Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins are a classic, “healthified” banana-chocolate-walnut favorite. This recipe is free of gluten and dairy, yet a delicious treat for adults and kiddos.
We’re about 7 days into social distancing. I’ve adventured out to the grocery store twice and make it a daily habit to go for a walk in the neighborhood. I’m not going to lie: so far so good over here. I guess being an introvert has it’s perks, like not minding an indefinite social isolation. My heart goes out to all the extroverts about to lose their minds.
And, this time of quarantine brought about these Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins. So, things are looking up in my 900 sq. ft. apartment. I hope this recipe brightens your quarantined days, too!
What is Chunky Monkey?
Chunky monkey is a classic flavor combination of banana, chocolate, and walnuts. Does it get any better? Arguably, no. I don’t know about y’all but the chunky monkey flavor combo trumps all flavor combos in my book. And now that I think about it, I’m not sure why it took so long for me to create a chunky monkey recipe.
As a young girl, I remember going Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop. The chunky monkey flavor was at the top of my list. Not much beats creamy, banana ice cream in a large waffle cone. I’m not drooling, you’re drooling.
Are Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins Healthy?
These Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins are definitely healthier than a traditional chunky monkey muffin recipe. Since this recipe is Paleo-approved, it’s free of dairy, gluten, and refined sugars, which are all inflammatory foods for most of us. However, not only is this recipe low in inflammatory foods, it also offers a variety of nutrients!
Bananas are rich in potassium, manganese, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Dark chocolate is one of the most popular superfoods, loaded with antioxidants and minerals, including magnesium, iron, and copper. Walnuts provide a hefty dose of omega fatty acids, especially omega-3. Cassava flour offers high amounts of vitamin C, manganese, potassium, and folate. Local honey is a great source of antioxidants.
How to make Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins
This recipe requires about 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to bake. Meaning, it’s a great Saturday morning breakfast treat.
To start, preheat the oven to 350F. Prep a muffin pan with muffin liners or cooking fat to prevent sticking. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, leaving out the walnuts and dark chocolate chunks.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently stir with a spatula or wooden spoon. Be careful to not over mix, otherwise you can easily end up with dense muffins. In 2-3 stirs, mix in the walnuts and dark chocolate.
Spoon the batter into 12 muffin tins. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
I prefer to enjoy these muffins warm and fresh, right out of the oven. However, you can store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days or in the freezer for a few months.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Ripe Bananas
This recipe calls for 3 large, ripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the sweeter the taste and easier to mash.
Dark Chocolate Bar
I used a Theo Dark Chocolate Sea Salt bar. Highly recommended! Place the chocolate bar in a ziploc baggy and use the end of a spatula to crush the bar into chunks. Easy peasy!
Walnuts
Always use raw, organic walnuts. This rule goes for all nuts, all the time. Organic nuts contain less pesticides and toxins, while providing higher amounts of bio-available nutrients.
Cassava Flour
Cassava flour is my favorite paleo-approved baking flour. The cassava root is naturally gluten free and rich in vitamins and minerals.
Local Honey
Whenever using honey, always buy local, raw, and unpasteurized. This honey can help reduce inflammation and seasonal allergies, while boosting immune function.
Chunky Monkey Muffins
Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins are a classic, banana-chocolate- walnut favorite. This recipe is free of gluten and dairy, yet a delicious treat for everyone.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cassava flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of sea salt
- 3 large, ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 egg
- 4 tbs ghee, melted and cooled
- 2 tbs local honey
- 1/4-1/2 cup nut milk
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces
- 1 dark chocolate bar, crushed
Instructions
- Preahet the oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners or nonstick spray.
- Combine the mashed bananas, egg, ghee, and honey in a bowl and set aside.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl, except the walnuts and dark chocoalte. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula- do NOT over mix. Add nut milk as needed.
- Gently mix in the walnuts and dark chocolate.
- Spoon the mixture into 12 muffin liners. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool fro 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Enjoy warm and fresh! Or, store them in fridge fro up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
