Banana Chia Muffins with a Little Chocolate

Summer is still a long way off, and we're right in the middle of winter. But I've already started cutting back on calories.

I've taken some calorie-dense foods out of my daily rotation and added more fiber-rich foods that keep me feeling full longer.

I've also added two workouts a week with a trainer I really like. She's helping me find my drive again after a long stretch of pretty much sleepwalking through the gym.

Now I just need summer to show up.

Part of my winter ritual is getting into the kitchen and coming up with recipes that fit the calorie target I've set for myself.

Recently, I discovered that mixing chia seeds, liquid, and a little flour makes a soft batter with enough structure to bake.

The result is a tender, melt-in-your-mouth muffin with a nice helping of fiber and wholesome carbs. Okay, maybe the chocolate doesn't quite belong in that last category.

And if you didn't know, chia seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and essential minerals. So these muffins have plenty going for them nutritionally, too!

A Little About These Banana Chia Muffins

When chia seeds soak in liquid, they form a thick gel. That's their soluble fiber at work—I've written about it before—and that gel holds up during baking.

No need to worry about baking with chia seeds: they're safe to bake with and still offer nutritional benefits afterward.

For sweetness and moisture, I used two very ripe bananas. The riper they are, the sweeter they'll be.

I also added a little demerara sugar. If you'd rather skip it, leave it out entirely or swap in a sweetener you like.

The small amount of flour I used is whole spelt flour. You can substitute another flour you prefer, though naturally the results will be a little different.

Don't want chocolate? No problem! Use chia jam, fruit, or a good-quality peanut butter instead.

I used light soy milk from Tnuva (a major Israeli dairy and soy brand) ALTERNATIVE, which also helped make this post possible – thank you! That support helps keep this blog going.

To turn the soy milk into a vegan buttermilk, I added a little vinegar to make the proteins curdle. Lemon juice works, too.

Lower-protein plant milks won't curdle the same way. That's why rice milk or almond milk, for example, won't work for this step.

Nutrition Information from Noam Bachar (an Israeli clinical dietitian):

For one banana chia muffin with chocolate, from a batch of 12:

Each 78 g (2.8 oz) muffin contains:

150 calories

4 g protein

23 g carbohydrates

5 g fat (including 1 g saturated fat)

2 g fiber

Banana Chia Muffins

Prep Time 13 minutes

Yield 12 muffins

Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas 200 g (7 oz)
• 1.5 cups Tnuva ALTERNATIVE light soy milk 360 ml (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/3 cup chia seeds 60 g (2.1 oz)
• 1 cup whole spelt flour 155 g (5.5 oz)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 g (0.18 oz)
• 2 tablespoons vinegar 20 ml (about 4 US teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 50 g (1.8 oz)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 18 squares dark chocolate 75 g (2.6 oz)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).

2. Pour the soy milk into a deep mixing bowl, add the vinegar, and set aside for 2–3 minutes, until the milk curdles slightly.

3. Add the chia seeds and vanilla extract and stir well.

4. In another bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth, then add them to the chia mixture.

5. Set aside for 10 minutes to let the mixture thicken slightly.

6. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir until the batter is evenly combined.

7. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.

8. Use your finger to push 2 squares of chocolate into each muffin. Give them a little nudge down into the batter.

9. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out dry.

10. Melt the remaining chocolate and drizzle it over the tops.

Recipe Video

A Few Notes

Baking time will vary with the diameter of your muffin cups. My advice: check on the muffins after 20 minutes.

They might need 35 minutes, or they might be ready after 25.

Insert a butter knife into the center of a muffin. If it comes out dry, with no wet batter on it, the muffin is done. Melted chocolate doesn't count!