1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it with coconut oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly using a fork until smooth with just a few small lumps remaining. I always think of Mama Lou’s hands gently mashing fruit for her pies—there’s something so grounding about this simple act.
3. Add the protein powder to the mashed bananas and mix well until fully combined. The batter will be thick but moist—this is just right.
4. Gently fold in the blueberries, being careful not to break them up too much. The vibrant pops of color remind me of the summers spent in Mama Lou’s garden, picking the freshest berries.
5. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. I like to peek at around 18 minutes because every oven is a little different, much like Mama Lou’s old stove that always ran a bit hotter.
7. Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

One thing I’ve learned from years of baking with family is patience. Letting these muffins cool just enough brings out their best texture, making them tender but sturdy enough to hold all that lovely blueberry goodness. If you’re anything like Ouma and me, you’ll find it hard to resist sneaking a warm muffin straight from the oven!