I have a couple recipe “blogging rules” that I always try to follow: If I don’t feel a recipe in my heart, it doesn’t go on the blog. I’m true to that, especially over the past few years. Sometimes I drive myself a bit nuts (like the multiple recipes I tested this week and did not post). Also, if I can’t imagine myself (honestly) making the recipe again in the future, it doesn’t get posted. Eric gives me the low-down too. No sugar-coating.
It’s not that the recipes are horrible or that we don’t eat the leftovers (I will pretty much eat anything that I make!), but sometimes they just lack a certain je ne sais quoi. When you know it, you know it.
Anyway, after one bite (and 2, 3, 4, 5…) of these muffin tops, I knew it was going on the blog. No second guessing. My heart, mind, body, taste buds all screamed OH HECK YES.
Granted, these fall under that unfortunate category of “tastes much better than it looks” – why do the homeliest foods always taste the best? This photo shoot was…interesting, to say the least. But really who cares what they look like? If you love chewy, gooey, dense, and naturally sweetened muffin tops you will adore these. These are not fluffy like a muffin. This recipe is simple to make (if you can throw things in a food processor you are golden!), uses common pantry ingredients, and the banana bread flavour is just heavenly – especially when served warm with a pat of vegan butter. I tested a batch the other night and we happily enjoyed some cuddled up on the couch watching our favourite shows. Sketchie curled up in my lap on a blanket…always.
Even better, there’s no added sugar (thanks to the banana and date purée), unless you count the chocolate chips (covering my ears and singing la la la la laaaa) which you can easily replace with walnuts.
Actually, I think my favourite part about this entire recipe is that I didn’t dirty a single muffin pan! I don’t know what it is, but I would rather climb Mount Everest than clean out a muffin tin.
Anyone?
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Banana Bread Muffin Tops
Yield
9 large cookies
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ultra dense and chewy, these banana bread muffin tops make a great running-out-the-door breakfast or snack. Sweetened with banana and dates, there are no added sugars (and the chocolate chips can be easily swapped for walnuts). Try them warm served with a pat of vegan butter, nut butter, or coconut oil.
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas, peeled (230 grams banana without peel)
- 1/2 cup packed pitted Medjool dates (125 grams pitted dates)*
- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats, divided
- 3-4 tablespoons non-dairy chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the peeled bananas, pitted dates, coconut oil, and vanilla into a food processor. Process until smooth. I let it run for a minute or so.
- Add in the cinnamon, baking powder, and salt and process again until combined.
- Add in 1.5 cups of the rolled oats and process for only 4-5 seconds, just long enough to roughly chop the oats.
- Remove processor from the base and then remove the blade and set aside. Carefully stir in the remaining 1/2 cup rolled oats and the chocolate chips.
- Spoon a large portion of dough (about 3-4 tablespoons or so for each) onto the parchment. Do not press down on the dough to flatten - simply leave it in a mound on the baking sheet.
- Bake cookies for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 7-9 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.
- Immediately transfer the baking sheet onto a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then lift off muffins and place on the rack to cool completely.
Tip:
Make sure you use very soft Medjool dates. If you are using firm dates, be sure to soak them in water until softened before proceeding with recipe.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)PS – We’re looking into why some of you didn’t receive the first newsletter (be sure to check your “social” and “promotions” folders if you use Gmail, by the way). I will most likely post the info on my book page in the near future in case you did not receive it. Stay tuned!
Based on your “rule” for posting recipes, now I know why all your recipes are so amazing! I am doing these tonight….yay! :)
PS…can’t wait for your cookbook to come out!!!
Can’t argue with good baked goods, even if they ain’t pretty looking – they have a good heart (err, centre) I’m sure ;)
Oh my goodness, so glad to hear of someone else who HATES cleaning the muffin pans! Honestly, I’d be right alongside you climbing Mt. Everest instead of scrubbing away at those stupid oddly shaped pans.
I’ve got all the ingredients (just bought the dates for my smoothies) so I’m looking forward to trying them tomorrow! Cheers, Laura
Yes, because cleaning one muffin pan is like cleaning 12 individual and impossibly small pans. Ugh, the horror.
Anyway, these are on the menu for Saturday morning. Love the simplicity. LOVE that there is no refined sugar (my arch-nemesis). Especially LOVE that your blog is helping me rock my way back to healthy after a lifetime of wallowing in the Standard American Diet.
Thank you!
Oh yeah! I love this recipe and just pinned it! So excited to make these for the family! Perfect on a Sunday morning!
You need to buy a muffin top pan. They are awesome! Chicago Bakeware make them. They turn every muffing into a crispy muffin top.
I love how natural and flavorful these are! The perfect recipe to make for breakfast this morning!
These look marvellous – I shall get the ingredients and make them this week. Can I use extra virgin olive oil rather than coconut oil? I hate the taste of coconut oil, I’m afraid.
I haven’t tried it with anything but the coconut oil, so I’m not sure how it would impact the flavour.
Making these – today! I love that they’re 100% sugar free. I may or may not add some peanut butter into the mix, too.
Breakfast!!! Thanks!
Yum! I love banana bread – will have to give these a try!
Btw…I think your cookbook email went into the junk folder because you used the word ‘spam’ in the text…I think filters pick up on that. Just a thought!
i love and appreciate your blogging rules, and oh yes, do these look like home runs. and i LOVE the ingredient list. the homeliest food is always the most delicious!
Not only is your recipe a keeper–pinned–your pans have patina like mine!
Wow, these look amazing – love the mix of bananas and dates as sweetener! And also, thanks for sharing your blogging rules! This is such a great idea! Your blog is so inspiring, can’t wait to receive your recipe book!!!
These ARE fabulous. I did make a couple changes just cause I wanted to try something. A long while ago I soaked a ton of dates in some water. Then I put them in my blender and chopped it all up, dates and some/most of the water. Put that in the freezer. So, decided to try it with 2 tablespoons of my date paste and used chopped walnuts in place of chocolate. Gotta tell you they were so good I ate 3 of them standing over the stove. Good job!
These look insane. I love that they’re full of delicious & healthy ingredients :)
Was just wondering what to eat for breakfast when I opened my email and voila! These are in the oven right now and smell heavenly. Can’t wait to eat one (or a few) as I watch the snow fall outside my window! Thanks :)
These sound delicious! I also love muffin tops – once bought a muffin top pan – but it did not work the same because ultimately the lower half was more like the bottom of a muffin! I will be sure to make these this week
I can only imagine how hard you work in the kitchen – when I make something and it does not come out or is not popular with my family – it so upsets me bc I usually feel excited about making something new (and often it is not even an original – just a recipe or maybe something I am tweaking a bit). That is why I love your site – always great recipes. So just know that your hard work pays off! Glad to hear you eat even the ‘not blog/book worthy’ recipes though – that would be a phenomenal waste of money/food if you didn’t!! ( I think I was very poor in a past life because I have issues with wasting food!
Hope you are having a nice weekend :-)
BTW – I have some date crumbles – am thinking I could soak them as they seem more firm than the larger medjool dates…but likely easier to measure out. how long do you usually soak dates for?
They’re not even out of the oven yet, but I know these will be delicious. I know, because I tasted the raw dough (is that wrong?), and it was SO YUMMY. Thanks for another great recipe. I will be making these on a regular basis.
So funny… I thawed some frozen bananas this morning, and so I was googling “healthy banana chip muffins” and the recipes just weren’t cutting it. So I figured – OSG must have a banana muffin recipe somewhere in there. It was meant to be!