Chocolate Chip Banana Collagen Muffins

Don’t let the healthy sounding name scare you off from this recipe! These grain-free chocolate chip banana collagen muffins are one of the best chocolate chip muffins I have ever had! If there’s one food that can hide a healthy ingredient perfectly, it’s chocolate chip muffins. You would never know that these muffins contain the super healthy ingredient of collagen, and this is coming from someone who is not a collagen fan! However, I am a chocolate chip muffin fan, and these muffins are amazing!

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Modern Pioneer Recipe

These chocolate chip banana collagen muffins are probably not a heritage pioneer recipe. For two reasons, I don’t think the early pioneers had access to collagen powder nor did they probably have muffin tins to bake muffins in. However, these muffins are definitely a modern pioneer recipe! This recipe uses wholesome, simple ingredients to make a delicious and healthy food that is allergy-friendly, anti-inflammatory, and good for your health!

So just exactly how allergy-friendly are these muffins? Check it out! These banana muffins are….

• grain-free
• gluten-free
• nut free
• corn free
• dairy-free option
• refined sugar free

The main sweetener in these muffins is coconut sugar and of course, bananas. Coconut sugar is a slow metabolizing sugar that is easier for you to digest and won’t be as likely to cause blood sugar spikes. Also, there is only about 2 teaspoons of coconut sugar in each muffin!

The main flours are tapioca flour and cassava flour. Neither one dominates the taste or the texture and each contributes to the overall consistency of the batter. The cassava flour balances out the tapioca flour so the muffins aren’t stretchy but the tapioca flour adds just the right amount of lightness to the batter to keep the muffins from being too dense.

The eggs and collagen are what gives these muffins their structure. The protein in both of those ingredients helps keep the muffins together, gives them a soft and light texture, and provides beneficial protein for us when we consume the muffins! But what exactly is collagen? Let’s find out!

What is Collagen?

Collagen is a protein. In fact, it is the most common protein found in our body! Muscles, bones, skin, blood vessels, the digestive system, tendons…. they all rely on collagen to stay healthy and functioning properly. Collagen is a complex protein that supplies both essential and nonessential amino acids. The most significant amino acids that collagen provides include proline (important for cardiovascular health), glycine (ensures cells function properly), glutamine (most important amino acid), and arginine (helps boost the immune system).

Even though our bodies are able to make their own collagen, the natural production of collagen slows down as you age or as other contributing factors take a toll.

However, supplementing collagen into the diet can help fight collagen deficiency and can help keep all bones, joints, muscles, and other systems functioning properly even as natural collagen production slows. Some foods are naturally high in collagen, like bone broth, but collagen can also be bought as a supplement in the form of collagen powder. You can then add collagen powder to hot beverages, soups, smoothies, or other foods to add additional collagen into your diet.

I don’t know about you, but adding powder to my soups and drinks just doesn’t appeal to me, even if it is healthy. But, adding it to baked goods sounds just fine! These banana collagen muffins sneak this beneficial supplement into my diet without me even knowing (or caring)! The protein in the collagen adds support to the muffins without adding flavor or disturbing the superb texture!

So, like I mentioned earlier, don’t let the presence of collagen turn you away from this recipe. Or maybe it’s what attracted you to this recipe if you are looking for easy but delicious ways to add collagen into your diet!

Serving Muffins

While I’m pretty sure you will have no problem figuring out ways to serve up these delicious muffins, I still wanted to share with you some of my favorite ways to have muffins. Since these chocolate chips muffins are so healthy for you, I determined that they can be eaten for any meal of the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and don’t forget snacks!

For breakfast, I like having these banana muffins with a side of homemade granola and oat milk, or with a fried egg. They would also pair well with a smoothie or bowl of dairy-free yogurt.

For lunch, I usually pair these muffins with whatever leftovers I have from the night before. Whether it’s a bowl of leftover soup or some leftover grilled chicken or venison steaks. Making a ‘leftovers salad’ is also delicious and goes great with a chocolate chip collagen muffin!

For dinner, I usually pair muffins with a salad, soup, or grilled meat. I especially like having a muffin as a side to soup, and these chocolate chip muffins add just the right sweetness to side a savory bowl of my favorite soup or stew!

And let’s not forget snacks! Probably my favorite way to have these muffins is as a snack. They are the perfect mid-day sweet treat that is still healthy for me! Aside from fruit being a good afternoon snack, and these muffins contain bananas, they are also a great protein snack since they contain collagen!

To store these banana collagen muffins, make sure they are completely cool first. Then they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. At room temperature, they will last for 3-4 days. In the fridge they will last for longer. These muffins can also be frozen!

Muffin Madness

I am a chocolate chip muffin lover! Ask me what my favorite muffin is, and my answer will always be chocolate chip muffins! It doesn’t matter what the other ingredients are, as long as the muffin has chocolate chips and a good texture, then I’m all for it. Thus I have come up with several different homemade chocolate chip muffin recipes. I have also found some brands of gluten-free muffin mixes that are delicious and easy to whip up when I’m in a pinch.

That’s not to say that I don’t like other flavors of muffins though! I just like muffins in general, with chocolate chip muffins being my top favorite. However, if you like a variety of muffins, check out these recipes (and don’t forget to pay special attention to the other chocolate chip muffin recipes included in the list):

• Gluten-free chocolate chip muffins (made with oat flour)
• Grain-free chocolate chip muffins (has more of a crumb texture compared to the moist texture of these banana muffins)
• Blueberry collagen muffins
• Grain-free gingerbread muffins
• Grain-free chocolate zucchini muffins
• Breakfast carrot cake muffins

For a store-bought muffin mix, I love both Enjoy Life gluten-free muffin mix and King Arthur gluten-free muffin mix. I have had a hard time finding the Enjoy Life mix, so my new favorite go-to is the King Arthur gluten-free muffin mix. This mix makes delicious, muffin-top, light and fluffy, amazing chocolate chip muffins!

Recipe Tips

These chocolate chip banana collagen muffins are super easy to make. You literally throw almost everything into the blender, blend it well, stir in the chocolate chips, and the batter is done! Just needs to be poured into muffin tins, baked, and then you can enjoy some delicious chocolate chip muffins!

Here are a few recipe tips I made a note of:

• You can use melted coconut oil instead of butter to make these muffins dairy-free.
• Any high power blender or food processor will work for blending the batter.
• Mostly ripe to over-ripe bananas are the best kind to use in this recipe, although any ripeness level will still work.
• I recommend putting all the wet/moist ingredients, including the bananas, into the blender first, then add the dry ingredients. This will keep the blender from getting clogged up.
• For healthy chocolate chip options, check out Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips for an allergy-friendly option or use Lily’s chocolate chips for a sugar free option.
• I highly recommend pouring the batter into a mixing bowl to stir in the chocolate chips. It makes it so much easier for incorporating the chocolate chips into the batter!

These grain-free chocolate chip banana collagen muffins have the most amazing moist, light, and flavorful taste and texture! This recipe uses simple ingredients that are allergy-friendly but still result in delicious, and healthy, results! I can’t wait for you to give these muffins a try!

Where to Find the Ingredients

• Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
• Otto’s Naturals cassava flour
• Great Lakes collagen
• Hain Pure Foods baking powder
• Nutiva coconut sugar
• Arm & Hammer baking soda
• Simply Organic ground cinnamon
• Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
• Lily’s chocolate chips
• Supplies: parchment paper muffin liners, muffin tins, Vitamix, Cuisinart food processor

These chocolate chip banana collagen muffins are one of my favorite chocolate chip muffins to both eat and make! They are a great way to sneak collagen into my diet and I love the moist-like texture afforded by the protein in the eggs and collagen and the grain-free flour combination. These muffins are healthy, delicious, and the perfect simple modern pioneer recipe for you to try making from scratch!

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by Alexa