Sweet Baked Life

What do you do with a few ripe bananas and some leftover chocolate chips you have lying around your pantry? Well, for me it’s a no brainer — bake your family some delicious Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins! 
And that’s exactly what I did! this past weekend! I love bananas, but for me, they’ve got to be just a tad past the green stage for me fully enjoy! I had bought a bunch at the beginning of the week, however as Saturday approached I still had two bananas left which were quickly becoming soft and the peel was beginning to get spots! These were absolutely not to my liking, nor could I get my boys to eat them! And since I am not one to throw out food — I scoured the pantry to see what I could add into my batter to make more than just banana bread or banana muffins. Hiding behind my sugar was a half used bag of chocolate chips as well, I also found a about a cup of oats which I decided to throw in as well, just to give the muffins a bit more texture!
These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are super easy to make and they are simply scrumptious served warm with a tall glass of milk or a nice cappuccino! . My family hovered over them when they came out of the oven and quickly ate them before they cooled — probably because they were starving on Saturday morning! My husband admitted (and this I already knew) that he was not a fan of bananas and chocolate — for him, he would have preferred the traditional bananas with walnuts, however he loved the addition of the oats! Me on the other hand, I love chocolate combined with just about anything, so I thought they were perfect!
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats (I used Quaker)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside. Then peel the bananas and mash in a small bowl, set aside until ready to use.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer add the butter and sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating after each addition.  Add the vanilla and mix well. Combine the flour, oats, and baking soda in a medium bowl. With the mixer on low-speed, slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the mashed bananas and the chocolate chips and stir until just combined.

With a large spoon, scoop the batter into the muffin liners about 3/4 full (or until you have divided your batter amongst all 12 liners). Bake for 30-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a rack for about 5 minutes, then put the actual muffins directly on the rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are a great breakfast treat or enjoy one as a yummy snack for you or in your kids’ lunch! I especially liked the nutty flavor of the oats combined with the rich semi-sweet chocolate and the creamy bananas and I hope you will too!

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