Chocolate Banana Muffins

So one day at the grocery store I bought some bananas. They were greenier than I like so I let them sit to ripen.

I blinked and then I had these bananas. 

I'm not a fan of bananas that are this ripe. Dad loved them this ripe. The browner the better. And as I'm watching my sugars these aren't the best to eat for that purpose. 

So naturally, I need to make banana bread. Which I know the logic is missing there, but what's a girl to do? I wasn't going to throw them out. And if I put them in the freezer I'd forget about them I'm sure. 

I didn't want to make my normal banana bread and thought this would be an opportunity to try a new recipe. 

I made three small changes to this recipe. 

1. I swapped the sugar out with allulose (low carb sugar)

2. I swapped the chocolate chips out for sugar free chocolate chips

3. I didn't have Greek yogurt so I used sour cream

All minor changes. These were good muffins. In all honesty, chocolate muffins are really chocolate cake to me. So they are more for after dinner treat than breakfast. 

I gave 4 away to Janet and Kathy and will freeze the rest and take them out as I want them.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Recipe from Love From the Oven

Makes 12

• 1/4 c butter softened
• 1/2 c vanilla Greek yogurt
• 3/4 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 large ripe bananas
• 1 1/3 c  all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour if desired
• 2/3 c dark cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 c milk
• 1/2 c chocolate chips semi-sweet recommended, but milk or dark chocolate also work well

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Puree, mix or blend bananas until smooth. Add in butter and yogurt and mix until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Stir in sugar until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix white whole wheat flour, dark cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine wet and dry ingredients, add in milk and stir until just combined, do not overmix.

Scoop into a muffin pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops spring back when touched. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store loosely covered or in refrigerator.

Banana Bread Muffins

Photo from Melissa's 
Southern Style Kitchen

I did it! I made banana bread and remembered all the ingredients.

I'm a sucker for a good banana bread and I'm especially a sucker for the end pieces. Making muffins fixes it so every single one has an "end" (aka the muffin top). 

These are good banana muffins. Nothing special about them other than they were edible and I'd make them again.

Banana Bread Muffins

Recipe from Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen

Makes 12 muffins

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 medium ripe bananas mashed to equal 1 cup
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup butter melted (1 stick)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Liberally spray a 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray or use cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a medium-size mixing bowl use a whisk to sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the bananas, eggs, butter and vanilla. Use a large non stick spatula to mix until fully combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the wells in the muffin tin. 

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean.

Cool for 15 minutes in the muffin tin then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Store chilled or at room temperature in an air tight container.

Small-Batch Chocolate Banana Muffins (One-Banana, One-Bowl)

When life gives you this...

You make this...

That's right. A small batch of chocolate banana muffins. I found this blog that has a ton of "small batch" recipes. It's super helpful when you're cooking for one. 

I had two small problems with this recipe. User errors really. 

1. I didn't have vanilla

2. I didn't have any chocolate chips

No worry, they taste fine. Good even.

Small-Batch Chocolate Banana Muffins (One-Banana, One-Bowl)

Recipe from Baking Mischief

Makes 5 muffins (it only made 4 for me)

• 1 medium-to-large over-ripe banana
• 3 T unsalted butter melted
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 c all-purpose flour
• 3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped or 1/3 cup chocolate chips, plus more for topping

Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a muffin tin with 5 liners.

Place peeled banana in a medium bowl and mash it well with a fork or potato masher. Add melted butter and whisk until well combined. Add brown sugar, egg white, and vanilla. Mix well.

Place a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl and add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to the strainer. Sift dry ingredients into the wet and use a spoon to mix until just combined. Stir in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Divide batter between prepared muffin cups, filling about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 8 minutes at 425°F before turning the oven temperature down to 350°F. Bake for an additional 6 to 9 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out with just a few crumbs.

Sprinkle extra chocolate over the top if desired. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, and enjoy.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (143 of 150)

Janet gave me some bananas that were on the verge of turning. I knew I wanted to make banana bread
of some sort. So I decided this was the recipe.

It's a weird recipe because there's no butter in it. They taste fine, but they aren't as rich as banana bread usually is. 

I won't make this again, but it'll keep my banana bread craving down for a bit. I should also mention, I made muffin tops instead of all muffins. They're the best part of the muffin anyhow. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recipe from Recipe Girl

Makes 12

• 3 medium very-ripe bananas
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 c nonfat milk
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 T mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat regular-sized muffin tin with cooking spray (or line with papers).

In a large bowl, mash bananas with fork. Whisk in egg, milk, and sugars.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet mixture and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon equal amounts of batter into 12 muffin cups. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Muffins (Recipe 130 of 150)

When I first read this recipe I exclaimed quite loud that this couldn't possibly work. The recipe for the cake mix calls for eggs, oil, water. How could putting a can of pureed pumpkin substitute for those ingredients. 

And yet, I'm here to tell you, it worked. The muffins came out moist, pillowy and delicious. I am now a believer. 

2-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Recipe from Spaceships and Laser Beams

Makes 12

• 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
• 1 box Spice Cake Mix

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Dump the cake mix and pumpkin puree into a bowl.

Stir the muffin batter until everything is combined. A few dry spots or lumps are not a big deal, but still try to get the batter as even-looking as possible. 

Using a ½ cup measuring cup, portion the pumpkin spice muffin batter into a pre-lined jumbo muffin pan.

Bake for 18 to 25 minutes (depending on how big your muffins are) [JW Note: Mine took 28 minutes] until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on a cooling rack, and then enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins (Recipe 125 of 150)

I have a ton of muffin recipes. I like muffins, but usually the recipes make too many and I get bored with them before they're gone. 

Today's recipe says it makes 20. I only made 12. No ONE needs 20 double chocolate muffins in their house. My plan is to freeze them, then take them out as I want them. 

I made one mistake with this recipe. I missed putting in the baking soda. I thought 2 tsp baking powder was a lot with no soda, but just missed seeing the soda. They seem fine. A little dense, but tastes fine. 

I almost didn't add the cinnamon because I'm not a huge fan of cinnamon. I only added half of what the recipe calls for and I wish I hadn't included it at all. 

Double Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

Recipe from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts

Makes 20

MUFFINS

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 c brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 c sour cream
• 2/3 c milk
• 1 c mini chocolate chips

CHEESECAKE LAYER

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 large egg

TOPPING

1/4 c mini chocolate chips

TO MAKE THE MUFFINS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside

Beat brown sugar and butter together until creamy. Add egg, vanilla and sour cream. Beat until smooth.

Slowly add the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixer, alternating between the two.

Fold in chocolate chips. Set aside

TO MAKE THE CHEESECAKE LAYER

Beat cream cheese until creamy. Add sugar and beat until smooth.

Add egg and beat until fully incorporated. Do not over mix.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Place a spoonful of the muffin batter into the bottom of each liner. Top with cheesecake layer. Top with the remaining batter.

Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.

Bake for 16-18 minutes until a tester comes out mostly clean.

Remove from oven and let cook for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins (Recipe 72 of 150)

I really wanted these to be off the chart delicious. They were good, but not great. I'll eat them, but I won't crave them. 

I felt like they were missing the buttery flavor that other pumpkin breads have. Using vegetable oil instead of butter makes it a different consistency too. I don't really know what it is about them, they just weren't that great. 

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recipe from Chelseasmessyapron.com

Makes 12 muffins

• 3/4 c light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 c vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 c canned pumpkin
• 1/4 c buttermilk
• 1 1/2 c white all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c miniature chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a muffin pan or use cupcake liners. 

In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and buttermilk.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir in both types of chocolate chips. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until JUST combined. Overmixing results in dense muffins.

Divide the muffin batter evenly among the prepared muffin tin, filling up 12 cavities. Each cavity should be 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to slightly cool before removing them to a cooling rack.

Muffins are best eaten within 3-4 days. Store muffins in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin Tops (Recipe of 46 of 150)

They look like cookies, but I swear
they are muffin tops.

Banana bread is one of my favorite breads. I don't make it too often because I will eat the entire loaf. And that is never good. I have a favorite banana bread recipe from my sister-in-law in St. Louis. She gave it to me a thousand years ago and the best bread pan every. She swore if I used that pan and her recipe I'd never over cook or under cook a banana bread recipe. She was not wrong. 

This recipe is good. It would be better without the chocolate chips, or maybe fewer of them. The chocolate chip ratio to banana bread is too high, IMHO. 

I bought a muffin top pan when I saw this recipe, or one like it, and I gotta say, I'm hooked. I really only like the top of muffins so this was perfect for me. I should have cooked them a little longer, but whatever, they're still good. 

I'd make this recipe again, but without the chocolate chips. 

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin Tops
Recipe from Kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com

Makes 12 muffin tops

• ½ c butter softened
• ½ c granulated sugar
• ½ c light brown sugar packed
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ c buttermilk room temperature
• 1⅓ c mashed bananas very ripe
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ⅔ c mini chocolate chips either milk or semi-sweet

Preheat the oven to 350°

Spray your muffin top pans or cookie sheet with a non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium-size mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and creamy.

Mix in the eggs, bananas, vanilla extract, and buttermilk until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir by hand until thoroughly combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Fill the muffin top cups ¾ full. (if using a cookie sheet, drop 1-2 tablespoonfuls of batter, depending on the size you want, to make each top.)

Bake on the center rack of the oven for approx. 15-minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin top comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for 10-minutes, then place pans on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Easy Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Photo from
SweetCdesigns

Lesson 1 of cooking...read the instructions BEFORE you get started. I did not for this recipe. I assumed it was just like every other muffin, cookie, cake recipe I've ever made. Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Mix dry and wet together...voila. 

Well, let's hope they turn out ok cuz I did not follow these instructions. In fact, reading them now they are a bit confusing. 

Further, I neglected to read the baking instructions. I popped them in at 425 for 6 minutes and they weren't done. So I put another 6 minute timer. THEN I read the instructions. Ugh.

I also did not refrigerate the batter...oh boy...these are going to be interesting.

Easy Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Recipe from SweetCDesigns

Makes 6

• 2 c all purpose flour
• 3/4 c cocoa powder
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2 extra large eggs
• 8 T unsalted butter melted
• 1 c plain yogurt or buttermilk (JW: I used buttermilk)
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Toss the chocolate chunks into the dry ingredients to coat the chocolate chunks in flour (which will help them not sink to the bottom of the mix when baking!)

Make a well in the middle and add in eggs and vanilla, whisking vigorously.

Using a large spoon, mix rest of ingredients in to muffins until large clumps are gone and batter is consistently mixed - but do not overwork muffin batter.

Cover batter and refrigerate for one hour to overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Fill muffin cups to 3/4 full.

Bake at 425 for 6-10 minutes, until muffins have puffed slightly above muffin liner.

Reduce heat to 350 (DONT open oven when you do this) and bake until sides of muffins are slightly crunchy and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (after about 25-30 minutes total baking time.)

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins

As part of my goal to cook 100 recipes this year, I decided whatever came up in the random selection I'd make. To be fair there have been a couple "sweet" treats I've skipped because it seems pointless to make them and not be able to take them to work (like peanut butter truffle filled cupcakes for example. No way I'm making them for home. 

So these came up and I thought they'd be good for a breakfast or two. I froze 10 of them and kept 2 hour for breakfast this week.

These are light and delicious. I wouldn't use as many chocolate chips next time I make them. 

Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins
Butteryourbiscuit.com

Photo from Butter Your Biscuit

Makes 12

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 c butter melted and cooled
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c buttermilk
1 1/4 c mini chocolate chips, plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt, set aside.

In another bowl whisk together sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, sour cream and buttermilk until combined.

Add in the dry mixture and mix until combined. Then fold in chocolate chips.

Fill your muffin tins to the very top, sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top and a pinch of coarse sugar if desired.

Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake another 10-12 minutes. Or until toothpick comes out clean.

Remove muffins from oven and let cool, store in an airtight container for 3 days

Coconut Flour Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Tonight was supposed to be Sunday Dinner. The theme? Breakfast. I decided to make these muffins for that and my week's worth of breakfasts.

Sadly, I had to cancel Sunday dinner thanks to snow headed into the Seattle area. I really don't want my friends and family out in that - whether they can drive in it or not...it's just safer.

Full disclosure - I haven't officially tasted these yet. My observations so far is I'm going to love them.

I didn't have nutmeg or cloves on hand, so didn't put them in. I'm not a fan of cloves, so I'm okay with that one. Nutmeg may make a difference, though I suspect minimally.

I also noticed the recipe indicates the butter should be softened or melted. I did softened and it really didn't mix in well. I'd melt the butter next time.

Looking at the recipe now I realized I didn't add the brown sugar. Oh these should be interesting.

Coconut Flour Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins
Recipe from Lowcarbyum.com

Photo from LowCarbYum.com

Makes 12 regular size muffins

1/2 c coconut flour sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 c low carb sugar substitute [JWNote: I used Swerve confectioner because that's all I had]
1/4 c Sukrin Gold packed, or other brown sugar substitute [JW note: I forgot this all together. ]
1 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c heavy cream
2 T butter softened or melted [JW Note: I recommend melting it]
3 large eggs
2/3 c sugar free dried cranberries homemade or LC Foods
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray or line 12 muffin cups with liners.

Combine coconut flour, baking powder, and spices; stir well with a whisk.

Combine sweeteners, pumpkin, cream, butter, and eggs with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.

Add coconut flour mixture to wet mixture; beat at low speed just until combined.

Fold in cranberries.

Spoon batter into prepared cups.

Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.

Place on a wire rack; remove muffins after 15 minutes and cool completely on rack.

Calories 100kcal
Serving: 1g | Calories: 100kcal | Protein: 2.6g | Fat: 7.5g | Fiber: 2.6g
Net Carbs: -2.6 g | % Carbs: -15.4 % | % Protein: 15.4 % | % Fat: 100 %

French Breakfast Puffs

I'm not a baker. I enjoy baking cookies and the occasional dessert. But by and large, I'm no baker. I had decided this year to learn how to bake bread. After a disastrous episode with pizza dough I think I've moved past that.

I was thumbing through a great cookbook a GaLPal had picked up for me for my birthday back in December. I hadn't actually cracked it since then, and all but forgot it was on the shelf. Yesterday it called to me.

The story behind the cookbook is a woman who was jet-setting her life through big cities, falls for a cowboy and finds herself on a farm. No sushi or Starbucks around. Still she manages to put together dinner for a working hard husband (she calls the Marlboro Man) and their kids. It's a great read if you like cookbooks. Full of fun, and easy, and I'm hoping delicious recipes. I flagged about 50. What else is really interesting about this book is she took all her food photographs. Those mixed in with some good ol' farm type photos and you have yourself an excellent book!Don't want to buy the cookbook? Never fear, she has a website.

One that really stood out were these French Breakfast Puffs. I love cinnamon toast and the fact that you kinda combine them into a donut like cake with it dredged in sugar and cinnamon...what's not to like?

French Breakfast Puffs

Recipe from Pioneer Woman

Photo courtesy of
Pioneer Woman

• 3 cups Flour
• 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
• 1 cup Sugar
• ⅔ cups Shortening (Crisco)
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Milk
• 1-½ cup Sugar
• 3 teaspoons Cinnamon
• 2 sticks Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening. Then add eggs and mix again.

Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.