Meet the dark chocolate banana muffins of my dreams. I mean it. They’re fluffy, perfectly chocolatey, naturally gluten-free, dairy free, egg free (yes, vegan!), nut free and totally delicious! Plus they are so perfectly sweet thanks to the banana with amazing caramel-like overtones that come from just a little raw cane muscovado sugar. Seriously, think of these as your perfect winter comfort foods for when you need to drag yourself out of bed on a cold and dark morning. Yep, what’s better than a chocolate banana muffin in the morning? I know! Eating comfort food and staying in your slippers and jammies ALL DAY on a dreary Sunday… watching Netflix. All the while scarfing down chocolate muffins. 🙂
Healthy and decadent tasting gluten-free vegan dark chocolate banana muffins
What’s even more awesome about this recipe is… it’s not a salad! And even so, these muffins can pretty much be enjoyed guilt-free. They aren’t cupcakes, there’s no icing, no butter, not hordes of white sugar. Instead, they are made with some pretty amazing things that top the superfood list. Chia seeds — my go-to egg replacement; virgin coconut oil — vegan friendly and the perfect partner for bananas and chocolate, plus raw cacao and dark chocolate for guilt-free indulgence. And then there is buckwheat, an unsung superfood. I think you’re going to love them! Not only are they delicious and perfect with every bite, they are also nutrient rich with a nice boost of omega-3 goodness, potassium and protein!
Make your own muffin liners
As long as you have a roll of parchment paper in your kitchen, you’ll never have to worry about having muffin liners again. All you need is regular parchment paper. Yes, I discovered this one a Sunday when I wanted to bake muffins. And actually, its so easy, you may never buy muffin liners again. So all you have to do is cut the parchment paper into squares (about 12-13 cm) and then press them around a mold that’s roughly the same size as your muffin cup — in my case, a small Zweck glass. I’m not one of those crafty type people, so if you are like me, don’t worry if it’s they aren’t perfect — they still do the job!
Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins (GF + Vegan)
Ingredients
Bowl 1 – Wet Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons luke warm water
- 3 medium ripe bananas (ca. 280 g), mashed into a puree with a fork
- 320 ml unsweetened almond milk
- 90 ml melted virgin coconut oil
- 90 g soft brown sugar (I recommend GEPA organic raw cane sugar mascobado)
Bowl 2 – Dry Ingredients:
- 200 g buckwheat flour
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (Phosphate-free)
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (see notes below)
- 100 g dark chocolate (70 % cacao), finely chopped
Method
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Preheat the oven to 350° F/ 175° C and grease a standard 12 hole muffin tin with coconut oil or line with muffin liners.
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Place the chia seeds and water in a small bowl and let stand for about 5 minutes (or until it takes on a gel-like texture).
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Mix together the banana puree, almond milk, coconut oil, sugar, and chia egg in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
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In a second bowl, add the buckwheat flour, arrowroot powder, baking soda, baking powder and cacao. Whisk together until well combined.
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Add the flour mixture to the bowl with banana mixture and mix together until well combined. As this is a gluten-free recipe, you don’t need to worry about over mixing. Stir in the chopped chocolate until incorporated.
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Divide the batter between 12 muffins.
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Transfer to the pre-heated oven and bake for 25-27 minutes. Check for doneness by touching the muffin top lightly. It will spring back when ready. Normally, I use a toothpick to test this, however it will come out chocolatey due to the melted chocolate.
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Let muffins cool slightly before removing from the muffin tin. Transfer to a wire rack to fully cool or enjoy these dark chocolate banana muffins while they are still warm!
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Once fully cool, store in an airproof container.
Notes
- The chia seed mix can be replaced with 1 large egg if preferred. Otherwise, feel free to use another type of vegan egg alternative. Ground flax seeds are also a good alternative, but personally I find chia seeds work best.
- I like use ripe bananas that JUST begin to spot as they are not quite as sweet as the really brown spotted ones. Either work fine.
- For this dark chocolate banana muffin recipe, I use highly de-oiled cocao powder (10-12% cacoa butter). As a dark chocolate lover, I prefer it for it’s stronger flavor. I use this brand. Slightly de-oiled cocao on the other hand has a higher cocao butter content (20-22%) which gives it a balanced, full-bodied flavor. Use this if you prefer a more delicate chocolatey note.
- I use my favorite organic chocolate for this recipe, however as not all chocolate is vegan or certified gluten-free, be sure to check the label if needed.
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