Healthy Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Banana Muffins (vegan)

Craving a healthy chocolate treat? Try these fluffy, double-chocolate whole wheat banana muffins! Naturally vegan, lower in sugar, and made in 30 minutes.

These Double Chocolate Whole Wheat Banana Muffins are vegan and fulfill the chocolatey requirement - for when you just need a little something chocolatey. Perfect for settling that mid-afternoon chocolate craving. In a slightly virtuous way - there is whole wheat flour in there!

Why you will love this recipe

• This recipe is naturally vegan, using flaxseed in place of egg to hold everything together. (Just watch your choice of chocolate chips if perfectly vegan is important to you)
• Full of fibre from the flaxseed and wholewheat flour
• Is low in sugar - naturally sweetened with banana and a little bit of brown sugar.
• That little bit of brown sugar adds a soft and dense texture to the muffins
• Packed with chocolate from both a good amount of cocoa powder and rich chocolate chips! Use your favourites, and again, if dairy-free and vegan is important to you, read the labels! My favourite vegan chocolate is Enjoy Life Brand.

Ingredients and substitutions

A few notes about the ingredients for these healthy double chocolate banana muffins.

Bananas - of course! Bananas add both sweetness and moisture, keeping the muffins fudgy and tender, and helping to reduce both added fat and added sugar in this recipe.

Whole wheat flour - I saw an opportunity to add some whole-grain goodness to a muffin and took it! Whole wheat flour also gives the muffins a slightly nutty flavour, which works really well with the chocolate. And, of course, it adds a little extra fibre and healthy fats.

Pastry flour - optional, but highly recommended. Pastry flour is light and lightens up the whole wheat flour in these muffins. Whole wheat flour alone can be dense and heavy. To keep these muffins feeling light, moist and a little cakey, adding just a small amount of pastry flour is needed.

-> If you don't have pastry flour, I recommend using all-purpose flour instead, in the same amount.

Coconut oil - I like using coconut oil in baking where I would have used butter instead. Because coconut oil is solid at room temperature and 100% fat, it gives these muffins a rich, fudgy texture. You can use coconut oil as a one-for-one substitute for butter in vegan recipes.

Flaxseed - to keep this recipe vegan, I have used ground flaxseeds as a binder. Ground flaxseeds work amazingly as an egg substitute in baking recipes. Especially in muffins or quick breads. Flaxseed is my go-to. I always have some on hand.

-> A substitute for ground flax in this recipe is one large egg. Of course, the muffins will not be vegan if you use an egg and will be lower in fibre.

Check these vegan muffin recipes using flaxseeds:

• Perfect Vegan Banana Muffins with Dates
• Vegan Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
• Millet and Oat Muffins

How to make healthy double chocolate banana muffins

This recipe makes 12 relatively small muffins (not the ginormous monsters you find at the coffee shop), which is good. Good for a snack. And perfect for moderation. If you want a more generous muffin, I suggest dividing the batter between 10 muffin cups instead of 12.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper liners.

Step 2. In a large bowl, combine flaxseed, mashed banana, coconut oil, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk well and set aside.

Step 3. In a small bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding gently until just combined. It is okay if there are some dry spots. Fold in chocolate chips.

Step 4. Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes. Muffins will be springy to the touch or pass the toothpick test.

Tips for perfect baking

Don't overbake these muffins. If overbaked, the muffins will be dry and crumbly. Not ideal. Take them out of the oven when the tops are springy and they pass the toothpick test.

The toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the top of the muffin so that it reaches into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean and dry, the muffins are done. If you see liquid or sticky muffin batter on the toothpick, they are not done yet. (Watch that you have not pierced a chocolate chip - which should be fully melted.)

📖 Recipe