Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
We don't mind working hard. Sometimes the results are so much more satisfying when we've put a lot of work into something.
Like cleaning our apartments top to bottom including the dusty bits under the furniture and Magic Erasing all the scuffs off the walls (seriously, where do they all come from). Or putting together the *perfect* mix CD for a deserving friend.
We don't mind baking hard either. The delicious creaminess of homemade ice cream or the triumphant pouf of a souffle are completely worth the time and agony.
But sometimes, we just want to hire a cleaning lady and play MTV Party to Go Volume 2. Uh, do those compilations still exist because they could only have gone downhill after Volume 2 which was amazing.
And, sometimes we just want to buy some Ben & Jerry's, bake brownies from a box and call it a night.
Wait. We're joking about the brownies in a box, Mummy! We would never ever do such a thing to you except maybe once when it was the mix from Trader Joe's with the pig on it because it looked cute and how bad can anything be from Trader Joe's? Those people are miracle workers.
However, we do sometimes makes these mini-muffins which are basically as easy as brownies from a box. They require 2 bowls, 0 muffin-tin liners, and 2 measuring cups. And yet, surprisingly, they are incredibly moist and flavorful as the espresso brightens the chocolate flavor just enough.
Literally no one will ever believe they were so easy to make and we certainly won't tell them.
Banana Chocolate Chip Espresso Mini-Cakes
Makes 12 muffins
Adapted from Baked
1 ½ cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (or more) semisweet mini-chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350° degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or, using paper towel, wipe the inside of each cup with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, vanilla and egg.
In another medium bowl, whisk or sift together the dry ingredients; flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. It’s ok if there are still some pockets of flour in the mix, it’s more important not to over blend the ingredients. Gently fold in the mini-chips. Be generous with them.
Fill each muffin tin about to the top of the cup. Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are semi-firm and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean-ish.
Move the muffin tin to a cooling rack and let the muffins cool for 15 minutes. Gently turn the muffins out of the tin onto the cooling rack themselves for another 15 minutes.
Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
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Reader Comments (5)
Looks scrumptious! What is your favorite brand of espresso powder? All the kinds I've tried have had a tinny, slightly 'off' flavor...
Hi Katy,
Love your site! Beautiful pictures. Happy to see you're doing well.
Best,
sl
Oh, I'm all for easy muffins. These look amazing! And, lucky me, I have some very ripe bananas sitting in my kitchen, begging to be used. Love your blog! :)
So I think you should change the title of this to Mini Cakes. That totally makes me want to make them even more.
Gang. Mini-cakes is the perfect name for these!! We contemplated calling them that...and Lindsey, we like Medaglio D'Oro espresso powder. And, Sarah! Long time! We love your blog too!!! So cool and jealous you live where it's warm...