T  his is my go-to recipe. I make it at LEAST once a month, and that is a bare minimum. It’s also one of my number-one tactics when I’m trying to make new friends. There has been many a time when I’ve wondered aloud to Bobby, “Hmmmm, I wonder if they (aka new friend target) like muffins?”

I’ve made them to show love to Bobby:

I’ve plated them on top of folk-art animals to give a pick-me-up to hardworking teachers:

And, most recently, I made them to celebrate a JOB PROMOTION that Bobby just got! Go Bobby!

Want to make new friends? Make these muffins for them and you’ll be BFFs for life. It’s not so much a bribe as it is showing them what life could be like with you around.

They’ll flock to you like seagulls on a boardwalk (just less mess to deal with).

The BEST part about these muffins is that the use of avocado and applesauce replaces every ounce of butter. For the longest time, I just made these with half butter, half avocado. Then, one day, I decided to take a walk on the wild side and replace the remainder of the butter with applesauce. It worked! KA-ZAM insert good fats for the all bad fat.

It still tastes exactly like banana bread, only better. These are so healthy they’re practically a super food but they can also be a stunt double for dessert. Amazing.

Dying for the recipe? Read on, friend.

Banana Avocado Bread, adapted from May Richer Fuller Be

Makes 12 muffins

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Half an avocado (approximately 1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 2 cups flour (I like it best with 1 cup white, 1 cup whole wheat – this makes them a little chewier but, to me, they taste more substantial. The pictures below show the white flour version, though.)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 very ripe bananas (this is not worth making if your bananas aren’t super ripe)
  • 3 TBSP milk
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Start off by blending your sugar, avocado, and applesauce. You want it to get as smooth as possible (within reason – you’ll still see some small-ish pieces of avocado).

Look at that wonderful green color! If you’re squeamish about weird colors in your food, fear not. The finished product looks like regular, delicious banana bread.

Next, add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add this gradually to the wet mixture. I do this with my mixer on and don’t get too particular about it. (I’ve also made this recipe by hand and folded the two mixtures together with a wooden spoon, so that works, too.)

Now take the bowl that had your dry ingredients and mash up the bananas along with 3 tablespoons of milk. Put that into the mixer along with the ingredient that takes this recipe from great to the best: chocolate chips.

Spray your muffin tins with some baking/cooking spray (or pop muffin liners in if you’re getting super fancy) and fill up each cup with the gooey goodness.

If you’ve had someone hanging around as you bake – a significant other, or best friend, or kids – or anyone with tastebuds, really – then give them the bowl to lick. This is Bobby’s favorite part. He gets very sad when I forget and start to clean up right away.

Bake for 19-21 minutes, depending on how gooey you like your muffins. This is also dependent upon your oven – to be safe, start checking them with a toothpick around 18 or 19 minutes and go from there. Bobby prefers them more on the undercooked side, I prefer them more on the moist-but-fully-cooked side. Up to you.

TA-DA!

Now eat them for everything: breakfast, snacks, dessert. It’s OK – these are practically a health food, remember?

*Just in case it’s easier, here are the goods in uninterrupted, recipe form…

Banana Avocado Bread, adapted from May Richer Fuller Be 

Makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup sugar
Half an avocado (approximately 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 cups flour (I like it best with 1 cup white, 1 cup whole wheat – though you can do 2 cups white flour if you’d like)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 very ripe bananas (this is not worth making if your bananas aren’t super ripe)
3 TBSP milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together sugar, avocado, and applesauce.
3. Mix in eggs and vanilla to your avocado mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Slowly mix your wet and dry ingredients together until smooth.
5. Mash bananas and milk in a bowl; mix into the other blended ingredients.
6. Mix in chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout.
7. Divide into muffin tins that have been sprayed with baking spray or oiled with butter.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 19-21 minutes (check with toothpick around 19 minutes and go from there).

Enjoy! Crow about your success with them in the comments, bragging is welcome and encouraged.