These chocolatey muffins will satisfy your chocolate craving while keeping you in line with healthier choices. With whole wheat flour and no refined white sugar, you can enjoy this muffin with no guilt!Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
⅓cupraw honeyMaple syrup or organic agave are alternatives
1eggPasture raised if possible
¼cupcoconut oilI use unrefined, cold pressed, organic. This works best if slightly melted (see note*)
1tsppure vanilla extract
1 cupwhole wheat flourI use Bob's Red Mill
½cupunsweetened cocoa powderall natural, good quality
¼cupcacao nibsorganic
1 tspbaking powderaluminum-free
1tspbaking soda
½tspkosher salt
1cupsemi-sweet or dark chocolate chunksorganic
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 and spray a muffin pan with coconut oil spray or use liners. This recipe makes exactly 12 muffins when you use medium to large bananas.
In a medium mixing bowl, mash 3 ripe bananas until the larger lumps are gone. Stir in honey (or sweetener of your choice), egg, liquified coconut oil, and vanilla extract until combined.
In second mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, cacao nibs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Pour the banana mixture (wet) into the flour mixture (dry) and whisk until everything is combined. Fold in chocolate chips or chunks.
Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, filling them evenly and completely.
Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425 then, without removing the muffins from the oven, lower the temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 13 minutes. Your muffins are ready when a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. The total baking time will be 18-20 minutes.
Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack until ready to enjoy. I recommend having at lease one while still warm!
Notes
Before beginning, I measure my coconut oil in a metal measuring cup and set it in a bowl of warm water so that it becomes a liquid before I am ready to mix.The number of muffins will depend on the size of the bananas you use. I try to use large bananas so that I am assured of 12 large muffins.If you do not have coconut oil, you can substitute melted butter or ghee. I try to avoid seed oils (canola, vegetable, peanut, sunflower) in my healthy recipes.I love using organic Belgian dark chocolate chunks when I have them. Otherwise, semi-sweet works beautifully.