Healthier Dark Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins

When it comes to brown bananas (unlike the yellow ones in the background of the image below), muffins are the most frequent utilization. So I decided to pump up the health factor of my all-time favorite muffins, Banana Peanut Butter Cup Muffins. I used a butter substitute, reduced the sugar and used brown + natural sweetener instead of all white sugar, traded the egg for flax, used ground oats in place of some of the flour, dark chocolate instead of the mini peanut butter cups, and finished it off with a crumbly oat topping instead of coarse sugar. I kind of miss the peanut butter, but I can solve that be spreading some on while I eat it O:-).

HEALTHIER DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK BANANA MUFFINS

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

4 Tbsp Melt buttery spread, melted (or favorite butter substitute)

1/4 cup granulated Swerve sweetener (or favorite sugar substitute)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax + 3 Tbsp water)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup ground oats

1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate

TOPPING

2 Tbsp oats

1 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas with melted butter and sugars. Mix well. Add the flax egg and mix well.
3. Sprinkle in salt, baking soda and flour. Then, gently fold in dark chocolate. Be careful not to overmix!
4. In a small bowl combine the oats and brown sugar for the topping.
5. Divide amongst greased muffin tins and sprinkle tops with oat topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.

Source: Adapted from Eat, Live, Run.