Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

Summer is here.  At least I think it is...can't really tell since we have had so much rain down here in Texas!  Monsoons everywhere!  Good news is my lemon tree is budding!!!!  Next recipe might have lemons in it : )

Warmer weather can only mean one thing!  Chocolate and banana smoothies all the time!!  Yeah Baby!  Super grateful for my awesome Vitamix my sister and Mom bought us for our wedding - love that thing!

Okay...so turns out that smoothies can get old really fast...so I decided to skip my daily smoothie and opted for veggies and hummus...then 1 hour later all I was craving was chocolate and bananas!  I am obsessed I tell you, straight up addicted!  I decided to switch it up a bit and made dark chocolate banana muffins instead...one way or another I was going to get my chocolate/banana fix :)

These were super simple muffins and they were so delicious and moist!  Winner winner chicken dinner...actually winner winner muffins for dinner! : )  This recipe has sugar in it, but you can probably swap honey/maple syrup for it if you want...I am going to try to do it next time with 1/4 cup honey instead of the 2/3 cup sugar.

Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins
yields 12 muffins
Adapted slightly from here

• 1 cup mashed ripe or over ripe bananas
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup canola oil, or melted coconut oil
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1-1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (semi sweet or dark)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees...or in my case with my gas oven 350 degrees
2. In a large mixing bowl, use the back of a fork to mash the banana until only very small lumps remain. Add the vanilla and the egg and use the fork to whisk the mixture together until completely combined. Add the oil and milk and stir to combine. Add the sugars and stir again.
3. Using a spatula, stir in the cocoa powder, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix until the cocoa is completely incorporated. Stir in the salt and baking soda, then gently fold in the flour, until just combined.
4. Divide the batter among 12 paper-lined muffin cups, about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Bake for 15-17 minutes, rotating once, until the muffin tops look set, and a cake-tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, before removing and cooling completely on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room-temperature.

Share these muffins with someone who is cranky...chances are they are just hungry : )

Eat your heart out,

Dagny