There was a large, lonely looking banana in my fruit bowl and I could have just eaten it. An ordinary but satisfying snack. Then I looked in my pantry and spotted amongst my stockpile of essentials, a tin of Golden Circle crushed pineapple. I decided then and there to turn these two commonplace ingredients into Hummingbird Muffins. 

Look I’m not sure why this bit of baking bliss has such an unusual and striking name because there is definite not a single scrap of bird in the batter, nor any nectar which hummingbirds feast upon. The only tenuous link is that the muffins are so deliciously addictive that they will make you hum with delight as you eat them, possibly faster than the speed at which a hummingbird beats it wings. 


The recipe below is based on a version from the Cake Stall Cookbook, by The Australian Women’s Weekly.  I have made a few changes to the recipe to suit the ingredients that I keep in my pantry on a regular basis. I have also omitted the walnuts due to a nut allergy. The original recipe bakes the batter in loaf tins but I have used muffin cases. With the kids on school holidays, these grab and go muffins are easy to eat when having fun outside. No plates, napkins or cutlery needed, just an appreciative appetite!

Hummingbird Muffins makes 18 large muffins.

1 large mashed banana
2 eggs
3/4 cup oil – extra virgin olive oil
1 x 440 g tin crushed pineapple, drained through a sieve
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
2 cups self raising flour

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees on a conventional setting. Line your muffin trays with paper muffin cases. 

Using a fork or hand whisk, beat together the banana, eggs, oil and pineapple until combined. Then add the spices and sugar and whisk. 

Add the coconut and flour and stir through gently until just combined. 

Divide the mixture up evenly into the muffin cases. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown. 

Once the muffins have cooled to room temperature, drizzle each one with a little 
Lime Icing Glaze. This is easily made by mixing together 1 cup of icing sugar mixture with 30 mls boiling water and the juice of half a lime. Once the icing is smooth, use a dessert spoon to apply to the top of each muffin. Sprinkle over desiccated coconut. The muffins should have a relaxed feel about them, not a precisely hand decorated look. This is an excellent recipe for beginner home cooks to try.