Pork and beans muffins? The first time I heard about bread made from pork and beans I thought yuck! Surely someone was kidding. It sounded awful.
Then, I remembered hearing years ago about a fabulous cake baked with tomato soup and a chocolate cake made with mayonnaise.
Well, I thought, anything can surprise you in the kitchen. Maybe it could happen. Well, it's not only possible, but it's amazing! The muffins made from this recipe are pure awesomeness!
Incredibly, there is absolutely no bean taste. The beans impart moisture and texture to the muffins making them dense and yummy enough they don't even need butter!
The bacon in and on top of the muffins adds that salty, slightly smoky flavor that pairs exceptionally well with the sweet batter. And, when you put a wee bit of syrup and bits of bacon on top? Simply divine!
Prepare the bacon by frying or baking it in the oven like this.
And, while that's happening......
Grab a can of your favorite pork and beans in tomato sauce. VanCamps is mine but they don't pay me to say so!
Dump them in a bowl, undrained, and mash 'em up. You can puree them in your food processor if you want. I decided to keep a little of the texture for interest.
Mix your dry ingredients (except sugar) in a bowl and set aside. Add eggs, oil, and sugars to the mashed beans and stir it up a bit.
Now add in the dry ingredients blending only enough for everything to come together. If you use a mixer, stick with the lowest speed. Then, gently fold in about half that crumbled bacon.
I have to admit I didn't use every bit of the batter for muffins. There was enough batter for a couple of wee mini loaves to share and sample since this was my first time.
An ice cream scoop was the perfect tool to fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. I lined the muffin tins with paper cupcake liners so they's be easy to serve.
Next, I drizzled a little pancake syrup on top of each because I discovered I was out of maple syrup! Next time, I'm going to try the maple syrup!
Then, I topped each pork and beans muffin with a few bits of bacon and popped them in a 350-degree oven for about 25 minutes.
The muffins turned out better than I could possibly have hoped! Moist, sweet and salty, and delicious!
They went perfectly with the steak, baked beans, mashed potatoes, and coleslaw I served for our grandson and his girlfriend recently! I called it a cowboy supper!
I shared the mini loaves with our daughter who shared it with several people. One hundred percent gave it two thumbs up! I think this is what you call a winner!
This is a recipe I'll hang on to! It's fun when things turn out even better than you hope they will! These muffins are definitely on my shortlist now!
A dense moist muffin with a tantalizing sweet and salty flavor profile. Keeps well.
Did you ever try a recipe you weren't sure about but it surprised you? What did you make? Once in awhile it's fun to try something adventurous isn't it?
If you enjoyed this recipe today, please share it on your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. I’d sure be tickled and ever so grateful, thank you!
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