During my pregnancy, breakfast was always one of my most difficult meals of the day. My non-pregnant breakfast menu usually consisted of a bowl of cereal or either a regular or Greek yogurt both accompanied by a piece of fruit. Unfortunately, this regimen couldn’t stand up to my increased appetite during pregnancy. To bulk up my first meal of the day I turned to gluten free smoothies, Katz bagels, muffins, toast, and occasional treats of donuts. I only wish that I had come across this recipe for these delicious muffins during that time. Muffins are a perfectly filling breakfast item that can be incredibly tasty and very healthy to boot! After making these gluten free Banana Chocolate Breakfast Muffins, thanks to Sarah at Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats, I know my breakfasts during my future pregnancies will be filling and also incredibly satisfying.
These muffins are deliciously moist with just the right amount of sweetness, not to mention they treat you to a little bit of chocolate! They are fantastic for breakfast, especially when paired with a piece of fruit or a smoothie. You can even indulge a little and eat a whole or a half of a muffin for a late afternoon snack. Be sure to add this one to your recipe book as you’ll be making these over and over during both your pregnant and not pregnant days!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup and an extra 1/4 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil (I used Smart Balance)
- 1/4 cup pure honey (I used Groeb Farms)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (McCormick)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add 12 paper liners to a muffin tin or spray tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- First, combine most of the dry ingredients including 1 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and a 1/2 tsp salt. To mix well and also break up any clumps in the mixture, I like to use a whisk.
- Peel and mash two bananas in a large mixing bowl.
- To the bananas, mix in 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup oil, 1/4 cup honey, and 1 tsp vanilla.
- To the wet ingredients, add in the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Now you’re going to split the batter into two by removing 1 1/2 cups of the batter and pouring into a separate mixing bowl (I just added this to a larger measuring cup). With these separated batters, you’re going to prepare a chocolaty version and a banana version to eventually mix in the muffin tins.
- To the new batter, mix in 1/4 cup additional gluten free flour until all is combined.
- To the original bowl of batter, add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and mix well to combine.
- Add 1 tbsp banana batter to all of the muffins (you’ll have just enough for 12 muffins). This should fill each muffin about halfway.
- Similar to banana batter, add 1 tbsp of chocolate batter on top of each muffin.
- Using a toothpick, swirl batter through muffin.
- Place muffins into the oven and bake for about 15-17 minutes. To make sure they’re done, insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean.
- Remove all of the muffins to cool and store them in a container.
- Enjoy!
I made these for the first time on a Sunday morning with my little one and husband Dan in the other room. And the aroma that filled the house while these were baking was intoxicating, making each one of us salivate waiting for our first taste. When I pulled them out of the oven and let them cool a bit, it was just in time for lunch. Dan eagerly grabbed a muffin while I cut one in half for my little girl and I to enjoy. Needless to say, the reviews on this one were fantastic from both the gluten free and non-gluten free diners, as evident by the quiet sounds of chewing and empty plates remaining. In fact, my little one’s new thing is to make a “mmm” sound while she eats, but not for everything, just her favorites like a few dinner and dessert items and apparently these banana chocolate muffins as well! It was so sweet watching her handle the muffin half and shovel in bite after bite, each eliciting that ”mmmm” stamp of approval and a huge toothy smile. As you can see, these were a hit for us and will certainly be making many more appearances in the years to come!
Just a note, these muffins are also dairy free too! I have a nephew who has milk, egg, nut, gluten/wheat, and fish allergies so I’m always searching and experimenting with recipes to make tasty options for him. The poor thing is 7 now and has grown up with a very limited selection of foods that unfortunately are not the most tasty and appealing, especially in the dessert area. So I passed one of these along to my sister to share with him and it received rave reviews from this extremely picky 1st grade food critic! It was so exciting to hear how much he enjoyed the little treat that I sent over, assuring me that these muffins that are gluten and dairy free are truly just as fantastic as I thought they were! So whether you’re pregnant or not pregnant or following a gluten free, dairy free, or even regular diet, give these try! They are truly magnificent and will not disappoint!
TIP: To keep these fresh and moist, store them in an airtight container. I kept them in a large Ziploc container and they were finished within the next 5-6 days!
Sincerely,
Lindsay
- 1 1/4 cup and an extra 1/4 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil (I used Smart Balance)
- 1/4 cup pure honey (I used Groeb Farms)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (McCormick)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add 12 paper liners to a muffin tin or spray tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- First, combine most of the dry ingredients including 1 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and a 1/2 tsp salt. To mix well and also break up any clumps in the mixture, I like to use a whisk.
- Peel and mash two bananas in a large mixing bowl.
- To the bananas, mix in 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup oil, 1/4 cup honey, and 1 tsp vanilla.
- To the wet ingredients, add in the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Now you're going to split the batter into two by removing 1 1/2 cups of the batter and pouring into a separate mixing bowl (I just added this to a larger measuring cup). With these separated batters, you're going to prepare a chocolaty version and a banana version to eventually mix in the muffin tins.
- To the new batter, mix in 1/4 cup additional gluten free flour until all is combined.
- To the original bowl of batter, add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and mix well to combine.
- Add 1 tbsp banana batter to all of the muffins (you'll have just enough for 12 muffins). This should fill each muffin about halfway.
- Similar to banana batter, add 1 tbsp of chocolate batter on top of each muffin.
- Using a toothpick, swirl batter through muffin.
- Place muffins into the oven and bake for about 15-17 minutes. To make sure they're done, insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean.
- Remove all of the muffins to cool and store them in a container.
- Enjoy!
