Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

Is there any better start to a morning than enjoying a banana baked good with a warm cup of coffee? I honestly cannot think of one. Whether it is banana bread, muffins, cakes, donuts, or pies, anything baked that contains banana is a guaranteed way to my heart. But, let’s be honest for a second here, some banana breads and muffins sold in today’s world as a “breakfast food” are really just cake in a different form. When I was finally old and wise enough to come to this realization, it slightly broke my heart. I love banana bread. I mean lovvvveeeee. The aroma of a fresh cooked loaf makes my heart swell and immediately feel all things comfort. So, instead of giving up on this love affair, with my new-found baking ability and determination to create new recipes, plus a kitchen filled with browned bananas after clicking too many times on last week’s instacart order, I decided to make my own healthified version. These dark chocolate banana muffins are sweet enough to fill that dessert void while also including approved ingredients making it an acceptable breakfast (yes, dark chocolate if purchased in the right form is acceptable in the mornings in my book). Plus, I used Kite Hill’s new unsweetened drinkable yogurt to make these muffins extra moist. Yea, I said it, MOIST. The word that everyone hates using or hearing until a person uses it to describe something you baked and you immediately jump with joy. Behold, the way to my coworkers, neighbors, friends, and family’s hearts.

Ingredients:

Dry:

• Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour (2¼ cups)

• Baking soda (½ teaspoon)

• Baking powder (½ teaspoon)

• Coconut sugar (¼ cup)

• Cinnamon (1 teaspoon)

• Nutmeg (½ teaspoon)

• Sea salt (dash)

Wet:

• Kite Hill plain unsweetened drinkable yogurt (¼cup)

• Eggs (2) – room temperature

• Ripe bananas (2½) – mashed

• Coconut oil (¼ cup)

• Honey (1 tablespoon)

• Pure vanilla extract (½ teaspoon)

• Dark chocolate chips melted (¼ cup) – find a company that uses minimal ingredients excluding soy lecithin and even sugar if you are not looking for too sweet of a treat.

Other:

• Dark chocolate chips (¼ cup)

Special Equipment: muffin tray and muffin liners (I love these silicone ones)

Directions:

1. Sift the almond flour into a bowl and mix in all of the dry ingredients listed above

2. In a separate bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients

3. Make sure the ingredients are room temperature before adding in the coconut oil to avoid it from hardening

4. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients while simultaneously stirring

5. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, fold in the extra ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips

6. Pour the mixture into the lined muffin tray

7. Cook @ 375 for ~25-30 minutes or until cooked through

8. Allow to cool and then enjoy! Store in an airtight container in the fridge if not eating that day

Compliant w/ the following diets:

1. Gluten free

2. Dairy free