Healthy Chocolate Banana Muffins sweetened with dates and banana for a tasty, satisfying snack with no added sugar! Free of eggs, dairy, and gluten.
This recipe came into the world because my bananas were so overripe that I swear they were starting to ferment. Can bananas turn into wine? Maybe that's why these tasted so spectacular.
These stunners are super moist with a delightfully crisp top. They're banana-y and chocolatey in the most sensational way. Just sweet enough from bananas and dates but not the teeth hurting kind.
They're made in the food processor instead of two bowls for easy peasy clean up! See, I'm always thinking about you guys.
I was actually shocked at how great these turned out. I thought they might taste like chocolatey hockey pucks. Or banana-y cardboard. Sometimes I surprise myself.
How to make healthy chocolate banana muffins
- Blend bananas, dates, oil, and vanilla in a food processor until smooth.
- Add almond and oat flour, cacao, salt, and baking soda. Blend until you don't see any more flour. It's quite thick!
- Spoon batter into muffin tin. Bake for about 25 minutes and devour!
Key ingredients and tips
No added sugar, gluten, dairy, or eggs...oh my!
- Bananas: One of our lovely natural sweeteners! I like to use extra ripe mashed bananas for sweeter muffins but regular yellow bananas will work too for slightly less sweet muffins.
- Medjool dates: The one and only. I buy them in bulk at Costco but all grocery stores have them now. If they're dry and hard, remove the pit and pop them in a bowl of hot water to soften up.
- Oat flour: I blend oats quickly in the Nutribullet to make my own. Use certified gluten free if needed.
- Almond flour: For delicate sweet flavor and amazing fats that lend a beautiful crumb.
- Cacao powder: Any unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. I like using raw cacao for an extra antioxidant punch.
- Ground flax: To help bind the muffins and an extra boost of healthy fats.
- Baking soda: Essential for a nice rise.
- Avocado oil: Just a couple tablespoons for moist texture. Melted and cooled coconut oil or canola oil also work.
- Vanilla extract: Love how this brings out the amazing chocolate flavor. A teaspoon of instant espresso powder would be delish here, too!
- Chocolate chips: Optional for extra chocolate goodness! You can also use dark chocolate chunks. These will add a bit of added sugar.
Storage tips
You can keep these muffins in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze muffins?
Yes, I love freezing muffins for easy snacks! You can freeze completely cooled muffins on a lined baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer baggie and squeeze all the air out (this prevents them from sticking together).
They'll keep for 3 months in the freezer.
More banana recipes to enjoy
- Almond Flour Chocolate Banana Bread
- Gluten Free Banana Bread
- Banana Bread Protein Bars
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Healthy Chocolate Banana Muffins Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 9 muffins 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Healthy Chocolate Banana Muffins sweetened with dates and banana for a tasty, satisfying snack with no added sugar! Free of eggs, dairy, and gluten. Recipe makes 9 muffins.
Ingredients
- 2 medium overripe bananas
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, melted (can sub coconut oil)
- 8 large soft medjool dates, pitted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 ¼ cups oat flour*
- ¼ cup cacao powder (can sub cocoa powder)
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with silicone liners or spray with cooking spray.
- Place bananas, coconut oil, dates and vanilla in the bowl of a large food processor. Blend until very smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed with a rubber spatula.
- Add almond flour, oat flour, oats, cacao powder, flax, baking soda, and salt. Process until combined, being sure not to over-mix. The mixture will be very thick.
- Spoon mixture evenly into 9 muffin cups. Top each muffin with a few chocolate chips (these have added sugar) if you fancy! Wet your fingers and gently press down the top of each muffin to get rid of any peaks.
- Bake for about 25 minutes. Cool muffins in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store cooled muffins at room temperature for up to 3 days and then store in the refrigerator.
Notes
*I make my own oat flour by grinding old fashioned oats in the Nutribullet until it forms a fine powder.
Keywords: healthy chocolate banana muffins
Kori Daniel says
Fantastic recipe! I made these last night, and I absolutely love having a homemade baked good to enjoy. Your recipes are stellar! A coworker saw me eating it, and he asked for the recipe for him and his wife. I shared it and your baby banana muffins. Spreading the wealth that is your blog!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Thanks a TON Kori! And how fun that your coworker got in on the goodness, too 🙂
Dylan says
These are so good, and love that they are sweetened with dates only!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
AMEN!!
Michele says
I make your original chocolate banana muffins (with the coffee grounds) a lot and they’re always delicious. My teenage son devours them! I see this recipe has some tweaks to the old one - will have to bake and compare! But I’m sure both will be equally yummy. Thanks for all your lovely recipes!
Alexis Joseph says
Love it! This is the exact same recipe, I just removed the coffee to simplify the ingredients a bit 🙂 Enjoy!
Alisha says
I love these! A guild free snack when I’m craving a yummy treat 😋
★★★★★