Tender whole wheat banana muffins full of chocolate chips & fresh blueberries. A true breakfast treat that’s still a healthy way to start the day!
Last week, my dad’s college roommate flew out from the Midwest, along with his wife and 3-year-old daughter, to visit us for a week-long California vacation. My parents quickly jumped into the role of Tour Guides, showing our family friends the sights and interesting activities in the San Francisco suburbs, Lake Tahoe and Sierra Nevada mountains, and (the favorite, surprisingly enough!) our hometown’s kid-friendly swimming pool.
Instead of tagging along for all of the outings, I stayed home on a few days to catch up on work and bake some healthy treats. Everyone else was going to need fuel for their fun adventures around town!
I mixed up these muffins later in the week toward the end of their visit, right before everyone returned home from the mountains. The muffins finished baking shortly after the adorable 3-year-old girl laid down for her nap, so I quietly let them cool and attempted to finish photographing them before she woke up.
When her mom walked her out and asked if it was time for an afternoon snack, her bright blue eyes lit up at the sight of these muffins. She nodded, her light blonde pigtails bobbing, and I offered her the entire tray so she could pick out the exact muffin she wanted.
A little while later, when bath time rolled around, the little girl had a small chocolate stain next to her lip, and her tongue had turned a deep, fruity purple color. Her mom reported that she had eaten her entire muffin and half of her mom’s too!
Then the next afternoon, right before she bit into the last of these Chocolate Chip Blueberry Banana Muffins, she asked if I would make more. And another batch with strawberries. I think that means they’re a real winner!
The simple base begins with whole wheat flour, leaveners, and salt. But with lots of fruity flavors and chocolate, the muffins don’t actually taste overly wheat-y! I think that’s why both my 3-year-old friend and her mom loved them: they didn’t entirely taste healthy, but they still packed in those extra nutrients and fiber from the whole wheat flour. It’s a win-win!
With merely 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 2 egg whites, the majority of the tender texture comes from two awesome superfoods: bananas and Greek yogurt. I know I’ve repeated myself a gazillion times, but Greek yogurt is one of my secret weapons in healthier baking! It provides the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your baked goodies a protein boost too.
The mashed bananas do triple duty in these muffins. They provide flavor, texture, and sweetness! So pick the ripest, spottiest bananas you can find. Those ones with the most black speckles will be the sweetest, so we won’t need to add very much honey to the batter—just a few tablespoons!
And now for the mix-ins! I prefer fresh blueberries (another superfood!) for mixing into muffin and cake batters because they don’t bleed as much as frozen, so your batter stays the correct color—not an unappetizing gray hue. Frozen will work though! Toss them in a little flour before folding them in, and let the muffins bake slightly longer if needed.
Don’t forget the mini chocolate chips! They’re the best part, as proven by my adorable 3-year-old friend… She later asked if I’d make banana muffins without the other fruit, just extra chocolate chips. A girl after my own heart!
With how popular these blueberry ones were, I’d better get started on that and the strawberry versions for her soon!
| Chocolate Chip Blueberry Banana Muffins | 5.0 from 4 reviews |
Yields: 12 muffins
These tender muffins are full of fruit and chocolate—the perfect combination! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
- 2 cups (240g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (200g) mashed banana (about 2 medium)
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) honey
- ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
- 1 cup (140g) fresh blueberries
- 2 tbsp (28g) miniature chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the mashed banana and Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps of yogurt remain. Stir in the honey. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour in 3 equal portions.) Gently fold in the blueberries and chocolate chips.
- Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 16-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the muffin cups for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
Notes: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and all-purpose flour may all be substituted for the regular whole wheat flour.
For a gluten-free version, I recommend the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum.
Frozen blueberries may be substituted instead. Reserve 1 tablespoon of whole wheat flour, and toss that with the frozen blueberries just before folding them into the batter.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
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