Hey guys! I have been saying on my instagram recently that I will be making a conscious effort to share my recipes more often here on SHK with you… So here I am- back with another delicious recipe. Today I will be sharing a ‘sweet treat’ recipe with you but I will be uploading more of my savoury recipes soon, so make sure you are subscribed to my website to be the first to know when I do new posts!
So for now, I am sharing with you my ‘chunky monkey cacao & banana muffins’. They are refined sugar free, only using natural ingredients that will provide you with nutritional value. I have used two types of flour for this recipe: wholemeal self raising flour and wholemeal spelt flour. I used two types because combined I like the consistency and texture of the bake they achieve however, you may prefer to use one or the other (you may not have both). Spelt flour will give you a ‘crispier’ finish on the outside of the muffins. I have also used cacao powder and cacao nibs to achieve a rich chocolate taste whilst ensuring these muffins are packed with antioxidants! You can read all about the health benefits of cacao here.
Ingredients (makes 12)
- 1 cup of self raising wholemeal flour
- 1/2 cup of ground almonds
- 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup of natural sweetener stevia
- 1/2 cup apple sauce/puree
- 1/4 cup of raw cacao powder
- 1/4 of raw cacao nibs
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (melted)
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup of almond milk
- 2 medium sized bananas
- 1 egg (may also use a flax seed egg if vegan)
- 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and prepare 12 muffin cases.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, ground almonds, coconut sugar, stevia, cacao powder, chocolate protein powder and baking powder.
- In a separate bowl, mash 1 1/2 of the 2 bananas and mix with the coconut oil (melted), soy milk, vanilla extract, apple puree and the egg. (If using a flax egg then prepare one tablespoon of flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let it set for 2-3 minutes before adding to the mix).
- Gradually add the wet ingredients mixture to the dry mixture bowl, stirring gently. You want the mixture to be chunky so using a wooden spoon to mix will be fine.
- Once the mixture in combined (may be slightly lumpy), fold in the cacao nibs.
- Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared muffin cases. Use the leftover half banana to slice into coins and top each muffins with a banana coin (as shown in pictures). Bake the muffins for 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool once baked and enjoy warm or cold! To keep you muffins fresh, store in a sealed container in the fridge and they will last for 4-5 days.
You can see more of my healthy muffin bakes over on my recipes page. Remember to follow my instagram to stay up-to-date with my healthy and well balanced way of eating!
