An easy recipe for tender bite-sized banana muffins full of rich chocolate morsels. They’re secretly healthy and just 45 calories!
A few weeks ago, my dad mentioned that Grandma hadn’t slept well for a few days. She would doze off in the evening, sometimes in her favorite comfy armchair instead of her bed, but wake up a couple of hours later and couldn’t click off again. Since Grandma only lives a short 15-minute drive away, I decided to bring over a little surprise to cheer her up.
That evening, I knocked on her door, holding her favorite splurgein a box fresh from the oven. When she spotted the surprise, her eyes lit up, and her hands flew straight to her mouth, the same way a little kid’s would on Christmas morning. “Is that for me??” she asked, her lips widening in a huge smile.
After setting it down on the counter and giving her a hug, Grandma and I went back to the living room. She settled into her special chair while I leaned back into the sofa, and we spent the next hour chatting.
Towards the beginning of our meandering conversation, Grandma inquired about what I planned to bake that week. I described the new recipes I needed to test (these cookies, along with two other desserts coming soon!), and I also shared that I wanted to bake my current favorite banana breadwith the very brown and speckly bunch on my counter.
Upon hearing that, Grandma replied, “I just threw out a few bananas last week! They were much too ripe to eat, but I don’t have the energy or ingredients to bake banana bread anymore.” I laughed and told her to give me a call the next time that happened—I’m always up for baking banana-flavored goodies!
So she did, and these Chocolate Chip Banana Mini Muffins are the result of those extra bananas! Aren’t they adorable? (Mini treats always look cuter to me… Maybe it’s because I’m so short myself!) These muffins are supremely tender and full of rich, melty chocolate chips… But they’re secretly healthy and just 45 calories!
Which makes it totally acceptable that I snuck seconds… And thirds… Right??
To start, you’ll use white whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special variety of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier strain of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, similar to that of all-purpose flour, but it still has the same health benefits (including extra fiber!) as regular whole wheat flour.
Note: Whole wheat pastry flour is a perfect substitute, and I’ve included my favorite gluten-free option in the Notes section too.
The mashed banana plays 4 main roles in these cute lil’ muffins: flavor, natural sweetness, texture, and egg replacer. That’s right—there are no eggs in this recipe! (Which means it’s perfectly safe to sneak a small taste {or five} of the batter!) And with just 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, the mashed banana also provides the majority of the moisture and tender texture.
To add a little extra sweetness, you’ll mix in a combination of stevia powder and vanilla crème stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s very concentrated. A little goes a long way! This is my favorite stevia powder, and this is my favorite vanilla crème stevia. You can find them at many health-oriented grocery stores, as well as online. (And you’ll use them in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
And of course… Don’t forget the chocolate! You’ll use mini chocolate chips because their smaller size is perfectly suited for these mini muffins… And because that smaller size also ensures that every muffin contains many, many chocolate morsels. That makes my chocoholic heart happy! This is my favorite brand because they taste really rich and melt so well.
Before you start, just one quick note about the liners! Low-fat muffins (and cupcakes) tend to stick to paper liners like superglue, so you must generously coat the liners (if using) with nonstick cooking spray. This little trick ensures those liners peel right off of the muffins with minimal crumbs attached. And if you happen to forget to spray the liners, seal the muffins inside of an airtight container for at least 24 hours to help loosen them a little bit more.
Hello breakfast! And snack… And dessert…?When you bake your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees that I’ll see the notification from you! ?) I’d love to see your mini muffins and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Chocolate Chip Banana Mini Muffins | 5.0 from 1 reviews |
Yields: 32 mini muffins
These little muffins are perfect for quick breakfasts and snacks! They’ll keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (And I highly recommend reheating leftovers in the microwave to make the chocolate melt again!)
- 2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tbsp (12g) powdered stevia
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (260g) mashed banana (about 2 large ripe bananas)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp vanilla crème stevia
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp (150mL) unsweetened cashew milk
- ¼ cup (56g) miniature chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 32 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered stevia, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut oil, banana, vanilla, and vanilla crème stevia. Mix in 2 tablespoons of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in 3 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, and gently press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought blends will work as well, if measured like this.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
If you prefer, 8-12 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted for both the powdered stevia and vanilla crème stevia (or adjust the amount to taste, as needed and depending on the ripeness of your bananas). If using this substitution, reduce the milk to 1-2 tablespoons to compensate for the added liquid.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the unsweetened cashew milk.
Be VERY careful if using liners! Generously coat the liners with nonstick cooking spray before adding the muffin batter. This batter will stick to liners like superglue if they aren’t coated with cooking spray.
If you prefer, this recipe will yield 12 standard sized muffins. The baking temperature remains the same. Begin checking on them after about 15 minutes. The muffins will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops feel firm to the touch.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower sugar}
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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
♥Mini Dark Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
♥Strawberry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
♥Chocolate Chip Banana Bran Muffins
♥Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins
♥Whole Wheat Strawberry Banana Muffins
♥Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Brownies
♥Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Scones
