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Yummy Raspberry and Banana Nut Mini Muffin Recipes + Pan Review

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Basket Of Muffins

Perfect for holidays, parties, and any occasion or non-occasion these recipes are foundations that can be built upon with countless variations. Switch up fruits, fats, flours – the possibilities are endless. If time and waistline permitted, I could wake up every morning to the smell of fresh muffins baking in the oven, especially these yummy muffins!

Raspberry Muffins Recipe

Muffins packed with raspberries and topped with coarse sugar crystals – a delightful breakfast treat. Raspberries are my absolute favorites, but you could easily adapt this recipe with your favorite fruit, or toss in some nuts for a completely different taste and texture.

Ingredients

  •  1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  •  2 teaspoons baking powder
  •  1/3 cup shortening
  •  1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup milk
  •  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  •  1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
  •  Additional sugar

Directions

  • Combine flour and baking powder; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar.
  • Add eggs; mix well.
  • Combine milk and vanilla; add to creamed mixture alternately with flour mixture.
  • Fold in the raspberries.
  • Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
  • Sprinkle with sugar.
  • Bake at 375° for 15 – 25 minutes or until center of muffin springs back when lightly touched.

Banana Nut Muffins Recipe

This is a pretty simple recipe for easy Banana Nut Muffins. They come out perfect: soft and dense. Loaded with banana flavor, thanks to the overripe bananas and plenty of nuts for crunch. I make these banana nut muffins often. They go together quickly and disappear just as fast.

Ingredients

  •  1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  •  1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  •  2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  •  1 – 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas
  •  1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Makes 48 Mini Muffins

Directions

  • Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat shortening and sugar.
  • Add eggs (1 at a time) and milk; smooth after each addition.
  • Add flour mixture and bananas alternately; smooth after each addition.
  • Fold in the nuts.
  • Fill greased two-thirds full.
  • Sprinkle with sugar.
  • Bake at 350° for 15 – 25 minutes or until center of muffin springs back when lightly touched.
  • Loaf Pan 50 – 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes
 

Here’s the pan that I used to make these cute little muffins!

 

Make Fun Bite Sized Treats with the Grazia® Silicone MINI Muffin Pan!

 

Grazia® Silicone 24 Cup MINI Muffin Pan:

  • 100% Pure Food Grade Silicone & FDA Approved
  • High Quality Construction & Manufactured in Socially Compliant Facility
  • Safely use in the Oven, Microwave, Dishwasher, or Freezer
  • Heat Resistant to 450 Degrees Farenheit
  • No Stick No Mess No nothing – Once you try it you won’t go back to the Rusted Old Metal Pan

 

My Thoughts

I used my tried and true banana nut bread recipe to test the Grazia Silicone MINI Muffin Pan. It is recommended that you place the silicone pan on a baking tray. It fit perfectly on my 9×13 cookie sheet. I mixed up my batter, placed it in a glass measuring cup, and poured it into each muffin cup. After 18 minutes my mini banana muffins were done. The muffins browned nicely and popped right out without any sticking.

Success! Everyone loved the moist bite-sized muffins! No more dry, sugar, and preservative laden ones from a bag for my family. I can’t wait to use my new Grazia Silicone MINI Muffin Pan to make several different varieties of mini muffin bites for everyone at our next family get together.  

Save 58% When You Get Yours on Amazon

Candied Fruit & Nut Cookies Recipe

By 12 Comments

 Candied Fruit & Nut Cookies Recipe

Candied Fruit & Nut Cookies Recipe

Filled with chopped fruits and nuts, these no-fuss drop cookies are full of nutty and fruity goodness. They’re always a hit at holiday time.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped candied fruit
  • 1 1/2 cups of your favorite nut, chopped (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in fruits and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8 – 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. Let cool completely before handling. Yield: 5 dozen.

BAKING TIP: We used a small melon scoop to make these cookies because we found that they held together better by doing so. Add more cinnamon and nutmeg to the recipe if you prefer a darker spiced cookie.

Why not switch things up and make your holiday fruitcake in cookie form? These cookies are a delicious, bite-sized take on the traditional holiday dessert. And for the rest of the year…there’s no need to wait for the holidays to get the big taste of fruitcake!

Candied Fruit and Nut Cookies

BONUS SECTION – CANDIED FRUIT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

What is in mixed candied fruit? Fruits that are commonly candied include dates, cherries, pineapple, and a root, ginger. The principal candied peels are orange and citron; these with candied lemon peel are the usual ingredients of mixed chopped peel (which may also include glacé cherries).

How does fruit become candy? Candied fruit is made by soaking fresh fruit pieces in a sugar syrup, then heating the mixture until all the fruit’s original water content is replaced with sugar.

How can I make candied fruit? Cut your chosen fruit into 1/4-inch (5 mm) slices. For every 1/2 cup of sugar, combine with 1-1/2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add your sliced fruit into the boiling sugar syrup, keeping the fruit covered by syrup. Cook at medium-low heat, turning the slices of fruit occasionally, for 40 to 50 minutes or until the fruit becomes translucent, but still intact. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sliced fruit onto a wire rack. Let cool and dry overnight. Roll sliced fruit in a layer of sugar to complete your candied treat.

How can I make candied citrus peel? Cut your chosen citrus fruit into quarters. Cut off the peel, but leave a thin layer of the pith attached. Cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) strips. Blanch the peels by covering your citrus peels with water and bring to a boil for one minute. Do this three times using fresh water each time. For every 1/2 cup of sugar, combine with 1-1/2 cups of water in a saucepan and simmer your blanched peels over low heat for 45 to 60 minutes, or until translucent. Remove citrus peels from syrup, transfer to wire rack to cool, then coat in sugar. To make orangettes, dip half of a candied orange peel into melted chocolate.

If you have any leftover sugar syrup, it can then be used to moisten cakes and sweeten drinks such as iced tea, cocktails and sparkling water. Also, the sugar syrup should keep well in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

When drying candied fruit, set a tray lined with parchment or wax paper beneath your wire rack to catch any drippings