Chocolate. Cinnamon. Banana. Delicious.
The girls have been really into muffins again lately. Whether picking a treat from the bakery, at an event that has desserts or just because, muffins are in high demand here. Both girls also adore banana bread. In our house, if chocolate, cinnamon and banana are included, inevitably, a popular recipe is born. Do you have similar ingredients in your kitchen?
A much beloved treat, some muffins are considered a breakfast food. These are a little sweeter and lean more to the dessert side of things (although the girls here might argue differently). The crumble is a crispy sweet topping using a little coconut sugar with cinnamon. Have you tried coconut sugar as a sweetener yet? Although I can’t seem to find any definitive studies/articles on it, some believe it to be better for you than regular table sugar. While in our kitchen, we treat coconut sugar the same way as regular sugar (we use it sparingly), the good news is that it is not a processed sugar and is made in a process similar to maple syrup. It tastes caramel-y providing a depth of flavour missing when using granulated sugar.
Have a few bananas on the counter or in the freezer that need using up? Give these treats a try. You’ll find it will be hard to eat just one.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with Cinnamon Crumble, Vegan and Traditional
traditional ingredients included in [ ]
Crumble:
- 1/2 cup spelt flour
- 1/4 cup organic coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted [3 tablespoons unsalted butter]
Muffin:
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup melted unrefined coconut oil [1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter]
- 3/4 cup organic coconut sugar
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons cold water, beaten) [1 large egg, beaten]
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of ground coarse salt
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Prepare the crumble by whisking together the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pour in the melted oil and stir until there are no dry bits of flour/sugar mixture left and it begins to form into clumps. Set aside.
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers. Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas and oil. Stir in the coconut sugar. Next, add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt over the wet ingredients and blend only until the flour mixture is moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide the mixture evenly across the 12-cup muffin tin. Each cup will be nearly full. Sprinkle a few pinches of crumble over each muffin. Bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and let muffins cool in tin for 5 minutes. Serve warm or cool muffins completely on rack.
Tips and Suggestions:
- To reheat, place the cooled muffins into a 375F oven for 5 minutes so the top crisps back up.
- Looking for more banana-filled goodies? Try this banana bread, this vegan oatmeal spelt banana bread or these vegan banana pancakes.
EmmaEats...and Katie too! 
I think I left my bananas at the cottage, hope this is where they ended up!
Indeed! And they didn’t last long 🙂
Gorgeous! Can’t wait to make them. -j
Thanks!
I think you have an affinity for coconut, is that right? These would be right up your alley w a little shredded coconut in the crumble along w the light coconutty flavor of the oil. Hmmm – now kinda wondering why I didn’t think of that sooner!
I’m a nut for coconut! I’m always adding coconut or coconut flour to recipes. Almond meal, too. So good.
Mmmmm – I’ve not tried coconut flour yet. Do you have something you’d recommend trying with it?
Still experimenting. It caused texture issues with delicate doughs like pancakes and light bread doughs. My next trial will be more sturdy batters like cookies and brownies, but my feeling is that it will have to be blended with lighter flours to be successful in my eyes. Tasty, though!