Why Were My Chocolate Banana Muffins Dry?

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Banana Muffins (from KITCHEN) are a great way to use up over-ripe bananas. The bananas add sweetness as well as moisture. Usually the muffins are quite moist, even if stored for a couple of days. The muffins also freeze well, which is ideal if you want to keep them for slightly longer. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature for 3-4 hours.

If the muffins are dry, it is possible that they were baked for slightly too long. The oven temperature is slightly higher that you would normally use for cakes, as this helps to give the muffins nicely domed tops, a good crust and a moist interior. This means that the baking time is only 15-20 minutes. We suggest taking a careful peek at the muffins after 15 minutes and if they are done then they will be risen, firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into the centre should come out clean or with a few crumbs attached (but not uncooked batter). Also do try to use very ripe bananas as the natural sugars (which increase as the banana ripens) will help to keep the muffins moist. If the bananas are young then the muffin could be a little dryer. Chocolate chunks or chips are a delicious addition to the muffins, though will not particularly make them more moist. We suggest using 100g (approximately 1/2 cup) of dark (bittersweet), milk or white chocolate chips.