The banana chocolate chip muffins at Paradise Bakery are one of my all time favorite muffins. They are insanely good. While ignorance is bliss, it’s safe to assume they are also insanely high in fat and calories (though really super duper extra yummy ones). Because I can never leave well enough alone, I had to come up with a copy cat Paradise Bakery muffin recipe. This banana chocolate chip muffin recipe, or banana chocolate chip bread recipe if you are so inclined, is very tasty and much healthier. I feel like I walk a fine line between taste and health – I want something healthy to feed my kids, but with a super picky eater, it better be REALLY tasty, or it won’t past muster. This does both. Beautifully. I promise.
Here’s what you need…
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe – Makes approx 24-30 muffins.
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
- 3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (EDIT – I NOW USE 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour and 1 cup of oat bran)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup flax seed meal
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 cup yogurt (I usually use a fat free vanilla Greek yogurt)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups ripe bananas (4-5 bananas)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (I like to mix semi-sweet, milk & dark)
- 1/2 square semi sweet baking chocolate – grated (optional)
- 1 cup walnuts (optional)
1. In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients – flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt and flax seed meal.
2. In a separate bowl combine your wet ingredients – eggs, applesauce, oil, yogurt and vanilla.
3. Mash or puree your bananas (I prefer mine pureed smooth). After mashing or pureeing, add to your wet mixture and combine.
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened. Add in your chocolate chips and optional ingredients such as grated chocolate and walnuts.
5. Fill paper lined or greased muffin tins 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Let cool. Breathe in the intoxicating smell of warm banana bread. Febreeze has NOTHING on these babies.
8. Now stop letting them cool and quickly pull one out, slather it in butter (I somehow was lead astray on the healthy thing I guess) and taste test it as a public service to anyone else who may eat them later. You wouldn’t want to give out un-tested muffins, right? That’s my story at least…
Oh. So. Good.
Enjoy!
You’re killing me. You know that, right?! Oh these look superb! I too like to puree my bananas and get them nice and fluffy before folding them into the batter. I think it makes a big difference in texture. Great post! ♥- Katrina
Can I just say yummy yum perfection!!!
This is my kind of muffin!! Yum!
Yay for health + taste! Those look truly delicious
Your cupcakes look delicious!Thanks for sharing!
These muffins look awesome! I love the banana and chocolate chip combo too. Yum!
theres nothing better than the combo of bananas and chocolate! great job!
I love banana muffins, but I’ve never pureed the bananas. I’ll have to try that next time and see the texture difference! Great looking glamour shots of the muffins, so pretty!
Vicki, I had to laugh, that’s a great way to describe the green! It really is comically green! As much as I love banana bread, I have an issue with banana texture in my bread – I need it really smooth or for whatever reason, can’t stomach it. Ha, and I wonder why my daughter is a picky eater!
Kathryn, health + taste is my constant battle! With a super picky eater, I just want to know she’ll eat a good breakfast and she’ll eat her lunch/snack at school. Muffins have really been one of my big hits. As a plus, they are portion controlled and I wrap them up in plastic wrap and have them ready to go in the fridge. So easy to grab quickly in the morning.
For me, banana and chocolate have always been a match made in heaven. Who said yummy has to be something unhealthy. The addition of walnuts is great and substituting some rolled oats for half of the flour could prove to be a good idea without sacrificing taste. I would have to try making this to find out:) Thanks.
I don’t mean to bust in here and wreck the party with this question but it’s going to kill me without knowing – might you have an estimate of how many calories are in each of these muffins? Hehe.. I’m sorry!! It’s okay if you’re not sure.
They look soo delicious though, I think I’m going to have to bake these this weekend since I’ve got a long weekend! You’re amazing, always
Lea, I don’t know. Sorry! I know there are some calculators online where you can plug in the ingredients and it will break the news to you. I will say, I think they are pretty good quality calories. I figure they probably have no more than my daughter would have with a breakfast of pancakes or a large bowl of cereal, but she’s getting in whole grains, flax, bananas… With the chocolate chips they will certainly cure a chocolate craving which much less damage than most chocolate options.
Omg my favorite are banana and chocolate are my favorite combination! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
These do look amazing. Perfect to make on the first day of school, grab and go… God knows everyone will be running super late.
WOW these look fantastic! Anything with banana and chocolate means I’m in!
i love banana ANYTHING!And this banana muffin recipe sounds great (i think i might have to try it this weekend). Think you can put a healthier twist on Martha’s coconut cupcakes recipe? I made them recently and they were amazing.(http://peaceloveandgirlythings.com/2011/09/06/coconut-cupcakes/)
ps. I’m a SITSta! Love your blog. Love the colors…love the baked goods. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Oh my gosh, I am a cook but not a baker, sooo I bow down to you!
I’ll print these out and give them a try, since I today have everything I need to make them.
Yay!
Happy SITS day!!!
Banana chocolate chip loaf is a favorite in our house and was one of my first blog posts. I make it as a whole loaf, mini loaves, and muffins. I’ve just started replacing some of the flour with whole wheat to start weaning my family into a healthier version. It’s just so delicious right out of the oven – crispy on the outside, soft, fragrant, and oozing with chocolate on the inside. They never last more than a day. I usually have to make a double batch.
Congrats on your SITS day – always love seeing a food blog!
Oh my gosh! I love bananas (I mean really love, love, love bananas) and chocolate chips. To combine the two is genius! I’m going to try this recipe as soon as I buy all of the ingredients!
Christi, I’ve been looking for a healthy banana chocolate chip muffin recipe that doesn’t taste like pure cardboard. i should’ve known you had one hiding in your recipe box! can’t wait to try them.
Sally – the muffins are seriously my fave recipe. I’ve worked over the last two years tweaking them to a great balance of delicious and nutritious. We always have them in our freezer and my daughter usually has one for breakfast. Actually need to make a batch tonight. I promise, they taste nothing like cardboard!
Oh, these look wonderful. Is there an easy way to print the recipe?
Amazing muffins! I’ve been searching for a healthy banana muffin recipe when I came across your blog. I made these, but did a few adjustments to your recipe. I did not have oat bran, so I substituted 1/2 cup rolled oats (put them in the food processor, but left them semi-whole) and 1/2 cup coarse wheat bran. I also had these cinnamon chips so I used them instead of the chocolate chips and added 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the batter. I also used coconut oil and then threw in about 3/4 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut for good measure. These were a hit! I think the cinnamon and cinnamon chips, along with the coconut and coconut oil added a great tropical taste to these banana muffins. Thanks again for your recipe!