This ish really is bananas; and by bananas I mean super flavorful, moist and crunchy banana chocolate chip muffins. This classic staple with creamy chocolate and salty hazelnuts are definitely a great way to start your day.
Ever gotten a bunch of bananas with the intention of eating them all, just to realize they've been sitting on your kitchen counter for a week and turned brown?! Yeah- I'm guilty. Well, good news is that you can turn those bad boys into delicious muffins. The browner, the better!
This recipe is egg-free, dairy-free, and 1 bowl which means you can be snacking on one in less than 40 mins. I used chopped hazelnuts in the recipe since I enjoy a good chocolate-hazelnut combo; but you're more than welcome to incorporate any mix-in's you're personally feeling!
BAKING TIP: BAKING MUFFINS IN A SUPER HOT OVEN WILL ENSURE A HIGH INITIAL RISE WHILE STILL RETAINING MOISTURE AFTER FINISHING OFF AT A LOWER TEMP.
tips before starting:
Tip #1:
Prep your muffin tins and preheat the oven before mixing your batter. Once the batter is mixed, the chemical reactions will differ once they've been sitting at room temp vs. putting them in a hot oven asap to get a great rise.
Tip #2:
Try to use your bananas once they're super ripe! Using yellow bananas won't yield the same flavor results. They'll also be a lot harder to break down in the batter.
BANANA OAT CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT MUFFINS
Prep time: Cook time: Yield:
10 Minutes 20 Minutes 16 Servings
ingredients
2 Flax Eggs (1 Flax egg = 1 Tbsp. Ground Flax + 3 Tbsp. water)
3 Super ripe bananas*
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1/3 cup Almond Milk
1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
(240 g.)- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
(44.5 g.)- 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
(180 g.)- 1 cup Raw Cane Sugar
(6 g.)- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
(4 g.)- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
(2.6 g.)- 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
(63 g.)- 1/2 cup Chopped Hazelnuts
(170 g.)- 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line and grease 16 standard size muffin tins and set aside.
Prepare flax eggs and set aside to thicken. Create the buttermilk by combining almond milk and apple cider vinegar, let curdle for a few minutes.
Mash bananas with a fork in a large mixing bowl and mix in wet ingredients (flax eggs, "buttermilk" mixture, oil and vanilla) with a spatula to incorporate.
Add dry ingredients (flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt) into the bowl with the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
Fold in chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips.
Using a 1/4 cup cookie scoop or measuring cup, scoop batter into prepared muffin tins and immediately put into preheated oven.**
Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes, then lower heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake for an additional 15-18 mins or until a toothpick runs clean when inserted into the center of the muffin.***
Let muffins cool in tins for 10 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
NOTES
*Brown bananas are the best for baking; the riper, the sweeter your baked goods!
**Letting the batter sit after mixing will effect the rise of the muffins due to the chemical reaction of the baking powder/soda. Make sure to preheat your oven to ensure that your prepared muffin batter won't sit for very long!
***Baking at a high temperature initially will make the muffins rise up nice and tall.