Healthy Banana Choc-Chip Muffins (GF, DF, RSF)

There is something so delicious about the classic Banana Choc-Chip muffin. I was determined to make a guilt-free version, which was still delicious and with any luck nutritious. We finished our first batch of these muffins within a few hours, so I’d call that a success! Check out the gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free recipe below!

This recipe is honestly ridiculously simple, for the first time in just about ever I didn’t even use my stand-mixer to whip these together - just a simple bowl and spoon.

There is something about that simplicity which I think makes this recipe even more delicious, it reminds me of baking in the kitchen as a child. Mum would have to put the ingredients together quickly enough so I didn’t get a good shot at stealing mixture from the bowl - must have been a little stressful for her but I thought it was all good fun.

What I love about these muffins in particular though is that they give you a real taste of banana and gooey chocolate, and they’re not overwhelmingly sweet - which almost encourages you to go back for more!

I think these would be a fantastic snack for kids' lunchboxes, and I’ll definitely be popping these in my bag for uni.

Buckwheat is one of the healthiest, nuttiest and most versatile whole grains. Buckwheat flour is packed with fibre - four times as much as regular flour. Not to mention it’s also gluten-free despite the term ‘wheat’ being very misleading. It’s completely unrelated to wheat and any of the grasses in the wheat family. Strange right?

Let’s get down to the important details, the recipe!

You’ll need:

• 3 ripe/overripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or any dairy-free milk)
• 1/3 cup coconut yoghurt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (we use Whittaker’s Dark Block or anything with at least 60% cocoa should be dairy-free)

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake liners or spray thoroughly with oil.
2. In a bowl, mash the bananas. Then add the eggs, almond milk, yoghurt, vanilla and syrup. Mix to combine evenly.
3. In a separate bowl, combine all your dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix.
4. Fold through the chopped chocolate chunks. Spoon evenly into the lined tray, this makes 12 muffins perfectly.
5. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tray before eating.

I encourage you to give these muffins a go! If you do, please message us on social media and share your thoughts or tag us #livelivelynz in a photo of your creations!

From our home to yours,