Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

My family LOVES waking up to the smell of baked sweets. It definitely helps them get out of bed, especially on weekends! I'm soooo happy that these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins did not disappoint, as they definitely tasted as good as they smelled!

I've tried (and loved) several banana muffin recipes, but this is my favorite. This easy recipe is adapted from Loving It Vegan, with a few healthy tweaks to make the muffins oil-free, increase nutrient density, and to lessen fat/sugar content. With that said, I did allow myself to indulge a bit by adding nondairy chocolate chips/chunks for this batch as a rare treat! 😊 (Disclaimer: The chocolate chips/chunks I used are deliciously dairy-free and cholesterol-free, but they are not oil-free.)

These muffins are perfect for snacking any time of the day! They don't just taste and smell good either, they are pretty too! Gift them with confidence to family and friends! They are convenient if you want to munch on-the-go, and they are a great addition to a kid's (or adult's) lunch box.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yield: 12 regular muffins or 6 large muffins

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Flour (I used 1/2 cup of each: whole wheat, almond, spelt and oat; see notes*)

• 1/3 cup coconut Sugar

• 1 tsp Baking Powder

• 1 tsp Baking Soda

• 1/4 tsp Salt

• 1 tsp Cinnamon

• 3 Medium Ripe Bananas

• 6 pitted dates (soaked preferred)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened Soy Milk (may sub with unsweetened almond milk)

• 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

• 1 Flax Egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water)

• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1/3 cups Vegan Chocolate chips/ chunks

Directions:

1. Mix vinegar and milk in a bowl, set aside.

2. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

3. Blend banana and dates with milk and applesauce; I usually pour the milk in a big measuring cup up to 1/2 cup, plop the banana in there with the dates and applesauce, then use an immersion blender.

4. Add flax egg and wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

5. Whisk to combine, then fold in chocolate chips.

6. Bake at 350 x 30mins 💚

Notes:

*You may use whatever flour you prefer or have available. I choose to mix different flours for variety in nutrition and texture.