Earlier this week, as I was on the phone chatting with my mom, my 3 year old came up to me with a request, “Mama, I want a muffin,” he said.
When I informed him that I didn’t have a muffin, he said, “I want a chocolate muffin.”
Oh, the simplicity of being three, who can argue with that?
So off we went to the computer and found a lovely chocolate muffin that I had bookmarked a while back and we made some chocolate muffins. My little guy was so happy with his muffins – he has been eating them for breakfast and snacking on them all week! These muffins are also a mommy pleaser, packing in some whole wheat flour, and bananas while also being pretty low in sugar and added oil.
Chocolate Banana Muffins
Adapted from Christina Marsigliese
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 large bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup sour cream
1 large egg
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
¼ cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3-4 tsp peanut butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas and sour cream until well combined. Whisk in the egg, sugar, oil, and vanilla until blended.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently until just combined; there will still be a few streaks of flour visible. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Fill each muffin liner about half full of batter. Add a small amount of peanut butter (½ - ¾ tsp) centered on top of the batter. Top the peanut butter with the remaining batter.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed down gently. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then remove from the pan and cool on wire racks.
These muffins are delicious cooled or warm, but for a gooey peanut butter center, I recommend microwaving the cooled muffins for 20-30 seconds before eating.
Makes 12 muffins
Enjoy!
Amy