil or use paper liners. If you don't have liners, just grease the heck out of those cups.
In one large bowl, peel the bananas and mash them with a fork until they look like a chunky liquid. Don't worry about a few lumps; we aren't making baby food.
Add the sugar, egg, and oil to the banana mash. Use that same fork to beat it all together until it's a consistent, weird-looking sludge.
Sprinkle the baking soda and salt directly over the wet mix and stir it in. Then, add the flour.
Gently fold the flour into the wet ingredients using the fork. Stop the second you don't see any white streaks. Overmixing turns these into rubber balls, and nobody wants that.
Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling each about 2/3 of the way up.
Bake for 18–20 minutes. Use the 'Paperclip Trick': straighten a clean paperclip and poke a muffin. If it comes out clean, you're golden.
Let them cool for 5 minutes if you have the patience. If not, eat one while it's hot and burns your tongue slightly.