Healthier Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Last week I wrote about my Alexander day.  One good part of the day was the yummy muffins that I made. No one in our family likes bananas when they start to get speckled with all those brown spots on them.  So now I just toss them in the freezer when they start to get freckles.  Later, I make either these yummy muffins or fruit smoothies.  Maybe sometime later I'll share about different smoothie options, but today I thought I would share how I made the muffins.

What makes this a healthier recipe than others?  Some people would say the honey makes it healthier, but the jury is still out on that one.  Honey is sweeter than refined sugar, so you don't have to use as much. However, it has more calories, making it about even when using it as a sweetener. Using whole wheat flour instead of white flour will definitely help you.  First, the refined white flour will go through your digestive system way too quickly while the whole wheat flour has the fiber you need.  Because it takes longer to digest, it will also make you feel full longer and keep your blood sugar from skyrocketing.  Flaxseed is also great for you.  I substituted flaxseed in this recipe for oil to get the added benefits of this powerhouse.  Flaxseed is high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as phytochemicals called lignans.  Among other benefits, flaxseed can help lower your total and bad cholesterol and help your digestive system.  The best part is that when I add it to food like muffins or smoothies, my kids still love the food! Did you know that dark chocolate is also good for you in moderation?  Among other benefits, dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure and control blood sugar.  Just make sure to use dark chocolate, not milk chocolate.

Healthier Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup honey (I used 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 - 3 bananas)
3 eggs
3/4 cup flaxseed (store extra in the freezer to keep it from going rancid)
1/4 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
bag of dark chocolate chips (the recipe calls for less, but my kids love the chocolate, so I put more)

1.  Heat oven to 350 F.  Spray bottoms only of muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.
2.  In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and flaxseed.
3.  In medium bowl, beat bananas, eggs, milk, vanilla, and honey with fork until smooth.  Stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened.  Gently stir in chocolate chips.

4.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  (It sometimes makes about 14 muffins, so you may need an extra muffin tin.  I just put water in the empty muffin cups to keep the pan in good shape.)

5.  Bake 20 - 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Immediately remove muffins from pan to cooling rack.

6.  Enjoy!

My daughter, Elliana, loves these muffins!