Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Once upon a time in a far Northern land, a little girl liked to eat bananas for breakfast. Not any ol' banana would do; this little girl preferred her bananas to have a banana "handle."

This simple yet annoying request nearly drove her mother bananas, but she did it every single morning to please her little princess.

The result?

Lots and lots ... and lots of half-eaten bananas bit to the top of the peel.

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Enter: Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

It seems like I've always got a Ziploc bag of frozen banana halves in the freezer. I use them in smoothies or on occasion to make frozen banana "ice cream," but mostly those leftover banana halves are used in homemade muffins. I've tried a lot of banana bread recipes over the years, but this is the one I come back to over and again. These healthy banana chocolate chip muffins are fluffy, delicious and most importantly, devoured by Tory and Aden every single time I make them.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large)
1 large egg
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners, or lightly grease with cooking spray.

2) Mash bananas in the bottom of a large bowl until mostly smooth. Whisk in the egg, then the yogurt and coconut oil. Whisk in the coconut sugar, maple syrup and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda, salt and cinnamon over the top, then stir until combined. Gently stir in the flour until barely combined, then fold in the chocolate chips.

3) Scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin tins, filling them nearly to the top. Sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips on top of each muffin mixture, if desired.

4) Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins
*Store muffins in an air-tight container for up to two days (I like to refrigerate mine so the chocolate doesn't get melty), or wrap individually in Saran wrap, then place in a Ziploc bag and freeze. Defrost individually frozen muffins as needed in the refrigerator, then warm in the microwave for 10 seconds for soft, gooey deliciousness.
 
Recipe adapted from: http://www.wellplated.com/healthy-banana-muffins/