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It dawned on me while I was entering the recipe for these muffins that I have been making these exact muffins for over ten years. At about a dozen a month, that’s 1,440 muffins. They were one of the first things I posted about on Instagram before I even started the blog. Point being, they’re tried and true! I’ve dabbled with other recipes – flourless blender varieties, oatmeal varieties, peanut butter, and even sourdough varieties… but I always kept coming back to this recipe. The other ones ended up being dense and wet, too egg-y, and lacking in height and muffin-y texture. These ones really deliver on that true tender crumb of a muffin and happen to be packed with nutrient dense ingredients you can feel good about eating and serving your whole family.

This recipe originated from a basic muffin recipe I found in my Joy of Cooking cookbook. My parents gave this to me when I got married and it really served as a foundation to my cooking skills over the first few years of marriage. It is a great all around resource with a recipe for just about anything you can think of and explanations on all sorts of ingredients and cooking/baking methods. It would make a great gift for a young person or newlywed living on their own for the first time!

As I got more conscious of making healthy ingredient swaps, I started playing around with the recipe. I swapped sprouted spelt flour and a small dose of Omega-3 rich seeds (chia, hemp, or flax– I use whatever I have on hand) in place of the flour. I like using sprouted flour when I’m not using the sourdough method because, similarly to sourdough, the sprouting process breaks down the starch in the grains lowering the carb count and glycemic index. Sprouting also results in higher nutrient content and is easier to digest (even gluten intolerant people can often tolerate sprouted wheat). If you don’t have sprouted flour, whole wheat or any whole grain flour would be a good option to get a good dose of fibre and whole grain goodness into your diet; the two perform very similarly in baking applications. I also swapped coconut oil in place of vegetable oil for a healthy fat, and honey in place of sugar for a natural sweetener. On top of its other nutritional benefits, honey helps keep the muffins moist while we use whole grain flour. I never missed the original recipe, in fact I prefer it with the healthier swaps. I like the nutty flavour from the sprouted spelt and seeds and the honey provides the perfect amount of natural sweetness. Hence why I’ve made, literally, thousands of them!

These muffins make for a delicious quick breakfast on the go or a very satisfying healthy snack. I’ve stocked my freezer with them each time I’ve had a baby – they’re perfect for new moms who need nutritionally dense food to get them through those first few months of nursing and sleepless nights. My kids (even my 1yo) love them and I feel so good knowing they are getting a good does of fibre, omega 3’s, protein, and plenty of other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The perfect lunchbox snack! I always double the recipe when I make them and freeze the extras so we can have a continual supply.

I hope these muffins find their way into your kitchen and become as beloved to you as they have for me. Let me know in the comments what you think of them! Talk to you soon 🙂

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5 from 1 vote

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

My favourite way to use up ripe bananas, these wholesome muffins are packed full of whole grains and are dairy and refined sugar free. They have been my go to banana muffin recipe for over 10 years now, a fool proof favourite! Perfect for a filling, nutrious, but also delicious snack the whole family will love.

Course Snack

Keyword banana, Breakfast, Dairy free, healthy baking, muffins, whole grains

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup sprouted spelt flour or whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup chia, hemp, or ground flaxseed or more sprouted/whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup honey or pure maple syrup
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips dairy free if necessary
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
• Whisk together dry ingredients (except nuts and chocolate chips) in a small bowl.
  
• In a large bowl, mash together (I use a potato masher) bananas, egg, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla until combined.
  
• Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until only a few dry streaks remain (do not overmix). Add nuts and chocolate chips and fold in until just combined.
  
• Scoop the batter evenly into the 12 muffin tins. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until lightly browned and the tops spring back to the touch (check with a toothpick to ensure centres are cooked).
  
• Muffins are best eaten the first 2 days at room temperature, otherwise freeze or store in refridgerator until ready to serve.
  

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This post includes affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you decide to click through the links and purchase anything. These are my honest opinions and I would never recommend anything to you I didn’t absolutely love and use on a regular basis. Hope you find these lists helpful!

Joy of Cooking Cookbook – This was my first cookbook, many of my favourite go to recipes to this day originate from here. It is the ultimate one spot resource for all things cooking. It would make an excellent gift for any home cook, new or old!

Sprouted Spelt Flour – I like using sprouted flour when I’m not using the sourdough method because, similarly to sourdough, the sprouting process breaks down the starch in the grains lowering the carb count and glycemic index. Sprouting also results in higher nutrient content and is easier to digest (even gluten intolerant people can often tolerate sprouted wheat).

Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips– I love the Kirkland chocolate chips because they are dairy free and they taste just as good (if not better) than the most popular brand. If I’m making a small batch of something or really want to watch my sugar I’ll spring for a more expensive dark chocolate chip or 70-85% dark chocolate chopped up, but for my everyday baking I prefer something affordable like these.

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