Banana Choco Nut Muffins

These Banana Choco-Nut Muffins are reinvented grocery store muffins; complete with glossy high tops & moist centers, but without half the calories, & pack in nutrients.

I'm so excited to finally get to share this recipe with you all! If you think that I kind of disappeared into the deep-end, well I did. For those of you that don't know, I work full-time as a designer in an architecture firm - and aside from getting two degrees, there are 6 licensing exams you have to pass before you can call yourself an architect. 

So that's what I've been up to! I'm currently halfway done, which is exciting. But, unfortunately, everything in my life sort of goes on hold until after each exam. Including even cooking dinner! But I am now taking a slight break and am very happy to be back to blogging and cooking for a bit.

I’ve always had a hard time with homemade muffins coming out like those big buttery muffins found in bakeries that are moist, delicate, have intense flavor and the stickiest glossiest muffin top. In my mind, muffins made at home were always the inferior choice. Tops that don’t rise high or dry out and the rest tends to be a little disappointing in comparison.

So obviously – the question to be asked is, how are these any different? First – the cups get mostly filled which then get baked at a high temp of 425 to guarantee those high overflowing tops. 

From a nutrition and weight loss standpoint – muffins are not usually something that come to mind. I mean really, they’re typically just glorified cake. The grocery store kind are normally loaded with sugar, hydrogenated oils, other ingredients you can’t pronounce, and weigh in at 500 calories on average. Sure, they can also be densely packed with nutrients and protein, but they rarely are. At this rate, a plain doughnut is healthier for you. Let that sink in.

These Banana Choco Nut Muffins were created with the goal of being able to eat them for breakfast or snack or whatever without the nutritional facts of cake. They pack in some fruit, healthy fat from nuts, and antioxidants from dark chocolate. Not to mention they are only 230 calories. They will easily fit into many meal plans and leave you satisfied – which is the best part because who wants to eat something only to be hungry in 30 minutes?

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Banana Choco-Nut Muffins

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 223 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 3 ripe bananas
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• ¼ cups sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup nuts walnut, pecan, or almond

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, mash the 3 ripe bananas.With a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat in the melted butter, both sugars, egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Combine together well.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
5. Add liners to your muffin tin and fill them up to the batter with the top (this is going to help give them that domed top). Bake for 5 minutes at 425, then reduce the temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. The total bake time is about 20-22 minutes.
6. Pop them out of the pan and let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Muffins will keep for about 5 days in a container or in the refrigerator.

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