Naughty (or Healthy) Chocolate-Banana Cupcakes

Everyone loves cupcakes. Some of us even love them a little too much. But whether you want the occasional indulgence or the guilt free version, this is the recipe for you. These easy and delicious cupcakes can be made as healthy or as naughty as you want.



For the healthy version, make the low fat milk and whole wheat flour substitutions and keep the rest of the recipe as is. Eat as is (without icing)…more like a decadent muffin than a cupcake. (I have also tried substituting the butter for 2 tbsp oil and 2 extra tbsp low fat milk... it worked very well!)



For the naughty version? Use the full fat milk, the white flour and stir in some semi-sweet chocolate chips or poke in a few pieces of dark chocolate into each cupcake before sticking in the oven. And of course, top with some dark chocolate ganache (see chocolate cake blog for ganache recipe). What could be better? Oh, I forgot. Then head to the gym… for balance of course.



Or, for those of us that want decadence but want to skip the gym... make the healthy substitutions, poke with pieces of dark chocolate, and skip the icing. Now that is what I call compromise!

Chocolate-Banana Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

1/4 cup Butter, room temp
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Milk (or substitute 1% or 2% milk)
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Bananas, ripe and mashed
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 cups White Flour (or substitute whole wheat flour)
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add milk, vanilla, bananas and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing only until incorporated. Do not overmix, otherwise the cupcakes will be tough.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups until about 3/4 full. Bake for 13-15 minutes until cupcakes are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Move to a wire rack to cool.

(If you would like to ice the cupcakes, make sure they are cooled completely first. Then make some Dark Chocolate Ganache to spread on top!)