Skinny Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Some foods are okay to transform into low-fat versions, but some should stay their fatty delicious selves. In the past few weeks I have tried to convert delicious semi unhealthy desserts and breakfasts into healthier substitutes; and some of them have been a complete failure. For example: whole wheat apple pancakes, “lighter” chocolate chip cookies, and low-fat NY crumb cake (I should have known about the last one), so I was skeptical about attempting another “lighter” recipe. Then I saw “Skinny Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins” on Pinterest and I thought…..a few weeks ago Duane was cleaning out the fridge and freezer and he came across a plastic bag with two frozen bananas inside. He calls out to me, “Are you ever going to use these?” (holding the bag over the trash) I of course said yes and was given a smile.
So I cashed in on the opportunity to use the bananas that have hung out in the freezer for….we’ll go with weeks. I think this is my “healthiest” treat so far; I am keeping healthy in quotation marks only because I mixed in chocolate chips. You can opt to leave them out of use berries or nuts. Some of my more recent low-fat chocolate muffins were sweet enough to eat for dessert (and mixed with ice cream… yum) but these are definitely more breakfast.
I altered some of the ingredients from the original recipe that I found on www.theambitiouskitchen.com; I did not use only whole wheat flour, I used a half and half mix of whole wheat and cake flour. I also used unsweetened coconut milk instead of almond milk, and the ambitiouskitchen used non-fat greek yogurt while I went with regular non-fat french vanilla. I wanted to use what I had at home (I hate going to the grocery store!) so that is the main reason I altered her recipe. I have to say I am quite happy with results! Next time I bake these muffins I want to use mixed berries (and a few chocolate chips).
If you have any healthy dessert ideas, send them our way!
After eating these for breakfast, try https://www.muffinsandmeat.com/2014/09/03/skinny-chocolate-muffins/ for dessert!
To use a frozen banana, take out of the freezer about 15 minutes before using, keep an eye on it, you do not want it to completely defrost.
Another poor performance from the Giants last night, and I am very upset to see Cruz out for the season. Sorry, I had to throw my feelings on last nights game in the post.
Skinny Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 ripe bananas (you can use fresh or frozen; I used both)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tbs vanilla
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
- 1 tbs non sweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda and salt.
- In a blender, add bananas, honey, vanilla, oil, egg, milk, and yogurt. Blend on high for 1 minute or until well combined. Your mixture should be creamy. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in two additions and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
- Divide batter evenly into muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cool muffins for 5 minutes then remove and transfer to cooling rack.
- ENJOY!
Tagged: banana, breakfast, Chocolate Chip, healthy, low-fat, muffin, simple
