Chocolate Banana Muffins

August 2, 2012
Most days start like this for me:
“No, Ryan Lochte…I can’t swim away with you. I’m married!”
“Beep, beep, beep, beep!!!” (My dreams are rudely interrupted.)
Snooze button.
9 minutes pass…
Beep, beep, beep, beep!!!
9 minutes pass again…
Beep….
Smack! (That’s the sound of me shutting the alarm off).
An hour passes…
“Aaaaaaahhhh!!! I’m late!!!”
Then I run through the house gathering an outfit for the day. I take a quick shower, barely washing all the soap from my hair. I slap some cover-up on my face and partially blow-dry my hair. Then I’m out the door.
Sometimes I have a few minutes to spare to spread some peanut butter on a piece of pita bread and maybe grab a cup of coffee for the drive. That is very rare in these parts, though.
Luckily, this summer I have had more days off and more free time than I have had in a long time. I started making freezer breakfast sandwiches and breakfast muffins ahead of time on my off days. Trust me; this is the way to do it!
When you wake up all flustered and your heart is pounding out of fear of being late to work and you grab one of these chocolate banana muffins from the counter, your hectic morning seems to slow down. All will seem right in the world when you take that first bite from this muffin.
Beware: once you finish the muffin, you come crashing back to reality. But hey! At least you had a good breakfast!
Ingredients (Makes 12 Muffins)
½ Cup Unsalted Butter
5 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder
½ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2/3 Cup Buttermilk
1 Cup Semisweet Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 Bananas, slightly mashed
½ Cup White Chocolate Chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside for later.
Add about two inches of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Place a medium heat-proof mixing bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Add the coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate along with the half cup of butter to the bowl. The chocolate and butter will start to melt. Stir occasionally until both are completely incorporated. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder.
Whisk the brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla into the slightly cooled chocolate butter mixture. Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour into the chocolate mixture until no flour is visible.
Fold in the remaining dark chocolate chunks and mashed banana.
Divide the batter into the twelve muffin cups evenly. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffin cool for five minutes in the tin before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
While the muffins cool, add the white chocolate chips to a small heat-proof bowl. Microwave the chips for one minute, until slightly melted. Using a fork, mix the white chocolate until it is all melted. Then take that fork and wave it slightly back and forth over the cooling muffins. The chocolate that drips off the end of the fork while you are waving it will create that great drizzle over the top of the muffins.
Muffins last at room temperature for four days in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker’s Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

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  • Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out
    August 6, 2012 at 8:16 pm

    Bahahahaha laughing my ass off over the Lochte comment. Lochte > Phelps, imho.

  • Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
    August 2, 2012 at 11:39 am

    Why hello muffins. I’d like to introduce you to my mouth who will then introduce you to my bellyyyy!

  • MissMessy
    August 2, 2012 at 10:21 am

    I just love how these are so packed with chocolate. Yummy!

    • Stefanie
      August 2, 2012 at 10:47 am

      Thanks! I feel like the addition of banana makes eating that much chocolate for breakfast ok.