ABOUT THE RECIPE:
These moist muffins are sweet but not overly so, making them a scrumptious treat for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert. This recipe uses ripe bananas rather than eggs for binding. Wheat germ adds both texture and nutrition, while dark chocolate contributes antioxidants, not to mention a decadent taste.
Makes 6 JUMBO or 12 STANDARD-SIZED MUFFINS
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to coat pan
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup toasted wheat germ
1¼ cups plain or vanilla nondairy milk, plus more as needed
3 medium ripe bananas, peeled and mashed until smooth
½ cup vegan dark chocolate chips (55% to 75% cacao)
3½ ounces vegan dark chocolate, chopped (55% to 75% cacao, snack-style bar, not unsweetened baking chocolate.)
1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a six-cup JUMBO muffin tin (see note) or twelve-cup STANDARD muffin tin. (See notes for further instructions.)
Put the flours, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk to combine. Add the brown sugar and wheat germ and stir with the whisk to combine. Stir in the nondairy milk, bananas, and oil and mix just until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. The mixture will be quite thick, but if it seems overly dry, stir in a bit more nondairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Mound the mixture into the prepared muffin cups. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Decrease the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 10 to 25 minutes, until the tops of muffins are getting golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. (Baking time will be shorter if you are using a standard-sized muffin tin; see note below for detailed instructions.)
Put the pan on a wire rack and loosen the sides of each muffin with a knife. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins. For an extra sweet muffin, lightly brush the tops of each muffin with a bit of maple syrup (optional). Serve warm or at room temperature. Covered tightly, leftover muffins will keep for 3 days.
NOTE: Each cup in a jumbo muffin tin measures approximately 3.5-inches, in diameter. Each cup in a standard muffin tin measures approximately 2-inches, in diameter.
NOTE: If preferred, you can line each muffin cup with paper liners, instead of oiling each muffin cup.
NOTE: Baking time will be shorter if you are using a standard-sized muffin tin. For standard-sized muffins, put the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Decrease the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Follow the longer baking time listed in the recipe for the large, jumbo-sized muffins.