Double Chocolate Banana Mini-Muffins (GF)

Frozen over-ripe bananas make the best muffins! In fact, frozen overripe bananas are like money in the bank. I add them to smoothies, pancake batter, muffins and cookies. The natural sweetness enables you to add minimal sugar, honey or whatever sweetener you prefer. I prepared these muffins gluten free, although you are free to use your choice of flour.

Begin by 3 mixing bananas (as you can see one of the bananas had been in the freezer longer than the others, doesn’t affect taste), oil, Fruit Sweet, egg and grated lemon peel. Blend until there are no banana hunks.

I recently discovered this natural sweetener at our local HyVee. I love the subtle fruity sweetness!

Fruit Sweet is the ideal natural sweetener to use in place of refined sugar in recipes and everyday cooking. Made from pure fruit syrups and concentrates, it’s low in calories, fat-free, and low-glycemic. Simply substitute 2/3 Fruit Sweet for the sugar in your recipes- the end result will be just as delicious and sweet, but healthier and much more natural! Also delicious as a sweetener for oatmeal or cereal, or when the dish you’re cooking needs a subtle hint of sweet. Ingredients: Concentrated pear juice, concentrated peach juice, concentrated unsweetened pineapple juice

Whisk dry ingredients in separate bowl.

Slowly mix dry and wet ingredients.

Fold in mini chocolate chips. Spoon into sprayed muffin tins.

Bake in 350 oven for 15-20 minutes or until tops spring back slightly. Remove from oven, cool in muffin pan for 10 minutes, then remove and place on cooling rack.

Double Chocolate Banana Mini-Muffins (GF)

3 overripe bananas
1/3 c. grapeseed oil
1/4 c. Fruit Sweet (or honey or agave)
1 egg
1 t. grated lemon peel
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 c. ground flax seed
1/4 c. oat bran
1/2 c. almond flour
1/2 c. brown rice flour
1/4 c. cocoa
2 T. mini-chocolate chips

Blend bananas, sweetener, oil, egg and lemon peel. In separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients. Slowly mix wet with dry, then fold in mini chocolate chips. Spoon into sprayed mini-muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Cool on rack. These freeze beautifully.

We consider these dessert cakes, not muffins!  They definitely fill that sweet tooth and chocolate craving!