Bananas in pajamas

Do you have a certain song in your head right now, about a certain fruit marching down the stairs in their pj's? I sure do.  If you don't, you're lucky.  But really I am the lucky one because this morning I got to enjoy banana chocolate chip muffins, fresh from the oven, while wearing...you guessed it, my pajamas!

Now, you put chocolate on something and I am THERE.  Bacon, apples, heck, I would probably eat a brussel sprout if was dipped in melted chocolate....maybe.  Bananas and chocolate are a no brainer combination and while everyone and their mom has a recipe(s) for a tasty baked goodie with these two classic ingredients, the one I am going to share with you is a little different.  It's wheat free.  Please do not confuse this with gluten free.  I will spare you a food science lesson (for now) but just know that they are not the same and I will always tell you if a recipe is free of gluten or wheat (or if it contains the above mentioned chocolate covered brussel sprout...because frankly that's just nasty).

Here it is....

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 18 regular sized muffins

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 2 frozen bananas 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups Spelt flour*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin cups with liners or coat them with cooking spray.

Place the 2 frozen bananas on a plate and defrost them in the microwave for 3-4 minutes or until they are squishy inside, but not liquified.  Chop up the reaming 2 bananas into roughly 1/2 inch cubes.

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

Combine brown sugar and agave nectar in a mixing bowl and stir with a spatula until combined.  Add buttermilk and egg to sugar mixture and stir until combined.  Add diced and frozen bananas to this mixture and mash together with a fork or potato masher.  (To add the frozen bananas, just cut off the stem end of the banana and squeeze the banana into the bowl)

Next, add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and fold until just combined and then fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide batter between muffin cups and bake for 18-22 minutes or until tops are lightly browned and toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.  Remove from pan immediately and place on rack to cool.

Before...

...after!

Store in an airtight container for up to a week...they lasted 3 days at my house, and none of us waited for them to cool before we dug in!

*Spelt is considered a cereal grain and is a member of the wheat family.  It does contain gluten but it is much more fragile than the gluten in wheat flour so it is very important not to overmix when being used in baked goods.  You can substitute all purpose flour in the same amount for this recipe for virtually identical results, both in flavor and texture. So I lied.  Mini food science lesson.  Sorry.