Description
These Chocolate Spinach Muffins are a delicious and nutritious treat combining ripe bananas, fresh baby spinach, and rich cocoa powder to create moist, flavorful muffins. Perfect for a healthy snack or breakfast, they incorporate wholesome ingredients like Greek yogurt and whole wheat flour, with the indulgence of dark chocolate chips for extra decadence.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 2 large handfuls baby spinach
- 3 tbsp milk (almond milk or regular)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp oil
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- â…” cup cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Add-ins
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the muffins.
- Blend Wet Base: In a high-powered blender, combine milk, ripe bananas, and baby spinach. Blend until mostly smooth, allowing for a few small lumps for texture. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Add the egg to the banana-spinach mixture and lightly whisk together. Then add sugar, vanilla extract, oil, and Greek yogurt, stirring well to combine all wet ingredients evenly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, stir together the white whole wheat flour, baking soda, sea salt, and cocoa powder to ensure they are thoroughly mixed.
- Incorporate Dry Into Wet: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding gently to blend without overmixing. Carefully stir in the dark chocolate chips, reserving some to sprinkle on top of muffins if desired.
- Prepare Muffin Pan: Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Spoon the batter evenly into each cup, then add extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin for added texture and flavor.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. This ensures the muffins are fully cooked but remain moist.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use fresh spinach instead of frozen to avoid excess moisture and a stronger flavor that can overpower the muffins.
- Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Experiment with additional mix-ins like shredded coconut, chopped nuts, raisins, or other dried fruits for added variety.
- These muffins are delicious with a drizzle of peanut butter or almond butter as a topping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
