Banana Cherry Eggless Muffins

Delicious fresh cherry-almond muffins sweetened with ripe banana is perfect for a tea time treat! These fluffy banana cherry muffins are filled with fresh cherries and ripe banana with a nutty taste from almond flour and a lovely vanilla scent from the pure extract. I made this eggless using the recent popular egg replacement - sweetened condensed milk! It came out so perfect with no signs of it being eggless!

I made these banana cherry eggless muffins after the success of eggless cherry muffins that I posted already a while back. If you remember, I had to give away those cherry muffins as a thank you note. So I had to bake another batch the very week and this time we had them all to ourselves 😉. I didn't want to delay sharing this recipe even though I know cherries are off the shelf or at least what I saw was the price of gold! So by all means, please do replace the cherries with any of your favourite fruits or berries that go well with banana. I have listed a few options under substitutes.

Ingredients and Substitutes for Banana Cherry eggless muffins

• Flour: I have used both wheat flour and almond flour. You may replace the almond flour with wheat flour, oat flour or all-purpose flour. 
• Sweetener: I used erythritol you may replace it with normal white sugar or brown sugar.
• Leavening agent: Both baking powder and baking soda are essential.
• Salt: A pinch will help bring the flavours out. If you are using salted butter then skip this salt.
• Cardamom powder: You may replace with cinnamon or skip it. 
• Nigella seeds: Optional but highly recommended for all my banana bakes :-) 
• Sweetened condensed milk: Used this as an egg replacement. If you want to make with egg, then just add one egg and increase the sugar content. 
• Ghee: You may use melted butter or oil 
• Banana:  very ripe one to increase the natural sweetness
• Cherries: fresh and pitted or dried that is soaked or frozen. You don't have to thaw or defrost frozen cherries. You may replace cherries with any other favourite fruit that goes well with banana. For example - strawberries, pineapple, coconut, mango, raspberries, blackberries, apples, raisins, blueberries,  or even dates!
• vanilla essence: for flavour and optional

Can we use frozen or dried cherries?

Hands down, fresh cherries make the most delicious fresh-baked muffins. But they are not available all round the year and nor comes cheap for this part of the world. Right? But you could always use frozen, dried or canned cherries in equal parts as fresh cherries in this or any recipes. If using dried cherries, make sure you soak them in water overnight in the refrigerator. You will have juicy cherries ready to adorn the muffins!

As we are a family of two, my bakes and recipes are always a small batch. So this recipe is for 6 muffins and you may double to make a dozen. 

Banana Cherry Eggless Muffins

Yields: 6 muffins

INGREDIENTS

Dry Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of wheat flour
• 6 tablespoons almond flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar or erythritol
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds

Wet Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup melted ghee
• 1/2 cup mashed banana (approx 1 medium Chiquita)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 10 to 12 pitted cherries, chopped

METHOD

Baking mode details:

1. Place the wire rack in level 2
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C on top/bottom 
3. Lightly grease a 6-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or melted butter or you may use liners

Prepare the Banana Cherry Muffin batter:

1. Add all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine (use a balloon whisk)
2. In a smaller bowl, whisk the condensed milk, then add the mashed banana, cooled melted ghee and vanilla essence 
3. Whisk the wet ingredients until well incorporated
4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula
5. Fold in the pitted cherries 

Bake the banana cherry muffins:

1. Spoon in the batter into the all 6 muffin holes approx 2 heap-full tablespoons (don't try to level them or dig the spoon to spread etc. Just drop the batter and let it be and bake as is.)
2. Bake for 20 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test
3. Place the loaf pan on a rack for a 5 minutes
4. Remove the muffins and let it cool completely 
5. Serve with black tea or coffee
6. Store at room temperature in an airtight box for 2 to 3 days or in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month or until it lasts.

More Banana recipes?

• My everyday banana bread with nigella seeds
• Blueberry banana almond coffee cake
• Sweet banana drops

TRIED THIS RECIPE? 

I would love to hear from you. If you have made this recipe then do leave a comment below. If you like this recipe then do Share the recipe link on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest. Follow me on Instagram and mention @butfirstchaai or tag #butfirstchai so that I can see your creations!