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This light and fluffy chocolate banana muffin recipe is made with whole wheat flour, is nutritious and totally decadent. The bananas add natural sweetness while the chocolate chips make these muffins feel like you're indulging in dessert!
Muffins make for an easy snack or a quick breakfast on the go. These chocolate chip banana muffins are not only moist, light and fluffy, they're healthy too!
Most muffins are high in calories, fat, and have loads of sugar. But these muffins are the best of both worlds. They're sweet and chocolatey, but are made with whole wheat flour, and reduced sugar, making them a low calorie, high fiber snack or breakfast.
A combination of walnuts and almonds add crunch, texture, healthy fats and protein, for an all around nutritious snack!
Dotted with chocolate chips throughout they're a decadent treat you can enjoy guilt-free!
Tools and Equipment You'll Need
How to Make Chocolate Banana Muffins - Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease the muffin pan with cooking spray. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl mash the bananas. Whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and milk.
Step 3: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then beat or whisk until combined. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Step 4: Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, filling them to the top. Bake for 5 minutes. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 5: The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20-23 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
What makes this chocolate banana muffin recipe healthy?
- Whole Grains: Instead of using all purpose flour, I used whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe. The whole wheat flour provides added fiber, which is great for digestion and heart health.
- Less Added Sugar: This recipe contains 8g added sugars, compared to 37g added sugars in most muffin recipes. But these muffins are still sweet thanks to the bananas, warm spices, and chocolate chips!
- Healthy Fats & Nutrients: The almonds and walnuts are rich in antioxidants and heart-healthy Omega 3 fats. Almonds are high in Calcium, Vitamin E and Magnesium, while walnuts contain Iron, Calcium, and Vitamin E.
Will kids enjoy these chocolate banana muffins?
This chocolate banana muffin recipe is a super kid-friendly treat! Kids will love the sweetness from the bananas, brown sugar, and chocolate chips. It's great for an after school snack or healthy dessert. As an added bonus, these muffins will give them a dose of whole grains without them even realizing it!
Can you freeze banana muffins?
Absolutely!
To freeze: let the muffins cool completely. Then wrap each muffin in plastic wrap or foil and place in a zip-top freezer bag. Make sure to get as much air out of the bag before you seal it. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Remove the muffins from the freezer, unwrap them, and let them thaw at room temperature. If you want to serve them warm, reheat the unwrapped muffins in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warmed through.
How long do banana muffins last?
These muffins will last for up to 1 week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last for 2-3 days when stored at room temperature.
How do you store and keep these chocolate banana muffins?
To store: let the muffins cool completely. Then transfer to an airtight container lined with paper towels and store in the fridge.
Top Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Banana Muffin Recipe
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing them.
- When measuring your flour, make sure to spoon and level it into your measuring cup vs. scooping it out of the bag using your measuring cup.
- To make these gluten free, use gluten free oat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour
- To make these vegan, use coconut oil instead of the butter (as a 1:1 replacement), use 1 flax egg in place of the regular egg, and use unsweetened almond milk instead of regular milk. Make sure your chocolate chips are dairy-free as well.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter once you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula can help with this.
- If you're worried about the bottoms of the muffins baking too quickly in the oven, slide a baking sheet under the muffin tin in the oven - it will help even out the heat as the muffins bake.
Check out these other healthy baking recipes!
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