Healthy Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
Rich, soft double chocolate banana muffins with a tender center and just the right amount of sweetness. Made with freshly milled flour, flaxmeal, and bananas, they are naturally filling and great for breakfast or snacks.
Ingredients
- 2 cups ripe mashed bananas about 450g
- 1/4 cup maple syrup 60g
- 2 large eggs room temperature if possible
- 1/4 cup avocado oil about 60g (or melted coconut oil) OR 3 tbsp whole milk to keep it oil free if the batter looks dry. See note
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups freshly milled flour about 175g (or all purpose flour)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder about 40g (Dutch process for a richer chocolate flavor)
- 1/2 cup flaxmeal about 50g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pink himalayan salt or fine sea salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips about 175 g semi sweet or dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth.
- Mix in the maple syrup, eggs, avocado oil (if using), and vanilla until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, flaxmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold just until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between two muffin cups trays , filling about 3/4 full.
- Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes, until set.
- Cool briefly in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
A Note on Oil
When developing this recipe, we first tested it as an oil-free muffin using just 3 tablespoons of whole milk. The milk is only needed if your batter looks a bit dry. Freshly milled flour tends to be thirstier than all-purpose flour, which is why this small amount may be helpful — though your batter won’t always need it.
In this recipe, bananas take the place of oil, and we were really pleased with how the oil-free muffins turned out. That said, after further testing, we found that adding ¼ cup of oil gave the muffins a slightly better flavor and helped them stay moist for longer.
Both options work well, so feel free to choose what you prefer.
