Chocolate Banana Muffins with Pecans

Name: Chocolate Banana Muffins with Pecans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3 large bananas ((very ripe) (about 1 1/2 cups)); 150 g almond flour ((ground almonds) (1 1/2 cups)); 3 eggs; 100 g dark chocolate ((sugar-free, preferably 100% cocoa) (1/3 cup)); 50 g pecans ((choppped) (1/2 cup)); 12 pecan halves; 2 tbsps coconut oil ((melted)); 2 tbsps honey; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

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I got the idea for these muffins from my Carrot Cake Muffins with Dates & Pecans. I loved the crunch of the nuts throughout the muffin but wanted to change up the flavours this time. Chocolate and banana is one of those combinations that just goes so well together. Throw in some pecans and you’ve got one of the most indulgent muffins ever created. But wait…these Chocolate Banana Muffins are different. They just so happen to be grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free without sacrificing any flavour. These are sweet, stodgy and with a crunch from the chocolate chunks and the pecans I think they’re one of the most decadent muffins I’ve ever made.

I can’t eat sugar, so finding a chocolate that I can eat has always been a struggle. In the past I’ve used Montezuma’s Absolute Black 100% Cocoa Bar as it 100% cocoa and contains nothing else. However recently I’ve discovered OCTO Chocolate which I seem to be able to tolerate really well. A delicious, much creamier chocolate where the only sweetener is coconut blossom sugar. It contains only cocoa beans, coconut blossom sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla and is completely organic, raw and vegan. I’ve eaten it on its own and cooked with it and both options worked really well. Well worth a try if you can’t tolerate the sugar or dairy in normal chocolate.

Chocolate Banana Muffins with Pecans by Emma Eats & Explores - Grainfree, Glutenfree, Dairyfree, Refined Sugarfree, Paleo, Low Carb — Isn’t the packaging beautiful too!

How to make Chocolate Banana Muffins with Pecans

So, on to the recipe. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). The next thing to do is chop up the chocolate into small chunks and crush up the pecans (making sure to keep 12 halves back for decoration).

In a mixing bowl mash the bananas (I use a potato masher) and add the almond flour (ground almonds), eggs, melted coconut oil and honey. Mix well and then stir the chunks of chocolate and the chopped pecans through the mixture to ensure they are evenly distributed. Finally, add the bicarbonate of soda and mix thoroughly once more.

Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cases and fill each one with the muffin mixture, making sure to get an even amount of chocolate and pecans in each muffin.

Top each muffin with half a pecan and pop into the oven for about 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

These are delicious eaten warm from the oven while the chocolate is still melted and gooey. Or they keep for up to a week in the fridge – If you like the gooey chocolate texture you can always re-heat each one before you eat it! They also freeze really well so you can make a double batch and freeze half for another time. If you prefer a less sweet muffin, my Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffins are tangy and tart and just as delicious!