Does anyone else get abnormally excited when they see overripe bananas sitting on their kitchen counter?? I sure do because it gives me the excuse I need to bake something banana-y and tasty! Okay okay, I have a confession to make…I never need an ACTUAL excuse to bake anything. Baking is by far one of my favorite things to do and I know for sure that my family and friends love reaping the benefits of it :).

This week, I was inspired to use the spotty bananas I had to make my Banana Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins. Luckily I had all of the ingredients on hand, which always makes life that much easier. These muffins are so delicious that you forget they are healthy and by simply adding chocolate chips, it took these banana muffins to another level!

These days I have become quite the expert at being able to sneak in veggies at any opportunity I get (now that I have a “choosy” toddler to feed). For these muffins, adding the zucchini was a no brainer! Not only does it add more nutrients to the muffins, but the best part about it is that you don’t even know its hidden in there (MOM SCORE)!

Another reason this recipe is one of my favorites is because it uses healthy swaps for your more traditional ingredients and the flavor is not compromised one bit! For example, instead of white sugar or brown sugar, I used coconut palm sugar. Coconut sugar has many benefits over using white sugar. It is lower on the glycemic index, while also containing some essential vitamin minerals (i.e. iron, zinc, antioxidants, calcium and potassium). Next I used oat flour instead of white or wheat flour, which is a great option for those who are eliminating gluten or wheat *be sure to get oat flour that says gluten free if this is something you are avoiding* If you don’t have oat flour on hand, you could always grind your own rolled oats in a high speed blender or food processor until it becomes a flour like consistency. Lastly, these muffins use unsweetened applesauce in place of vegetable oil/butter and you don’t even notice the difference!

If you enjoy banana bread/muffins then this recipe is definitely for you!! And if you have little ones who are picky eaters, the banana, hidden zucchini and chocolate chips really are the perfect combination!

If you decide to make these beauties, I would love to hear how they turned out!

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Recipe:

• 2 overripe bananas
• 1/4-1/2 c coconut palm sugar ( I used 1/4 to cut down the sugar)
• 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 lg zucchini, shredded and liquid squeezed
• 2 pasture raised eggs-room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c oat flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
• 1/2 c chocolate chips ( I used the dairy free brand- Enjoy Life)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with muffin miners or oil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine banana, applesauce, coconut sugar, zucchini, eggs and vanilla extract.
3. In medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
4. Add the dry mixture to wet mixture.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips
6. Scoop batter into muffin pan and fill cups 3/4 way full. Top the batter off with a few extra chocolate chips to make them look and pretty)
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Wait 10 mins to cool and then ENJOY!