Bread,  Healthy,  Muffins

Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

July 24, 2012 /

Good morning everyone!

How are you today?

I have to admit I am a little tired this AM. Auditions for the dance company that I dance with were last night. Classes and auditions started at 8pm and we got done around 11pm.

3 hours doesn’t seem like a lot until you are dancing and sweating and getting worn out. I have a couple nice bruises to prove I worked hard! haha

Anyways, we had a great turn out. I am very excited to see what this new year of dance brings fro Eclipse.

As many of you know, I am a Penn State fan. I went to Penn State. I bleed the Blue & White and I always will. If anyone has turned on the news this week you will see that the NCAA issued some sanctions against Penn State this year for their football program.

While I know that something has to be done to ensure that none of the terrible acts that happened at PSU happen again. I feel like the NCAA is punishing more innocent people than necessary. I understand that they are trying to make an example out of Penn State. However, I do not agree with taking away from the kids and the students.

They took away 111 wins that many student athletes and students in general were proud to say they were a part of. I fail to see how that is going to make anything better for anyone.

As I have said many times, I will always be a part of Penn State. I still stand by them and I always will. We Are.

Today I am sharing with you a recipe that I made because I needed to get rid of some ripe bananas.

I didn’t want to go with the usual banana bread. I feel like I ALWAYS make banana bread whenever I have extra bananas. I decided to break the mold this time.

*sidebar: if you have any great recipes for bananas, please share them! I am always up for new things to try! endsidebar*

I found this recipe and adapted it to more of my tastes. I tend to find recipes and then change them up to how I like them. Especially when it comes to muffins and breads.

I am always making substitutions to make them better for you. Shocking I know 😉

My tell tale to know if something is good when I have doctored it up is if Patrick likes it, because he tends to be a little picky (shush Patrick, you know it is true).

He is one of those people that looks at his food before he eats it because he is afraid that I will have hidden something.

I mean I have only snuck mushrooms into a couple things and he totally lived through it 😉

He gladly gobbled these up with no problem. I think he has had 2 or 3 a day since I made them. Which is okay, because you will see with my changes to the recipe. It knocks off a ton of fat and calories.

Note: I doubled the original recipe to make 24 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 4 whole very ripe bananas
  • 2 large Egg, beaten
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cup Sugar
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour, unbleached
  • 2 tablespoons flaxmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 6 ounces 70% cacao Chocolate baking bar
  • 1 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet Chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Preheat oven to 375º.

Line muffin tins with paper or foil cups and spray with cooking spray, just to make sure that muffins don’t stick.

Mash bananas in a medium bowl, leaving some small chunks.

Stir in eggs, applesauce and butter. In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. Whisk together.

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate baking bar in the microwave on high power for 45 seconds. You want to make sure that you get all of the lumps out of the chocolate. Heat slowly and stir often so you do not burn the chocolate. Set this aside.

Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. The batter should be lumpy. Stir in melted chocolate, 1 cup of mini chocolate chips, and vanilla.

Divide batter among the prepared muffin cups and sprinkle each with the additional 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips for the topping.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Since I did not add as much chocolate and changed the ingredients a bit, the tops of the muffins did not crack like the original recipe called for. I think that it is because of the extra moisture from the applesauce.

Either way, the muffins were done for me when they were springy to the touch. Right around 18 minutes.

I hope you all are having a great start to your week!

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44 Comments

  • Becci

    July 24, 2012 at 8:58 am

    *Sidebar – Overly ripe FROZEN bananas + peanut butter + food processor = Banananut soft serve*
    May also require some [soy]milk to thin it out.

  • Becky

    July 24, 2012 at 9:30 am

    Now I want chocolate banana muffins, but yes, I have no bananas. Have to remedy that soon.
    These muffins are absolutely awesome, and your pics are so inviting.

  • Danny

    July 24, 2012 at 11:13 am

    One word: NOM. I may try making these but substitute more applesauce and butter flavoring in place of melted butter. Love the addition of flax! Never enough flax 😉

  • cookingactress

    July 24, 2012 at 12:41 pm

    Ooooh yes I could see how you’d be exhausted! That’s a lot of dancing!!

    These muffins look phenom. Just sayin’. Yum.

  • curryandcomfort@gmail.com

    July 24, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Ravie, I was telling my husband the same thing last night that they are punishing a lot of innocent people (the players and fans) by trying to punish individuals who did a lot of wrong things to protect that child molester. You, your school mates, alumni and the players are not at fault and should not have to suffer the consequences of something they had no idea about. It’s a sad situation however you look at it… and I think people are trying to make amends… but they are making all the wrong choices.

    I love the chocolate banana muffins… you keep your head up!!

  • Cucina49

    July 24, 2012 at 8:39 pm

    Seriously dark chocolate mixed with bananas? Sounds pretty perfect to me! I know what you mean about auditions being wearing–they’re exhausting as an actor/director, too, and that’s a lot less physically demanding.

  • Emily @ Life on Food

    July 26, 2012 at 8:25 am

    These are so yummy delicious. Certainly a huge help for a sluggish morning. Stay strong with Penn State. I think many people agree with you, including me. Those punishments don’t help the victims.

  • Fiona @ Everyday Spiritual Wisdom

    July 26, 2012 at 8:52 am

    Love Banana Muffins 🙂

    & as you asked about other banana recipes….I tried a recipe recently for Banana ice-cream you might like…
    5 ripe banana’s
    5 tablespoons of cream or milk or coconut milk or soya milk
    Dollop of honey

    Whizz in the blender until smooth and then freeze 🙂

    Alternative: you can use chopped up frozen banana’s and it’ll be ready to eat straight away.

  • Emily @ She Makes and Bakes

    July 26, 2012 at 10:11 am

    A. These muffins look fantastic! B. I semi agree with you…I think it’s terrible that the players and a lot of people are being punished for something that they had no part of or had no clue was happening. That is not fair. However, I do agree with the NCAA when they said that football got too big at that school, and the higher ups and people who knew what happened covered it up. That is not right. Football is not more important than people’s lives. Unfortunately, an example is being made, and it’s very harsh. I doubt that those boys are going to feel better because of the NCAA’s sanctions, but schools across the country need to realize that football (or any sport) is not the be all, end all. (And this is coming from a huge NFL fan who is married to a die hard Buckeye.) I’m glad that you’re standing by your school and that you’re proud of it. A few horrible choices by some people doesn’t mean that it’s a bad school. My husband would say that it’s a bad school simply because it’s Penn State, but he says that about anyone else in the Big 10! Hang in there. Hopefully the media coverage will fade away!

    • RavieNomNoms

      July 26, 2012 at 10:25 am

      A. Thanks Emily! B. I would have to say that I semi agree with you too. I think that the NCAA made some harsh decisions before anything came out that was actually factual. The Freeh report that the media is claiming is all facts, isn’t. And what the media also does not ever seem to mention is that Penn State Football has the #1 academics in the BCS. If we allowed our football program to get too big, wouldn’t that reflect more on our boys and their academic standing? I agree whole heartily that football should NOT be more important than people’s lives, but college football is popular and nothing the NCAA does is going to change that. On top of that, our football program broke NO NCAA rules. None. I think it is very unfair to punish not only the players who had absolutely nothing to do with the scandal, and all the previous players too who had their wins taken away, as well as the students who also had nothing to do with the scandal AND the current football staff. This is a legal matter. Not a football matter. I think that if the NCAA wanted to make it’s point it should have gone about it differently, I think they aren’t sending the kind of message that really needs to be sent. BUT thank you very much for voicing your viewpoint! It is appreciated!

      ALSO, I would say the same thing about your husband’s school as well haha. Penn State and Ohio State have a great rivalry, I was in the front row at the 2005 PSU win over Ohio State (which according to the NCAA doesn’t count anymore) and it was THE best game I have ever been to. 🙂

      • Emily @ She Makes and Bakes

        July 26, 2012 at 3:12 pm

        I 100% agree that the players are getting punished for something that they didn’t do and had no clue was going on…that’s not fair. Taking away the wins is so ridiculous, too. I think they just did that to get Joe Paterno out of the number 1 spot…I asked my husband if that meant that Ohio State won the games instead and he shook his head, said it was so stupid, and didn’t meant that at all. Everyone who played in or watched those games knows that Penn State won them, fair and square. I think it’s all politics. Lame. I also agree that it’s really not a NCAA matter, but I think they had to do something to save face. Looks like Jerry Sandusky screwed everyone over. He’ll get his though.

        • RavieNomNoms

          July 26, 2012 at 3:25 pm

          I completely agree with that. I don’t think the NCAA wanted JoePa in the #1 spot, because it makes them look back. It is definitely all politics, as most things are unfortunately. Oh he sure will and thank goodness for that! He is a shameful and disturbed individual.

  • The Smart Cookie Cook

    July 26, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    First of all, beautiful muffins! I don’t get a lunch break at work, and they’re making me even hungrier. Secondly, I think it’s good that you’re standing by your school. The actions of a handful of people does not reflect the entire university. I think people forget that.