In early September, our dear friends came for a visit and JT and I planned a full schedule of fun activities! We went hiking at a conservation area, saw King Lear in High Park (which turned out to be reimagined from a female perspective, Queen Lear), we traveled to Montreal for a few days with a stop in Kingston to visit the newly refurbished Kingston Penitentiary. The time went quickly and a much-needed fix with special friends. Our days were packed, so I made these Banana Bran Muffins for a breakfast on the morning we went hiking, as we were also having lunch at an adorable little cafe near the conservation area. Scroll down to see a few pics of Kingston Pen.
Banana Bran Muffins with Belgian Milk Chocolate Chunks
Original recipe from Company’s Coming, Muffins and More by Jean Paré.
Makes about 10-12 medium-sized muffins
Please click here to print this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 128 g (1 cup) flour
- 60 g (1 cup) all bran cereal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or chunks (I used Belgian milk chocolate chunks)
- 60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil
- 75 g (1/2 cup) coconut sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 65 mL (1/4 cup) sour milk (milk with 1/4 tsp lemon juice)
- 250 mL (3 medium or 1 cup) bananas, mashed
Directions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Prepare muffin pans by spraying with non-stick spray.
- Combine flour, bran, baking powder and soda and salt in a bowl and mix.
- Cream coconut oil and sugar with 1 egg until well blended and add the other egg and beat well. Combine the soured milk and mashed bananas and mix well.
- Pour into the dry mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared muffin cups to about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool slightly and serve.

These muffins have excellent texture from the moistness of the bananas and the bran cereal.
- An old postcard of the Penetentiary
- Riots of 1932, 1954 and 1971
- Our tour guide
- Happy Prisoner
- High Security Visitors Cubicles
- These wings are called Ranges
- Another Range
- Interesting graffiti that wasn’t pornographic. Money for Salmon. Wasn’t there a song about that?
- Centre dome where they typically changed out as each Range has a turn (eating, working etc).
- Marital Conjugation Ward
- Corrections Officer Tour Guide
- Trades School
- Matress Factory
- Finally, where they belong!
- This is what the original cell looked like
- Last Century Prison Standard
- Actual cell.
- 21st Century Prison Standard
- This is part of the mental health and senior’s wing
- This is part of the mental health and senior’s wing
- These muffins are not nearly as sweet using coconut sugar as using regular white sugar.