Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

A great way to use over-ripe bananas

Apr 1, 2009
Cathy Spalding

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins - Flickr.com

Looking for a yummy snack idea? These muffins taste good, are easy to make, and are a healthy, low-fat version.

Muffins are such a versatile food. They can easily be eaten “on the run” and fit in to almost any time of day or any meal. While not as sweet as cupcakes, many muffin recipes, like this one, use chocolate or similar ingredients. These have the benefit of making good use of bananas that may not otherwise get eaten, and with just the right amount of sweetness.

Recipe, Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ cup applesauce
2 large eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (2 large or 3 medium)

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt
With a spatula, stir in the chocolate chips
In a separate bowl, cream applesauce and sugar with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer. If using an electric mixer, take care not to overmix
Beat in the eggs, one at a time
Add bananas and vanilla until smooth
Add the moist mixture to the dry mixture, stirringr until the batter is moist but still lumpy
Lightly spray or grease a muffin tin
Using a large spoon or small measuring cup, fill muffin tin about 2/3 full
Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Muffins should be slightly golden on top

Notes

Oil or margarine can be substitued in place of the applesauce, but the applesauce is best for low-fat diets
Mashed, ripe pears can be substituted for all or part of the banana
If you have bananas that are ripening too fast but you are not ready to make with them, they can be frozen until ready to use. It is easiest to peel the banans and freeze them in a freezer bag, but they can also be frozen “as is”. When thawed, simply cut one end off the banana peel and squeeze the banana out (it will be quite runny)
Bananas can be mashed using a potato masher or a fork
This recipe can also be used for mini muffin or extra large muffin tins. Adjust the baking time accordingly
Paper muffin cups can be used to line the muffin tin. In this case, the tin should be sprayed after the muffin cups have been placed in it, otherwise the muffins will stick to the paper
These muffins are good both hot or cold. They should be stored in an airtight container but make sure they cool completely first
An ice cream scoop also works well to fill muffin tins
Let muffins stand in the tin for only a minute or two after removing them from the oven, then remove to a cooling rack

Cathy Spalding - Cathy is a mom of four children and a freelance writer with many years of online and offline experience. Her first book, The Everything ...