When you have ripe bananas, you can toss them in your next smoothie, or you can make a sweet dessert. Baked goods made with bananas are a great compromise. The fruit’s moisture means you don’t need oil or butter, and its natural sweetness means you can reduce the sugar. The double-dose of cocoa powder and chocolate chips creates a fudgy texture with a strong banana flavor. It’s a great way to use up ripe fruit and indulge in a dessert that won’t break a healthy diet. Enjoy and happy baking!
Fudgy Banana Muffins
Adapted from a recipe at Our Best Bites
1 dozen
3 large, extra-ripe bananas
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup chopped pecans or other nuts
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
• In a large mixing bowl, smash the bananas. Stir in the sugar, yogurt, egg and vanilla extract until combined.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the dry ingredients until combined, then add the chocolate chips and pecans.
• Fill the cupcake liners evenly with the batter. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining chocolate chips and bake 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
• Let cool a few minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Amrita Song is the owner and baker at Mila Sweets and blogs at Chai & Dumplings.
This article appears in January 2016.
