Chocolate Avocado Banana Bran Muffins

Don't be fooled into thinking these are your typical high sugar, low nutrient muffins. They are not! They are packed with fibre, whole grains, potassium, and other great nutrients - and they are DELICIOUS! You don't need  many chocolate chips to up the flavour of these muffins thanks to richness of the cocoa so I often will buy a small quantity of really good quality dark chocolate and chop it up into this recipe to maximize the flavours.

I make a batch of these every couple of weeks. I can easily individually wrap them and throw them in the freezer for snacks, breakfasts and any other time we need a bite on the go.The added bonus is that they act as a bit of an ice pack if the kids have other things like cheese or yogurt in their lunch bags!


Calories - approx 206 per muffin

Ingredients

1/2 ripe avocado, mashed
2 very ripe large bananas, mashed
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (which has less protein than standard whole wheat flour, giving baked goods a more tender texture))
1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/4 cup bran cereal
1 tbsp ground flax
1 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, or chopped good quality chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place milk and cereal in large bowl. Let sit 5 minute to soften cereal.
3. Mix in egg, vanilla, flax, oil, mashed bananas and avocado until well combined.
4. In another bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
5. Add flour mixture to cereal bowl. Stir until just combined.
6. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
7. Divide evenly amongst 12 muffin tins.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.