If you are reading this, I just want to say “thank you”. As if it wasn’t for you, I probably wouldn’t have given these delicious banana chocolate muffins a go. Whilst I have a long list of great recipes that I’d eventually like to share with you, I’m always on the hunt for new ones too. Because, although I’m a bit of a food traditionalist at heart, I want my blog to be filled with tempting things that appeal to everyone.
I spotted the original recipe for these banana chocolate muffins in my dad’s Telegraph Saturday magazine and loved that there were a few ingredients that I’d never used in cake making before. Magazines and papers share such fabulous recipes to inspire, and most, if not already naturally gluten free, can easily be adapted to make them so.
These banana chocolate muffins, with that trademark muffin crumb, are a perfect balance of wholesome goodness and chocolate deliciousness and would make a most satisfying lunch box treat or a delightful energy boosting snack when out walking.
Ingredients
100g *dark chocolate (chopped into small chunks – you could of course use *chocolate chips)
130g gluten free plain flour or mix
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (only add if xanthan or guar gum is not already in the flour)
30g *cocoa powder, sifted
100g light muscovado sugar (soft brown sugar would be fine)
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
1 very ripe banana
30g natural yoghurt
50ml light olive oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon *vanilla extract
100g cooked *quinoa (for convenience I used this Tesco precooked pouch)
50g sweet potato, peeled and finely grated
Runny honey, to glaze (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7/200C Fan.
Pop 10 paper muffin cases into a muffin tray.
Add the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, cocoa powder, sugar and chocolate to a large mixing bowl and mix well to combine.
Blitz the banana, yoghurt, olive oil, egg, vanilla extract and quinoa (food processor, liquidizer, or stick blender would be ideal for this job) until nice and smooth and then stir in the grated sweet potato.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients together.
And stir until everything is just mixed in.
Divide he mixture equally between the paper cases.
Slide the tray into the oven and bake for five minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 170C/325F/Gas 3/150C Fan and bake for a further 12-15 minutes or until well risen and firm but springy to touch.
Remove from the oven and if using honey to glaze, drizzle a little over each muffin whilst they are still warm.
Recipe notes and suggestions:
These banana chocolate muffins are at their best on the day you make them, but when stored in an airtight container will keep for up to five days. You are also able to freeze the muffins providing you don’t add the honey glaze.
I did also trial the muffins with gluten free self-raising flour but much preferred the traditional ‘muffin crumb’, that came from using gf plain flour. However, should you only have gf self-raising or mix in the cupboard and want to give the muffins a go, reduce the baking powder to one teaspoon and only add xanthan gum if it’s not already in the flour.
Thanks for checking out this gluten free banana chocolate muffins recipe. I do hope you like it.
If you’re a fan of all things banana, you may like to try this soft and tasty, easy to make banana loaf recipe.
For now,
Liz x
*Check this product to ensure that there are no gluten containing ingredients or ‘may contain’ or ‘not suitable’ warnings on the pack. If in doubt leave it out.
The original recipe for these banana chocolate muffins (which I adapted to make gluten free), featured in The Telegraph Saturday magazine and was taken from Good To Eat by David Atherton: Hodder & Stoughton.
