Healthy Food Recipes - Healthy Banana Muffins - Green Healthy Cooking

The BEST healthy Banana Muffins under the sun! Soft and moist with a melty dark chocolate top, they are the perfect snack when you’re craving something sweet.

These muffins are excellent for a Mother’s Day brunch and easy enough for kids to make with some help from dad (wink wink). Combine them with this super easy Spinach Mango Smoothie and mom will shower you with kisses!

Now, remember that muffins are a treat. I’m not claiming these are healthier than a bowl of raw fruits and veggies, but they are simply healthi-ER than your average banana muffins. I have more delicious and healthy snack recipes that you can check out as well.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Bananas – Choose bananas that are very ripe with lots and lots of brown spots on them. The riper the banana the sweeter your muffins will turn out, so you don’t have to use too much sugar.
• Eggs – use two large eggs to make the muffins nice and fluffy.
• Avocado Oil – I love using avocado oil in my recipes because it contains good fats, but any other tasteless oil can be used as well.
• Almond Milk – my favorite milk for this recipe is almond milk or macadamia milk, but you can replace them with any other milk that you like, including dairy milk.
• Vanilla Extract – add a bit of extra sweetness with a hint of vanilla flavor. Omit if you don’t have any.
• All-purpose Flour – I recommend using all-purpose flour to make the banana muffins lighter and fluffier. You could use whole wheat flour but the end result would be a much denser muffin.
• Almond Flour – this is an absolute must in this recipe and it can’t be replaced. Almond flour is not an everyday ingredient, but it’s worth having it. It can be used in countless delicious ways. One of my all-time favorite recipes is this 2-Ingredient Almond Cookies.
• Maple Sugar – I like using maple sugar not only because it tastes delicious, but also because it is healthier than regular sugar. However, you can use any sugar that you have on hand.
• Baking Powder – you need baking powder to help your muffins rise. A mix of cider vinegar and baking soda can be used as a replacement.
• 70% Dark Chocolate – the star ingredient of these healthy banana muffins. I recommend using dark chocolate that is at least 70% cacao or higher. The darker it is the healthier it gets (my kind of chocolate!).

How to Make Healthy Banana Muffins

1. Start by preheating the oven to 350F. Then get a large bowl and two very ripe bananas. Peel them and then use a fork to mash them up completely until nice and mushy.
2. Add two eggs and whisk them into the banana mixture using the same fork until it is very well combined.
3. Add 3 Tbsp of avocado oil, 1/2 cup of almond milk or macadamia milk, and about a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the same bowl. Whisk these ingredients into the banana mixture. Once the oil is well incorporated set the bowl aside.
4. Get another bowl and add 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 cups of almond flour, 1/2 cup of maple sugar, and 2 tsp of baking powder. Whisk it all together until very well combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl and stir together until it’s almost all mixed, but stop before it is completely mixed.
6. Get a chopping board and the dark chocolate bar. Chop the chocolate into big chunks, about 1/2 inch pieces.
7. Add about 3/4 of the chocolate chunks to the muffin mixture and finish mixing and incorporating the dry and wet ingredients.
8. Get a muffin tray and line it with muffin cups. I like lining mine with silicone cups because they are reusable, but paper works well too.
9. Fill all the cups in the tray. Use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop for easy and even filling.
10. Use the leftover chocolate chunks to place in the center of each muffin so it melts on top.
11. Place the muffin tray in the oven and bake for 22-24 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
12. When done, remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool completely before serving.

Frequently Aksed Questions

Can muffins really be healthy?

This depends entirely on the ingredients of course and while a bowl of raw veggies will always be healthier, muffins CAN be pretty nutritious if you add enough protein and fiber to them. Make sure to use little sugar and they can definitely be a part of a healthy diet.

What is the secret to moist muffins?

Oil! It doesn’t have to be much but you really want to use a high-smoke point liquid oil instead of butter or coconut oil for example so your muffins turn out moist every time.

Healthy Banana Muffins

Prep Time: 13 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Servings: 12 muffins

The BEST healthy Banana Muffins under the sun! Soft and moist with a melty dark chocolate top, they are the perfect snack when you're craving something sweet.

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Source link