THE BLOG
If you’re like me, you may have found yourself with ample time to try new things in the past few weeks (it is Spring 2020, after all…). From new hikes and golf courses to books and Netflix, I have found myself well outside my normal (aka comfort) zone on the regular lately. Last night, I just so happened to try something new in the kitchen…
BAKING…
Magical Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (No crap, all Love)
Up to this point, the only thing I have baked in my life is cornbread. Personally, baking has never really interested me. My time in the kitchen is where I create - like art - and is a space where I find myself trying new things and getting lost in the flow. Baking always just seemed so… contrary. Rigid, exact, and full of rules like “how much” and “when to” and “exactly this.” To be 110% honest with you, I was not excited to make these muffins.
Then I got to baking and learned that I actually LOVE it!
I am proud to say that at 28-years old, I have officially baked my first dessert. It is a recipe engrained with magic for two reasons. First, it is a healthy sweet food that has NO refined sugar, gluten, or dairy, which are foods we know take a toll on our gut, energy, and overall health. Second, I received this recipe from a practice member at Inspire Life Chiropractic Center that serendipitously found its way into a coaching session I had with a client last week. Having recently quit the consumption of refined sugar, my client and I brainstormed an alternative for one of her favorite foods: banana bread. I was excited to share and try the recipe out for myself. The fact that you are reading about this recipe right now means it passed my test, and I guarantee it is something you’ll want to try too!
Wet Ingredients:
- Everything you need to make Magical Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (I used black bananas that we had in the freezer)
- 1 Tsp vanilla extract
- ½ Cup Almond Butter
- ½ Cup Coconut Oil (Heated up, can sub butter or olive oil)
- 3 Eggs
Dry Ingredients:
- ½ Cup coconut flour
- 1 TBSP Cinnamon
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- A double dash of Pink Himalayan (or any) Salt
Optional (but really not optional) ingredients:
- ½ Cup + Chocolate Chips (Highly recommend 70% cacao)
- Honey
Directions:
If you watch the video, you will see my non-linear brain in action. In hindsight, I would mix all the dry ingredients first (if you have a wire strainer and can sift them, that is best. A whisk would be great, too. I used a fork…). Then I would mix together all the wet ingredients, adding the coconut oil last. Make sure the coconut oil is a liquid and to mix it QUICKLY when you add it (so it doesn’t get hard and stuck).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold them together, making sure they are well combined. Then add in the chocolate chips. I know this step is optional, but so worth it if it’s within your goals! If you are looking to limit sugar, get extra dark chocolate chips. Dark chocolate is extremely healthy with its exceptional fiber and fat content and is a borderline superfood. I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!
Coming back from the chocolate tangent…
The Final Product 🙂
Prepare a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners or grease them (coconut oil, butter, Pam, etc.), and fill the cups about ¾ full. I had extra, so I made mini muffins in a separate, smaller pan. Bake at 350, or until they are done really. Mine took about a half-hour, maybe a little longer, which I attune to the fact I used coconut oil. It may go quicker if you use olive oil, so keep an eye on it. Once they are done, let them cool for about 10-minutes before enjoying. I drizzled half of the muffins with honey and Pink Himalayan sea salt, which I also highly recommend you try.
At the end of all this, I came away with a new recipe and skill that I am excited to keep practicing. Even better, I have a tool in this blog that I can share with my current client, future clients, and really anyone who just wants to make more mindful food choices without sacrificing flavor. All while following the guidelines below.
Life is an experiment and I am my own guinea pig.
You’ll never know unless you try.