If you could bottle happiness, it may just smell the way these muffins do as they are baking away in the oven. I’m seriously DROOLING even thinking about it.
When I was pregnant with Hudson I used to CRAVE banana bread. It was to the point where I needed one almost every morning with my coffee. Something about it seemed to settle my stomach. The warming spices, the sweetness of the banana and the perfect amount of moisture and crumb.
This recipe was made in inspiration of those memories, only with a healthy twist. I used a gluten free four blend and coconut oil to lighten up the feeling of heaviness that follows when enjoying classic banana bread. Using bananas that are super SUPER ripe (almost black) is the key to getting the perfect amount of sweetness. I love the brand HU for my chocolate source, but any good quality vegan dark chocolate will do.
Enjoy these muffins for breakfast, a healthy snack, or dessert!
Ingredients
- 2 cups 1:1 gluten free flour blend
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 4 medium bananas)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup + 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 whole bar of dark vegan chocolate, roughly chopped (2.1 oz or 60g.)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 12 cup muffin tin. Set aside.
Whisk the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl until throughly mixed. In a medium size bowl combine the mashed bananas, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil and mix well. Pour wet mixture into the center of the dry ingredients bowl, and fold using minimal strokes. Lightly mix in the chopped walnuts and 3/4 of the chopped chocolate.
Fill each cup of the muffin tin until full. Sprinkle the remainder of the chocolate on top of each individual muffin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center of the muffin to ensure it comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes. The muffins will get sweeter as they cool. Enjoy!
