Description
These Chocolate Spinach Muffins are a delicious and nutritious twist on classic chocolate muffins, incorporating ripe bananas and fresh baby spinach for added moisture and a boost of vitamins. With the richness of cocoa and dark chocolate chips, these muffins offer a perfect balance of indulgence and health, ideal for breakfast or a satisfying snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach
- 3 tablespoons milk (almond milk or regular both work)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup Greek yogurt, full fat
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (plus extra for topping)
- ½ cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking the muffins evenly.
- Blend Wet Ingredients: In a high-powered blender, combine the milk, ripe bananas, and baby spinach. Blend until mostly smooth with a few lumps remaining. Transfer this mixture into a large mixing bowl.
- Add Egg and Mix: Add the egg to the mixture and lightly whisk to combine. Then stir in the sugar, vanilla extract, oil, and Greek yogurt until well incorporated.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, baking soda, sea salt, and cocoa powder to ensure even distribution of leavening and flavoring agents.
- Mix Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, gently folding it in until fully combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain muffin tenderness.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Stir in half of the dark chocolate chips into the batter. Save the remaining chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the muffins before baking.
- Prepare Muffin Pan: Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners. Spoon the batter evenly into each cup, filling about two-thirds full. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on the top of each muffin if desired.
- Bake: Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool: Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use fresh baby spinach rather than frozen to avoid excess moisture and a stronger, less pleasant flavor.
- Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. At room temperature, they last about 3 days.
- You can freeze muffins for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container for longer storage.
- Feel free to add other mix-ins such as shredded coconut, chopped nuts, raisins, or dried fruit for added texture and flavor.
- Serve these muffins with a drizzle of peanut butter or almond butter for an extra indulgent touch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
