Description

These Chocolate Spinach Muffins are a delicious and nutritious twist on classic chocolate muffins, incorporating ripe bananas and fresh spinach for added moisture, natural sweetness, and a boost of vitamins. Perfect for breakfast or a healthy snack, these muffins are moist, fluffy, and packed with chocolate flavor thanks to cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips. They are easy to make using a blender and baked in the oven, combining wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, and almond or regular milk.

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas
2 large handfuls baby spinach (fresh, not frozen)
3 tablespoons milk (almond milk or regular milk works)
1 large egg
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup full fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons oil (vegetable or canola oil recommended)

Dry Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Add-ins

½ cup dark chocolate chips (plus extra for topping if desired)

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it reaches the ideal baking temperature while you prepare the batter.
Blend Bananas, Spinach, and Milk: In a high-powered blender, combine the ripe bananas, fresh baby spinach, and milk. Blend until mostly smooth with only a few lumps remaining. The blended mixture should be thick and evenly green from the spinach.
Mix Wet Ingredients: Transfer the banana-spinach mixture to a large mixing bowl. Lightly whisk in the egg, then add sugar, vanilla extract, oil, and Greek yogurt. Stir all these wet ingredients together until fully combined and smooth.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and sea salt to distribute all dry ingredients evenly.
Incorporate Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Fold the dry flour mixture gently into the wet mix using a spatula or spoon, mixing just until no large streaks of flour remain to avoid overmixing.
Add Chocolate Chips: Stir in half a cup of dark chocolate chips into the batter. Reserve some chocolate chips if you want to sprinkle them on top of the muffins for an extra chocolaty finish.
Prepare Muffin Pan: Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Spoon the batter evenly into each muffin cup, filling about 3/4 full. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin if desired.
Bake Muffins: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin – it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Cool and Serve: Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack or plate to cool completely before serving. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Use fresh spinach instead of frozen for the best flavor and to avoid excess moisture that could negatively affect the muffins’ texture.
Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze muffins for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container for longer storage.
Optional add-ins: coconut flakes, chopped nuts, raisins, or dried fruit can be added to the batter for extra texture and flavor.
Serve with a drizzle of peanut butter or almond butter on top for added richness and protein.