Pineapple Coconut Muffins with Macadamias

By Dede Wilson on August 30, 2014

Tropical Pineapple Coconut Muffins Featuring Macadamias

Did you know that September 4^th is National Macadamia Day? Neither did I until I was doing research on esoteric food holidays. It did get me thinking though…there are not enough macadamias in my life. They are so buttery and rich and so unlike any other nut. In celebration of this time of year I decided to make a tropical themed muffin. See the Tips about the coconut and the pineapple to make these as easy to make as possible.

Author: Dédé Wilson

Makes: 12 muffins (about 9 if using tulip papers)

Ingredients

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
3 medium to large very ripe bananas
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup milk, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup unsalted macadamia nuts, toasted, chopped
⅔ cup diced pineapple, from canned juice packed chunk pineapple (see Tips)
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes or sweetened coconut shreds (see Tips)

Instructions

Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twelve muffin cups with fluted paper liners or 9 cups with tulip shaped papers as seen in image.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
Place peeled bananas in a medium bowl and mash with a fork; you want chunks, not purée. Add brown sugar, butter, milk, egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until almost combined, then add nuts, pineapple and coconut and fold until completely combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes for regular size in fluted cups or about 30 to 35 minutes in tulip papers. Muffins should just be starting to turn light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center will come out with a few crumbs clinging. Cool pan on racks for 5 minutes, then unmold muffins. Serve warm or store at room temperature for up to 2 days in airtight container.

Bakepedia Tips

If you can only find salted macadamias, simply rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much of the salt as possible.

You could use fresh pineapple, but you really don’t need to and canned works just as well. Just make sure to buy the fruit packed in juice and not the pineapple in syrup. You can start with chunks or rings; just cut up into large dice.

Long shred, sweetened coconut is the easiest to find in the market and can be used, but it is very sweet. I prefer unsweetened in this recipe as it is a breakfast muffin, but you can use flaked or shreds, sweetened or unsweetened. Just know the resulting muffin will be sweeter or less sweet depending.

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