Ripe bananas and creamy Greek yogurt combine in a one-bowl batter to create super flavorful, gently-domed muffins with an incredibly tender, moist crumb.
As with most things banana, be sure to wait until your bananas are just ever so past their prime, almost disgustingly black and spotted. The riper they are, the better your muffins will be. The banana flavor intensifies over time, though these didn’t last more than a couple of days in our house.
Tinged with a red hue from the natural cocoa, these muffins aren’t overtly chocolate-y, though it’s a nice complement to the banana. Sometimes I add a handful of chopped bittersweet chocolate or mini chocolate chips to the batter for slightly sweeter muffins with a more intense chocolate flavor, sometimes I don’t. Either way, these are a sweet and delectable morning treat. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 medium bananas (about 1 cup), over-ripe
6 oz (3/4 cup) plain 2% Greek yogurt
1 large egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp (packed) light brown sugar
2 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1–1/4 tsp baking soda
1–2/3 cups all-purpose flour
optional: 1/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, use the back of a fork to mash the banana until only very small lumps remain. Add the yogurt and the egg and use the fork to whisk the mixture together until completely combined. Add the oil, milk, and vanilla, and stir to combine. Add the sugars and stir again.
Using a spatula, stir in the cocoa powder, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix until the cocoa is completely incorporated. Stir in the salt and baking soda, then gently fold in the flour, until just combined.
Divide the batter among 12 paper-lined muffin cups, about 3/4 full. A cookie scoop works best for this. Top with the chopped chocolate or chips, if using.
Bake for 16-19 minutes, rotating once, until the muffin tops look set, and a cake-tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the muffin tin for 5-10 minutes, before removing and cooling completely on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room-temperature.
