Eggless Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (LITE & 112 Calories)

What do you do with leftover, ugly and overripe bananas?  You bake with them!  You never throw them away, you bake with them - something healthy and something a little sweet.  

That's when I thought of making these delicious Eggless Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins which were inspired by Madhuram's Eggless Cooking, and introduced to me by my friend, Marian.  I modified this recipe by using whole wheat flour and oats to make the muffins a little more healthier.  These could easily be topped off with a buttery crumb topping or even cream cheese frosting, of course, then the muffins wouldn't be quite as healthy.  🙂  

Later this week my friend, Jenna, came over and insisted on treating me to dinner at one of my favorite Thai restaurants, More.  She believed that I helped her prep for an interview which ultimately landed her a great job, and hence the treat.  Personally, I don't think I did much, however I really appreciated her thoughtful gesture.  So Jenna, thanks so much for dinner and when I find my next gig, I promise to return the favor, hopefully soon.  🙂

TELL ME: What's your favorite healthy muffin recipe?

NUTRITION: Oats help reduce cholesterol and are a good source of Protein and Fiber.  Bananas are a very good source of Vitamin B6. They are also a good source of Vitamin C and Fiber.  Whole Wheat Flour adds fiber and protein to these muffins.  Lastly, Semisweet Chocolate Chips add some Antioxidants to these muffins. 

MODIFICATIONS I MADE:

• I halved this recipe so the recipe shown below is my version of half the recipe.
• Instead of white sugar, I used brown sugar - I prefer the molasses flavor.
• I increased the oats amount by ¼ cup, so I used ½ cup of oats and lowered the white flour amount.
• Instead of using 1 cup of all purpose white flour, I used ½ cup of whole wheat flour and ¼ cup of white flour.  The other ¼ cup was made up with the oats.
• I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• I added 2 tablespoon of buttermilk - TRUST ME - it adds moisture.

APPROXIMATE NUTRITION PER SERVING 
(yields 15 mini muffins or 6 regular size muffins)

• Calories: 112 cals
• Fat: 4.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
• Carbs: 22 g
• Protein: 1.1 g
• Fiber: 1.2 g

EGGLESS BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS (LITE) (inspired by Madhuram's Eggless Cooking)
~ yields 15 mini muffins @ 375 degrees using a mini muffin tray

INGREDIENTS (halved the original recipe):

• All Purpose White Flour - ¼ cup
• King Arthur's Whole Wheat Flour - ½ cup
• Brown Sugar - 6 tbsp
• Quaker's Old Fashioned Oats - ½ cup
• Baking Soda - ¼ + ⅛ tsp
• Baking Powder - ¼ + ⅛ tsp
• Salt - ¼ tsp
• Nestle's Miniature Semisweet Chocolate Chips - ¼ cup + 2 tbsp
• Oil - ⅙ cup or 2.5 tbsp
• Banana, ripe, mashed - 2 medium (just short of 1 cup) 
• Buttermilk - 2 tbsp 

DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 2. Line mini muffin tray with mini muffin liners.

3. Mash bananas - should be just short of 1 cup when mashed.

4. Add buttermilk and combine.

5. In a mixing bowl, add brown sugar and bananas.

6. Add oil - ⅙ cup (½ of ⅓ cup) or 2.5 tbsp.

7. Mix.

8. Add vanilla extract.  Mix.

9. To the same bowl, add the dry ingredients.  Start with whole wheat flour.

10. Add white flour.

11. Add oats.

12. Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

13. Mix until combined, however DO NOT OVERMIX!

14. Add miniature semisweet chocolate chips.

15. Combine.

16. Scoop into a mini muffin liner.

17. Once preheated, place in the oven.  Mine baked for 18 minutes exactly.

18. Once done, should be golden brown.  Allow to cool completely, or you can eat them warm.  I couldn't wait!!!!

OVERALL RATING: 3.5 / 5

I really enjoyed these muffins, they were healthy, tasty, and just right in the amount of sweetness.  They go perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee and make a great breakfast.  I ate about 2 to 3 of these for breakfast, and I didn't feel guilty about it.  It's like having dessert without really having it.  Topping this off with a buttery crumb topping or even cream cheese frosting would take these muffins to the next level.  In addition, the only complaint my friend, Jenna, had was that she wished I had added walnuts, I was thinking that too, I was just lazy to get them out.  🙂  Next time!!! 
Texture: These muffins were great in texture, they held up and it felt like I was eating a muffin, they weren't super soft due to the lack of oil, however they were good and tender for a low fat muffin.
Moistness: These muffins were very moist, I believe the ripeness of the bananas and buttermilk contributed to this.  


I gave these a 3.5 because it is low fat after all and I am comparing this to a real Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin.  For a healthful muffin, this is really good!  You will not be disappointed. 

TELL ME: What's your favorite healthy muffin recipe?