Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

My family made the switch about 14 years ago to using more whole grains. This didn’t just include oatmeal and other “breakfast” grains, but actually milling our own flour. That sounds much fancier than it really is. You can see my article here about How to Get Started using Whole Grains.

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For us, they simply taste better, since they’re fresh, and we know that whole grains are a great source of fiber and nutrients, and they’re linked to a variety of health benefits. Eating whole grains has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and some forms of cancer.

So, even if you’re not milling your own grain, you can certainly use store bought whole wheat flour, or still make these using all-purpose flour you have on hand.

While we are big fans of banana bread here (see my chocolate chip banana bread recipe), banana muffins have a few benefits that we enjoy. They’re portion controlled, since each muffin is its own serving.

They also tend to freeze and thaw a bit better than banana bread, making them perfect for grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks. And they’re done in about 30 minutes start to finish, while banana bread takes closer to an hour.

So if you’re short on time, but still want the sweet flavor of banana bread, then try these whole grain banana chocolate chip muffins for a time saving snack or treat!

Here’s what you’ll need to whip up these sweet and healthy muffins!

• 1 3/4 cup soft whole wheat flour (you can substitute spelt flour or store-bought whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 ripe (or over ripe) bananas
• 3 Tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract ( learn how to make your own!)
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

1. In a medium bowl, mash bananas with a fork, then add melted butter, sugar, applesauce, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.

1. Add wet ingredients to dry and combine just until combined. Do not overmix. Gently stir in chocolate chips.

1. Scoop muffin batter into pan, filling each 3/4 of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops are firm and edges are lightly browned.
2. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
3. Enjoy these warm or room temperature!

Don’t have all of these ingredients on hand? Here are some substitutions!

• Swap out coconut oil for the melted butter.
• Use a flax egg in place of the egg.
• Substitute milk or semi-sweet chocolate for the dark chocolate chips, and even use mini chocolate chips!
• Easily make these into 36 mini muffins using a mini muffin pan. Shorten up the bake time and use mini chocolate chips.

These muffins will stay fresh on the counter in an air tight container for several days. Otherwise, place them in a single layer in a gallon ziploc bag or other sealed container and place in the freezer.

For a quick snack, remove muffin from freezer and microwave for 30 seconds. You’ll have a warm and melty chocolate muffin for a quick breakfast or snack!

Love muffins? Check out these other muffin recipes:

• D ouble Chocolate Beet Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Whole Grain Zucchini Bread Muffins