Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread

I've been spending a LOT of time lately revisiting my eating and cooking habits. I don't like "light" or "diet" or "non-fat." (Though I do like 1% milk for my cereal.) For me, I think having a small pat of butter is more important than having a mass of a fat-free version. But somewhere along the way, I think I lost sight of portion sizes or maybe it was just a combination of factors. Regardless of the progression, I didn't like that a few favourite pieces of clothing were a bit too snug...

Time to revisit.

So, I've been trying to choose more vegetables than starches... opting for greek yogurts versus mayonnaises... and trying to get a bit more creative. I still enjoy the french fries and gravy every so often but it just can't be every day.

Time to be (a wee bit) healthier. These mini muffins are a great step in that direction... Wheat bran and flax kick up the fibre and omegas, bananas are full of potassium, greek yogurt is a great source of calcium and protein, agave is much sweeter than sugar so I could use less to achieve a similar level of sweetness as using brown sugar. And let's not forget my favourite sweetie-treatie justification... dark chocolate is a source of happy healthful antioxidants. So, I'm feeling pretty good about my little creation here. haha.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
2 tablespoons ground flax
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 large ripe bananas
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 shot of espresso
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of one orange
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or nuts

Heat your oven to 350 F.

Combine your dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in one bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mash your bananas, then add the greek yogurt, vanilla, eggs, agave syrup, and orange zest. Then stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix until just combined (don't overmix and risk a tough result). Then stir in  your chocolate chips or chopped nuts.

You can make this into one large loaf (bake for ~60 minutes), ~12 large muffins (~25 minutes), or mini muffins (~10 minutes). (I opted for mini muffins and got about 40 out of this batter.)

Depending on your particular oven, you may need more or less baking time. As with all loaves or muffins, insert a toothpick or cake tester to test doneness. If it comes out clean, then you're set! I usually test a few minutes early when trying a new recipe... I can always bake for longer but can't take back those minutes if you over-bake!

(And for those keeping track of WW points, the mini muffins came down to 1.5 points+ a piece and feel like a nice treat.)