Tender and delicious chocolate chip banana muffins

Do you struggle to find healthy and delicious recipes for snacks for your children’s lunches? These chocolate chip banana muffins are quick and easy, can be made in larger batches and frozen, and are a favourite amongst children.

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This recipe can also be easily customized. I often add two tablespoons of ground flaxseed or wheat germ to the dry ingredients for a nutritional boost. To give it a little protein, you can add a quarter cup of walnuts or other nuts you enjoy (be aware of nut restrictions in schools if they will be sent to school). We use milk chocolate chips, but you could use dark chocolate or white chocolate chips. If your children like raisins or cranberries, you can substitute one of these for the chocolate chips.

Short on Time?

The best part about this delicious recipe is that it can be made very quickly by busy moms and dads. It only takes ten minutes to prepare and twenty minutes to cook up a batch. I often double the batch and freeze them so that I have baked goods for my children’s lunches for a couple weeks. Homemade baked goods add a touch of love to our children’s lunches, and they are all-natural and preservative-free.

Ingredients for the Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

The ingredients are fairly common ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen. No buttermilk? Just used regular milk with a little lemon juice to sour and thicken it. No chocolate chips? Use raisins, cranberries, or nuts.

Baking the Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

For smaller, kid-sized muffins, as shown here, use a 12-muffin tin and a 6-muffin tin, and you can make eighteen small muffins. Our boys are ages nine to fourteen now, so I’ve just started making twelve larger muffins.

You can bake these in a 350˚F oven or, as we do, convect bake in a 330˚F oven for even more tender muffins. These muffins bake quickly (twenty minutes) and are ready to snack on after five minutes of cooling.

Making it Fun

To make the muffins a little extra special, you can add fun ingredients like smarties or chocolate bar chunks. I like to add a cute cupcake topper like these adorable Nutcracker ballet toppers. Aren’t they sweet?

School Snacks

I’ve spent a lot of time over the years making school lunches and figuring out the best snacks and have come up with a small list to share with you when you need ideas. These are nutritious snacks that aren’t overly processed.

• Cheese cubes and crackers
• Yogurt
• Sliced apples or oranges
• Grapes or berries
• Melon pieces
• Banana
• Vegetable sticks and hummus or dip
• Fig bars
• Goldfish crackers
• Dry cereal (cheerios are good)
• Raisins or cranberries
• Bagel and cream cheese
• Homemade muffins or cookies
• Mini quiches (homemade)
• Mini pizza bites (homemade)

Summary

I hope you have enjoyed reading about our chocolate chip banana muffins. Happy baking! Check out some of my other recipes:

Delicious Summer Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

The Best Lemon Cranberry Scones

The Easiest, Tastiest Crusty Bread Recipe

Easy Giant Cookie Recipe

Easy Rhubarb Coffee Cake Recipe