Happy New Year everybody! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and 2015 is full of non stop awesome for you! I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, especially diet related ones! I’m a baker and I’m very attached to my butter and sugar, dieting just isn’t for me even if I would like to lose a couple pounds. With that said, the first recipe I’m posting in 2015 is pretty healthy! I’m not a calorie or nutrition counter so I don’t know how healthy these are but they have no butter, the majority of the sweetness comes from the bananas with only a small amount of brown sugar supplementing it. They’re also made with wholemeal (whole wheat) flour – they’re practically a health food! These will also be dairy free if you use chocolate chips that don’t contain dairy (I use semi-sweet chips, which do contain traces of milk I believe). You could also potentially make them vegan with a little fiddling, replacing the eggs with applesauce would probably work but I haven’t tested that, so I can’t say for sure.
These chocolate banana muffins are also delicious, way more delicious than they are healthy which is my kind of muffin! They’re a nice dense, moist muffin, I hate those muffins that are like biting into air, I want some substance in my muffins – leave the light and airy for the cupcakes! They’re equally chocolatey and banana-ry, with a hint of cinnamon to give them a nice flavour depth. The chocolate chips are definitely a must too, they add little chunks of chocolatey goodness and a little extra sweetness,
These muffins came about because I had a few way too ripe bananas – my first idea was, naturally, banana bread, but I only had three bananas so it would have been a very small loaf! Muffins seemed like a great idea and they really were! Over ripened bananas are so great for baking, never ever throw away those brown bananas okay! They look pretty nasty and aren’t fun to eat, but the riper they get the sweeter they are, so when they’re all brown and mushy, there’s so much natural sweetness in them that’s perfect for baking, you can even cut down on your sugar usage because of all the natural sweetness. Next time you have some bananas getting a bit too comfy in your kitchen, you should definitely turn them into these muffins, you’ll love them! They’re worth buying bananas especially to make these muffins, you’ll have some waiting time but they’re so yummy it’s worth the wait.
Because of all the natural sweetness, you really can have them at any time. Grab one for a quick and tasty breakfast in the morning, pack one in the kid’s lunchbox for a snack or treat, or even pass them out as dessert after dinner – everybody will love them any time of the day. They have those wonderful domed and chewy muffins tops that are essential for a good muffin! The best way, I find, to get a good muffin top is to fill the paper cases up until they’re almost full and then bake on a high temperature for 10 minutes before lowering it to bake throughout – I never fail to get a great muffin top with that method!
So, 2015 is finally upon us! The year of my golden birthday, the rugby world cup, the year of general elections in the UK and, assuming she’s still reigning towards the end of the year, Queen Elizabeth II will be our longest reigning queen, beating Queen Victoria! And lots more yet to be determined I’m sure. I haven’t made any proper resolutions but I do plan on a few changes this year to help make it a good year – and of course, there will be lots of baking! Do you guys have any big plans for 2015? Have you made any resolutions?
I’m going to be bringing these yummy little things along to Fiesta Friday this week, I hope they enjoy this tasty, almost healthy treat after the holidays! The first FF of the year is being co-hosted by the awesome Mr Fitz and Kaila!
I’d love to see what you guys are up to this holiday season on social media, You can find me onTwitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.
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- 130g wholemeal/wheat flour
- 85g plain/AP flour
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon extract
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- 8oz semi-sweet chocolate chips*
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 125ml vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 100g light brown sugar
- Preheat the oven to 230C/450F. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cases.
- Add the flours, cocoa, cinnamon and bicarb to a bowl and mix together, set aside. Remove 1 tbsp of flour mixture from this and toss with the chocolate chips, set aside
- Mash the bananas and beat in oil. Add eggs and sugar and continue beating.
- Add the flour mixture and gently mix together until all combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly dispersed
- Spoon into muffin cases, filling almost to the top.
- Bake for 10 minutes on 230C/450F. Without opening oven door, turn the oven temperature down to 200C/400F and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Will keep in airtight container for 3 days
- *Check chocolate chips package to ensure dairy free if needed
Clementine & Pomegranate Muffins
Chocolate Avocado Muffins with Lime
Nutella Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
Sharing with…
Fiesta Friday, Inspire Me Wednesday, Foodie Fridays, Pure Blog Love, Sweet and Savoury Sundays, Show Me Saturday, Scraptastic Saturday
Oh my goodness, love muffins they look delicious. Happy New Year!!
Thank you Suzanne! Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year Michelle! After all the calories ingested during the holiday this is the perfect thing I should make! It still will satisfy my chocolate needs and I’d still feel good about eating it! 🙂
Happy New Year Dini!
Thank you 😀 x
Ahhh…. looks amazing! I’m not into New Years Resolutions (especially diet-related ones) either! 🙂 And if you were, we’d all be screwed without your delicious creations! This looks especially good though and as you mentioned, it actually is on the healthier side anyway! Happy 2015 Michelle, excited to see what creations you make this year!
I think my blog would become a ghost town if I went on a diet haha!
Thanks so much Stephanie, Happy New Year!!
Banana and chocolate. A beautiful combination
Isn’t it? Thank you 🙂
Yummy! Chocolate + banana = heaven!
They look so delicious!
Happy New Year!
Thank you Sarah! Happy New Year! x
I’m trying to stay away from sweets for a whole month Michelle, but these look darn good, I may have to give in 🙂
These look delicious Michelle. I actually made a bread like this over Christmas that was yummy too. Those pesky ripe bananas have a way of yelling really loudly that they are perishing before your eyes! Happy New Year!
Chocolate and banana is such a yummy combination, isn’t it? Happy New Year Julie x
Yum! You can’t beat chocolate and banana 🙂 I don’t do diets either, I’d be so grumpy my fiance would end up force feeding me chocolate…
Thank you Hannah!
Haha I’d be the same without my ice cream!! x
I love a good muffin and have a weakness for chocolate, love that your recipe is healthy too, thanks for sharing and have a great weekend, hugs:)
Thank you Lily, have a great weekend too xx
I have all kinds of banana recipes but love the chocolate addition. Diets are hard but there are ways to cut back on the calories and still have a delicious recipe. Happy New Year Michelle 🙂
Thanks Judi!
Yep, instead of trying to diet I just try to add healthier things into my regular diet. I try to have at least 1 green smoothie a day, which not only gets me extra vitamins and goodness into my body, but also stops me snacking on less healthy options! And I enjoy them too, which helps!
Happy New Year Judi x
Awh, I love this! The cinnamon and banana combination sounds delicious. The muffins came out well too. The clementine and pomegranate ones look tasty as well. What’s your favorite muffin to make?!
Thank you so much for bringing these to the fiesta! Happy 2015!
Thank you Kaila.
I really don’t make muffins often enough, but I did enjoy making these ones. Also the chocolate avocado ones are fun to make. Muffins are good to make because they’re pretty forgiving to substitutions!
Happy 2015 to you too Kaila, thanks for co-hosting! x
These look delish Michelle! Happy FF and New Year! Do you think QE II will ever give up the throne to Prince Charles?
Thank you Johanne, Happy New Year!
I don’t know, if she does it won’t be for at least 5 years, she’s still going strong haha x
Yum! I love muffins, bananas, and chocolate so this little treat is a dream come true! Thank you for sharing this deliciousness! I can’t wait to make these muffins. PINNED!
Thank you Michelle! I hope you like them xx
Love the muffins! Great texture.
Thanks Sonal x
Another amazing recipe. I’m going to pass this on to a friend of mine that works in a bakery. I think she would love these. Thanks for linking up this week to Scraptastic Saturdays.
Thank you Andrea, very sweet of you! x
chocolate and banana…..what a lovely combo !! Delicious !! <3
Thank you!! xx
These look great! And I totally agree about the over ripe bananas – I can’t believe some people throw them away! They’re perfect for muffins, banana bread, or freezing and turning into banana “ice cream” 🙂
Thank you! I know, it makes me sad… all that lost yummyness! xx
I’m not much for baking but these look fabulous…chocolate, bananas and healthy! Oh my goodness, they are going on my Pinterest board.
Have a wonderful New Year and thank you for being a follower of my blog.
Cheers to QE II, my parents attended her coronation.
Thank you Liz!
Diet related ones and money-saving are the most used New Year’s resolution. 😀 I am not a fan of making resolutions either, since I know I can’t keep with it. And did you say attach to butter and sugar? Count me in. 😀 These look so good, Michelle. I hope I could have one right now. Happy 2015! <3
Yep, no disappointment if you don’t make a resolution either!
Thank you Jhuls, happy 2015!! x
These muffins look lovely and big, I like the look of those choc chips poking out of the top. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
Thank you 🙂