Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

A few months ago I was on a big Greek Yogurt craze!  My  kids love yogurt of every kind so I began to substitute Greek yogurt for regular in hopes that it would give the kids a little more substance.  It is better for them and for us!  A big tub is way cheaper to buy then the individual yogurts, especially at Aldi.  I can buy a large tub of their vanilla Greek Yogurt for less than $3! 

Well, I had this yogurt in the back of my fridge and it was almost gone.  Since I don't like to throw anything away due to spoilage (that goes against everything I stand for!) and I don't like to hear the words "It's not fair!" (the little bit of yogurt won't feed all four of my kids), I have to find alternative recipes to use it in. 

I had some bananas that were a little more than ripe, and this yogurt, so I went on a Pinterest search to find a recipe that worked in both.  This is the recipe that I found.  Simple and delicious!  Thank you Crème de la Crumb for your great recipe!  I made a few changes to it and the end result was a moist, soft, fluffy muffin that everyone in our family loved! 

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (with Greek yogurt)



                                                  

This recipe makes approximately 16 muffins.

1.  Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners
2.  Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose or wheat flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. of butter (softened)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-3 extra ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
2 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. mini chocolate chips. 

Directions:
 
1.  In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Whisk until well combined.  Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Cream them together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.  Add the yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. 

2.  Add the dry ingredients, about a cup at a time, to the wet.  Beat on low until just combined.  Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter. 

3.  Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill each muffin cup.  Sprinkle the remain 2 tbsp. of chocolate chips on the top of each muffin.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden. 

Cost per muffin is approximately $0.17 each.  (Cheaper and healthier than any muffin purchased in a coffee shop!)

What is your favorite use for Greek yogurt?  Please share your recipes and ideas with us!