These chocolate banana walnut muffins only taste decadent – they’re actually loaded with nutrition for under 150 calories each! Filled with fiber, protein and lower in fat than many muffins, these are a great on-the-go breakfast option, or good to have with tea as a mid-afternoon snack. Also, with school around the corner, these are major morning time-savers - and this is a fun recipe to get kids involved with baking!
Ingredients (yields 12 muffins):
3/4 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 C plus 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 C honey
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1/4 C low-fat (1%) milk
1/4 C 0% fat, plain Greek yogurt
1 oz dark chocolate (aim for least 72% cocoa), melted (about 2 Tbsp melted)
2 overripe medium bananas, mashed until mostly smooth (about 3/4 C mashed banana)
1/4 dark chocolate chips
3 Tbsp chopped walnuts
Nonstick vegetable oil coking spray
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon) in a medium bowl.
3. Combine butter, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, honey, milk and yogurt in a large bowl. Mix with a large spoon until well combined. Add dry ingredients from smaller bowl and mix until well combined and smooth.
4. Add melted chocolate and mashed bananas to mixture and mix well with a spoon. 5. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.
6. Spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Use a spoon or an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into each muffin tin cup, filling it about three-quarters of the way full.
7. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes (check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of each muffin and ensuring that it comes out mostly clean – melted chocolate is alright!). Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before tasting. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag for about 3-5 days
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving (1 serving = 1 muffin)
Calories 146 calories, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 16 mg, Carbohydrates 23 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 226 mg, Calcium 26 mg