Vegan Banana Chocolate Muffins (gluten-free)

Simple, but delicious vegan banana chocolate muffins that are gluten-free, oil-free, and a slightly healthier dessert option.

In celebration of Luna’s birthday, we made these really yummy and simple vegan banana chocolate muffins. These can be made with one bowl and ready in under 30 minutes, plus they’re slightly healthier. I used coconut sugar as the sweetener and the banana and applesauce replace the need for eggs and oil. I used my favorite baking cocoa from Equal Exchange and the BEST vegan AND gluten-free chocolate chips from Enjoy Life. Seriously, they are so good!

It’s so exciting to see how much Luna has grown up in the past couple of years. I know that she’s only six years old, and to many people she’s still so young, but when I think about the past six years it feels like a totally different world. I gave birth to Luna when I was 22 years old, and I was a recent college graduate. Fred and I got pregnant with Luna only a few months after we got married, and it was a wild first year together. I had a really difficult and traumatic pregnancy and Luna was my little miracle baby. She and Fred really taught me all about growing up and devoting myself entirely to someone else.

I would drive 55 miles each way to work just so we could live somewhere nice for baby Luna. We have always made food and health a huge priority, and Luna has been eating a healthy, vegetarian (now pescetarian) diet her entire life. Fred and I did whatever we could to make sure that she was always eating well and a happy little girl.

Fast forward many years later, and now baby Luna is in Kindergarten and making friends. She comes home from school happy and excited about what she learned that day and the books that she read. She’s such a magical little girl. Happy Birthday, baby girl!

Vegan Banana Chocolate Muffins

You'll Need...

• 2 Bananas, very ripe
• 1/2 cup Applesauce
• 1 1/4 cups Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
• 1/3 cup Baking cocoa, unsweetened
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 cup Coconut Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/3 cup vegan and gluten-free chocolate chips
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup almond milk

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F
2. Line a muffin tin or spray with non-stick spray.
3. In a large bowl, mash the two bananas. I left mine a little bit chunky so there would be big pieces of banana in the muffins.
4. Add the sugar, apple sauce, almond milk and vinegar and gently mix.
5. In another small bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.
7. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, leaving a small handful out to add to the top of each muffin.
8. Add an even amount of batter to each muffin in, and top with a few chocolate chips.
9. Bake for 24-27 minutes, making sure the muffins slightly bounce back under your finger and a toothpick comes out clean if you pierce the center of a muffin.
10. Let cool and enjoy!

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