Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins are big, soft, and full of chocolate!

I don’t eat as many muffins as I used to.
I might be getting just a tiny bit old and need to start watching what I eat better. I can’t just eat whatever I want whenever I want anymore because it sticks to my bones more than it used to.
While I would have no more issue replacing my usual protein powered breakfast with a chocolatey treat, truth is it just makes me ten times hungrier in about two hours. Then I’m having double breakfast. And let’s face it, I need to leave some calories in my day for brownies.

So maybe we need to look at these double chocolate banana muffins as dessert. Because maybe muffins were always dessert to begin with. These double chocolate banana muffins are just a little bit healthier than your average double chocolate muffin, but they still have everything you came to muffin town looking for.
There’s the over-sized crunchy top that you long for every time you see a muffin in the case at the coffee shop. There’s the moist crumb inside that’s just dense enough to make it more muffin than cupcake. There’s the mini chocolate chips studded throughout to create creamy pockets of chocolate every time you take a bite.
We also have to mention the walnuts because banana muffins absolutely must have walnuts. Plus walnuts are protein! Now we’re getting somewhere.
White whole wheat flour is one of my new favorite indulgences. Oh geez, who am I? I realize I just called wheat flour an indulgence but stay with me.
It works very similarly to your usual white all-purpose flour in baking recipes. It’s an indulgence because it’s a little more expensive, but I think it’s worth it for the health benefits of having a whole grain flour.

If you want to get really extreme here, top the muffins with glaze. You guys, it seriously takes everything in my power not to cover every quick bread I make in this glaze. It’s just so perfect. But we’re supposed to be about variety here and I’m assuming you want to see the actual muffins, not just another blob of glaze.
But seriously, glaze.

If you make this recipe be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!


Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mashed ripe banana
- ¾ cup natural applesauce
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl whisk together banana, applesauce, canola oil, and egg.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir just until all the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Divide batter evenly amongst prepared muffin cups. Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
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