Tahini Chocolate Banana Muffins

This recipe three, actually four absolutely wonderful ingredients that all meet together to make the perfect fluffy chocolate banana muffins. Bananas are the underpinning of this soft, moist chocolate bread; you won’t miss that banana flavor here. It’s complemented by a subtle but noticeable edge of tahini/sesame. Dutch process cocoa gives this bread a rich chocolaty flavor and dots of halva add a little sparky sweetness whenever you bite into them. 

Plus, this is a one bowl banana bread recipe – as all the best banana breads should be 😉 

 

What is halva and how can I use it? 

Halva is basically candied tahini (to know one is to know the other). You’ll find it in most middle eastern grocery stores (esp the lebanese stores but greek stores tend to have it too) and it comes in varieties: plain, pistachio and marbled with chocolate are the most popular. 

You can use it in cookies, cakes, babkas, and well it’s just fun to snack on as is.

Recipe Ingredients 

Bananas: ripe, very ripe. The browner the better as they say. Two large bananas should get you what you need for this recipe. If your bananas are small perhaps it’ll take three. If you can, use a digital scale to measure it so you know you are using the right amount. 

 

Tahini: sesame paste, you can find it at almost any well-stocked grocery store. There are different varieties, my personal favorite is Beirut Brand. Different brands source their seeds from different areas and so some are more or less bitter. Whichever you choose, stir it well so you aren’t getting too much oil or too little. 

 

All Purpose Flour:  I think a gf flour (which says it’s a 1 to 1 swap for AP flour) would work just fine here. 

 

Cocoa: For a deep rich chocolate taste I use dutch.

 

Brown Sugar:  Light or dark is fine here. Granulated won’t give these the rise we need and lacks moisture. 

 

Eggs:  Large eggs, no substitutes here. If you are looking for an egg-free banana bread recipe I’m sure a google search would yield plenty results. 

 

Oil: I use avocado oil but vegetable oil would work fine. 

 

Halva: I love a Lebanese marbled halva and get mine from a local middle eastern store. If you’re struggling to find some check online or trader joe’s. 

How to make Tahini Chocolate Banana Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400 F. 

Start by mixing together the sugar and eggs; we’re going to beat them until the mix is light and fluffy: 

 

Pour in the oil then beat to combine

Mash the bananas with a fork and add them to the bowl and mix

Add the dry ingredients and the tahini, sifting the cocoa if it’s lumpy

we don’t want to overmix it at this point so stop as soon as it looks combined. you can use a rubber spatula to stir any unmixed bits that have stuck to the sides or bottom of the bowl

The recipe will make 10 big domed muffins or 12 smaller ones depending on how much you fill the cups. Space them out so that no two muffins will be next to each other:

If you like, you can add bits of crumbled halva on top or some chocolate chips.

Bake for just 7 minutes at 400 F then lower the temperature to 350 and bake until the tops spring back/a cake tester comes out clear.

FAQ

Can I turn this into a loaf? 

Yep, it’ll make one tall loaf. Use a 9×5 inch pan and bake it for an hour or until a skewer comes out clean. 

Can I halve this recipe? 

Yep, it’ll make a dozen muffins just halve all the ingredients. 

How best to store the muffins? 

In an airtight container to keep them from drying out. 

Can I substitute the Tahini with something else? 

In theory yes, although I haven’t tried it I think almond butter could work. And if you are subbing the tahini because of a sesame allergy then you’ll skip the halva as well.

Tahini Chocolate Banana Muffin Recipe

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