Healthy Muffins – Chocolate Banana Muffins with Buckwheat Oats Flour Mix

Healthiest, most wholesome muffins you could come across, with goodness of Buckwheat, Oats, Whole-wheat flour, flax meal, pumpkin seeds, bananas, coconut oil, palm sugar and the darkest, most decadent cocoa you’ve ever seen! Do I have your unwavering attention yet? 

My chocolate obsession has peaked over years – I NEED to have a chocolate bar by my side constantly. But then, Lindt’s 85% & above dark chocolates are relatively expensive and scant, and once you’ve been spoilt by them, Bournvillle’s 50% cocoas seem overly sugary and unpalatable (Didn’t I tell you sugars are addictive, and once you bring the consumption down you’ll start finding stuff too sugary!). What would be an easier solution to my chocolate cravings then? Enter these Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Muffins!

I have tweaked my Healthy Flour Mix (HFM) recipe here by mixing oats, buckwheat and whole-wheat flour. Buckwheat has high protein and fiber content, AND renders a nice texture to the muffins. If you wish to make this recipe gluten-free, just follow the instructions given in the recipe below.

This recipe is a fail-proof method to successfully avoid empty calories coming from store-bought carb-laden muffins. Also, it is entirely possible to play with flavors and textures! Try your hand at my Chocolate Banana Millet Sorghum Muffins or Lemon Poppy Seed Buckwheat Muffins too!

I used coconut oil or ghee (clarified butter) in place of butter or vegetable oil. I also substituted refined/ white sugar with palm sugar, which has a lower Glycemic Index than refined sugar.

Healthy Muffins – Chocolate Banana Muffins with Millet Flour Mix

Makes 12-15 muffins

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup oats
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup flax seed meal (can be made instantly by grinding flax seeds coarsely)
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 cup palm sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk, optional
• ¼ cup coconut oil (can use ghee as well)

For gluten-free flour, substitute Whole-wheat Flour with 100gms of Arrowroot Starch + 1 cup Rice Flour

INSTRUCTIONS

Pre-heat the oven at 200°C.

Whisk together all the dry ingredients, i.e. flour mix, cocoa powder, palm sugar, flax meal, pumpkin seeds etc. except baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl.

Combine the wet ingredients, i.e. eggs, mashed bananas, vanilla essence, milk, coconut oil, in a separate bowl. Crack the eggs and whisk everything together.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with wet ingredients, mix everything together while scraping the sides with a spatula. Add baking soda and baking powder. Once you add these two ingredients, mix only slightly.

Coat the muffin tray with cooking spray or line with paper muffin cups.

Spoon the batter into individual cups, filling them to 1/2^th level. Place the tray into the oven immediately. Bake at 200°C for about 27 minutes, until they’ve risen firm and crust is nicely formed.

Remove the muffin tray from the oven and allow to cool for few minutes. Remove the muffins from tray and let them cool.

Devour!

NOTES

Since this recipe utilizes baking soda, the mix has to be baked immediately.

Store the leftover muffins in the refrigerator for prolonged freshness, and heat before consuming.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per muffin)*

Energy	119 calories
Protein	4.2 g
Fat	6.75 g
Carbohydrates	26.98 g
Of which, Fiber	4 g

*Recipe is for 12-15 muffins; all values in grams.