A healthy, vegan, and gluten-free snack that will satisfy your chocolate cravings
Hey guys! Do you have a bunch of over-ripe bananas sitting on your counter top? Is your freezer turning into an exclusive compost waiting room for your bananas? Well, I have the perfect recipe for you! Turn those mushy, almost rotten bananas into something rich, fudgy, and surprisingly vegan AND gluten free! Amazing, right? These banana chocolate fudge muffins are an adaptation from the wonderful @MinimalistBaker with a couple of minor tweaks to make it fit my personal needs. I have been following Minimalist Baker for years and am always inspired by her wholesome, nutritious, and simple creations. She is no stranger to the world of vegan cooking and blogging, a true heavyweight in the space. Make sure you check her website out for the original recipe and even more simple and healthy eats!
Baking guide
I love this recipe because it is extremely flexible and able to accommodate any number of bananas (within reason). If you increase the number of bananas, expect the finished product to be less rich. You can offset by adding more almond flour, oats, and cocoa powder. I have made this recipe before using five large bananas and it still turned out delicious. I find that three medium-sized bananas work best for this recipe and will yield twelve decently-sized muffins.
When baking these muffins, I recommend to use the ‘convection bake’ setting on your oven, if available. This ensures even heat distribution throughout the oven and therefore, even cooking. You will know they are done when a toothpick inserted to the centre comes out with only a small amount of batter on the tip. You do not need to bake until the toothpick comes out ‘clean’ because you want the muffins to be fudgy, not cake-like. Plus, there are no raw eggs or any other ingredients that will give you food poisoning, so they will be safe to eat no matter what. I love this about vegan cooking, you can lick the spoons and spatulas without the element of danger!
Choosing quality ingredients
These banana chocolate fudge muffins are great as a healthier dessert, breakfast, or a sweet afternoon snack. They are made with quality wholesome ingredients and are much more satisfying than your average store-bought bakery item. The recipe calls for a couple of healthy alternative items such as coconut sugar, avocado oil, tahini, vegan chocolate chips, and flaxseed meal. It can be time consuming and costly to gather these items, but I promise you, it’s worth it. You will make these muffins again and again to use up your old bananas and won’t need to toss them into the freezer for later (aka never).
For the vegan chocolate chips, I recommend using the Camino brand pictured below. They contain 71% cocoa for that rich and chocolatey flavour and are fair-trade certified. We found these at our local No Frills grocery store. Milk chocolate can be used in a pinch, but I find it to be way too sweet for this recipe. If you are feeling creative, you can add other mix-ins such as walnuts, pecans, and even dried fruits to pair with the richness of the dark chocolate. However, I prefer this recipe as written and have not made any substitutions myself.
Final thoughts…
I have made this recipe six times so I can assure you that it is definitely one you want to print and keep on hand! These muffins can be made in just one bowl with minimum equipment required. Several of our friends have tasted them and gave rave reviews. Give this one a try and don’t forget to check out the original recipe by @MinimalistBaker!
Banana Chocolate Fudge Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Muffin liners
Ingredients
- 3-4 ripe bananas
- 1 tbsp flaxseed meal
- 2½ tbsp water
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- ½ cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips plus more for topping
Instructions
- Whisk the flaxseed meal and water together in a small prep bowl and allow it to thicken for a few minutes. Line your muffin pan with parchment paper or cooking spray.
- Mash the ripe bananas in a medium bowl, getting rid of most of the clumps. Add the flaxseed mixture and stir to combine.
- Add the baking soda, coconut sugar, maple syrup, tahini, salt, vanilla, and avocado oil. Whisk to combine. Add the sifted cocoa powder and whisk again.
- Add the rolled oats and almond flour and stir to combine. The mixture should be scoopable and not too runny. If it's too wet, add more almond flour a little bit at a time.
- Divide the batter evenly amonst the muffin tins. Top each muffin with a few extra chocolate chips.
- Using the 'Convection Bake' setting on your oven, bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes. If you do not have this setting, bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Muffins will be done when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean.
- Pan rest for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooking rack. Cool completely before serving for the best texture.
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