Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I finally had two overly ripe bananas.

That never happens to me. I magically buy only what I need and will use up in a week. No more. No less. That means I never get the joy and unbridled pleasure of making banana bread/muffins/cake/general awesome.

Then as if by magic, the bananas in my general vicinity have disappeared. One store had zero bananas. The other one had the greenest bananas you’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t be eating them until next month. It’s bizarre.

My urge to make these muffins came one [really] late evening. I spent the earlier part of the night at The Box Social, a new drinking parlour, that specializes in craft cocktails and a few super good sandwiches and small bites. I was blissfully happy after a drink or three and their special panino–fig compote, creamed horseradish, caramelized onion, green apple & bleu cheese. Uh…yum. The flavor combination was wild, and I loved every single bite.

When I came home those super ripe bananas were calling to me. I needed to use them. I didn’t want fruit flies to take over the house. I also wanted muffins. I hadn’t had muffins in a long, long time. I had a bag of carob chips I wanted to use, so it happened. The stars aligned and these cute little muffins were made.

Inspiration: Skinny Taste

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup carob [or chocolate] chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325º. Line a muffin tin with liners or spray generously with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg, banana, and applesauce. Mix until smooth and thick.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa soda, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently until incorporated.
6. Fold in the chips.
7. Batter will be thick. Spoon into the 12 wells of the muffin tin as equally as possible.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The tops will be set and a toothpick will come clean.
9. Cool completely before eating.