I've been on a bit of a banana kick lately... the evidence of which is starting to surface now, and in a few upcoming posts. I love eating fresh bananas when they are just barely underripe - as is, with peanut butter, on toast with peanut butter, or in cereal. As soon as a slight mushy/mealy factor sets in though, I don't like eating them plain - they're better frozen (more on the possibilities with that later) or left to turn completely brown and then be baked into deliciousness.Vegan whole wheat banana muffins with chia seeds? Why not!Recipe: Vegan Whole Wheat Banana Chia MuffinsWhat You Need
1 3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c wheat germ
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c coconut oil
1/4 c applesauce (unsweetened)
1/3 c turbinado sugar
1/3 c light brown sugar
2 large ripe bananas
1/3 c coconut milk (from a carton, or low-fat canned)
1 tsp vanilla
1 -2 tbsp chia seeds (UPDATE: to boost chia intake, increase this to 3-4 tbsp)
1/4-1/2 c unsweetened, shredded coconut, plus a few tbsp (separate)
What You Do
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (395 if at 5000 feet altitude)
Grease cups of 12-muffin tin with coconut oil*
Whisk flour, wheat germ, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl
Beat coconut oil, applesauce and sugars
Add flax eggs to oil/sugar mix and beat to combine
Mash bananas with a fork in a small bowl and add to the wet mixture, along with vanilla; beat to combine
Add the dry mix to the wet in 3-4 increments, mixing gently, until just combined
Stir in chia seeds and coconut (to taste/preference)
Spoon batter into greased muffin tin cups**
Sprinkle the extra tbsps of coconut on top of some or all of the muffins
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean (start checking around 20 min to make sure you don't overbake)
When done, remove tray from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before removing muffins and setting them on a cooling rack to completely cool off. But not before eating one or two while they're still warm!***
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*I typically don't use the paper cups/liners for muffins. Even if I grease them, I find too much of the baked good sticks to the paper - which means less to eat and enjoy!**Using a cookie scoop makes this step incredibly easy***The muffins will keep well for a few days (set on a plate and cover with tin foil). But, you can also freeze them - whole or sliced in half - and them warm as desired in the oven when you are in the mood!