Banana bread muffins are a great way to reduce food waste and make a tasty treat at the same time. Check out how to make these vegan treats.
When I go to the store, the bananas always look so good, and I think about all the smoothies I could make. And then a week or so later the bananas are sitting on my counter uneaten and brown. So, I love using bananas that look like trash to make these delicious vegan banana bread muffins.
Banana Bread Muffins
A the name suggests, the main ingredient here is bananas. But, you need extremely ripe, almost bad bananas. As bananas ripen, the frit inside becomes sweeter, so riper bananas are better for baking. As they ripen, they also get mushier. While this isn’t a great texture for snacking, it works very well in baked goods. SO, next time you think your bananas are past the point of no return, they may be perfect for banana bread. You just to want anything that’s moldy (obviously) or that is mostly brown spots on the inside. If you’re looking for another fruity dessert option check out this recipe for grilled peaches.
Recipe Variations
There are so many different ways to make this basic recipe which is a lot of fun. This recipe began as a loaf which can be nice if you’re serving it as a dessert, but I got tired of grabbing a knife every time I wanted a slice. Also, if you bake the recipe for a loaf, it needs about 50-80 minutes to cook all the way through.
Switching to muffins shortens the cooking time to about 30 minutes, and they are ready to grab for a snack. I use this silicone muffin pan so that I don’t have to worry about paper liners or the muffins sticking.
The recipe from my childhood also began as banana nut bread with walnuts. Walnuts are okay, but chocolate chips are so much better! You can sub in any nut of choice or any chocolate chips. Or even mini peanut butter cups!
Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 5 tbsp water
- 4 ripe bananas
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- To make a chia egg substitute, blend the chia seeds in a blender or spice grinder to break them up and mix in a bowl with the water. Set aside and let thicken for about 5 minutes.
- Mash the bananas with a fork until they form a thick, uniform mash.
- Melt the coconut oil in the microwave if solid.
- Mix the chia egg, maple syrup, vanilla and coconut oil into the banana mixture.
- Mix the salt, baking soda, and flour in a separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is well incorporated.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and distribute into a well greased or lined muffin tin.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle of a muffin. Transfer to a cooling rack and store in a sealed container for about 5 days.
Notes