Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins (gluten-free, vegan)
My husband is a big fan of chocolate banana things. He helped create my very popular Chocolate Banana Cake Recipe. I created this new recipe because I wanted chocolate banana muffins that used oats and were a bit more fluffy. These are perfect for when you have freckled bananas that you don’t want to add to your stash in the freezer (but always make sure you have a stash of frozen bananas, that’s step one to going plant-based, I’m pretty sure. Haha.)
These whole grain, low-fat chocolate banana muffins freeze really well, too. Make a double batch and freeze some. You’ll thank yourself later!
These are one of the yummiest ways to use a bunch of bananas that are getting too ripe.
To make chocolate banana cupcakes, add my delicious sweet potato frosting on top. So good together!
Enjoy this whole food, plant-based snack or dessert!
I have lots of other muffin recipes! Try these out, too!
The Best Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Chocolate Protein Blender Muffins (with lentils!)
Chocolate Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats, blended fine into flour
- 1/3 cup cacao or cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 large, overripe bananas (about 300 grams)
- 1/4 cup (65 grams) drippy peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, tahini, or oil
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 TBSP ground flax seed
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar (can sub other vinegar)
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Use a very dry blender to blend the oats into flour if you haven't yet. Stir together the oat flour, baking powder and baking soda, salt, and cacao powder in a large mixing bowl.
- In a blender, combine the bananas, milk, flax seed, peanut butter (or other nut butter/oil), sugar, and apple cider vinegar.
- Pour the banana liquid into the dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Spoon into a muffin pan (I also like these in a donut pan), and fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle with extra walnuts and chocolate chips if you'd like, or leave them blank on top for adding frosting.Bake standard muffins for 22-24 minutes, until tops are firm to the touch. Bake mini muffins for 10 minutes, and donuts about 18 minutes.
Notes
If you’d like to make these into cupcakes, this frosting is delicious on top!
The Healthiest Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 baked orange sweet potato (1 to 1 1/2 cups mashed)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup dates, soaked in hot water at least 10 minutes
- 1/4 cup nut butter (I've used peanut butter or almond butter)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon almond extract....delicious!
- 1/4 tsp salt
- maple syrup to taste (optional)
- 1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Bake sweet potato by microwaving it for about 8 minutes, or cooking it in the oven. Put all ingredients into a bullet or small high-speed blender (a food processor does not get it the dates very smooth). Blend, stir, and blend again until smooth, adding up to 1/4 cup water if necessary to help it blend. If you'd like to add chocolate chips (for a richer, more traditional frosting), melt them in the microwave first and add to the blender.
- Taste and add maple syrup or other sweetener of choice if desired. I like it as is, but it is not as sweet as buttercream frosting. If you'd like a darker chocolate flavor, add a little more cocoa powder.
- The dates and cooling chocolate chips thicken it up with time. Store in the fridge. Can be piped as cake decorating frosting, eaten with fruit, or on rice cakes or pancakes.
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Great recipe. I didn’t have enough banana. Used 80 gram banana, 140 gram steamed sweet potato and 50 gram steamed carrot. The substitution gave them a more brownie texture I think. Great flavor.
Such a great recipe !
Hi Faith,
These chocolate banana nut muffins sound like the perfect way to rescue overripe bananas—and I love that they’re gluten-free, vegan, and oat-based! Your note about freezing a double batch is such a practical tip for busy weeks. I also really enjoyed the little backstory about your husband’s love for chocolate banana recipes—it made the post feel so warm and personal. Can’t wait to try these with the sweet potato frosting on top. Thank you for another delicious plant-based idea.
These chocolate banana nut muffins are delicious. I added a dash of salt and vanilla. I used almond butter. They smelled so yummy baking and did not disappoint. Will be on repeat.