I know the title of this recipes seems a little strange but trust me when I say that these muffins are gonna blow ya mind! I came up with them after wanting to make a better for you muffin that I could feel good about noshing on for a quick breakfast on the go, or better yet, for a lunch dessert (best dessert of the day!). They’re very similar to my chocolate banana bread, but with a more nutrient dense twist.
Bonus: they also make the perfect treat for kiddos — they’ll never know you packed them with fiber, protein and tons of nutrients because they taste like a slice of chocolate cake. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Everything you’ll need to make chocolate spinach muffins
These spinach chocolate muffins are packed with nutrients thanks to spinach, almond flour, hemp seeds, cacao powder and oatmeal; plus they’re sweetened with banana and just a touch of maple syrup and taste like a cross between a brownie and a slice of chocolate cake. They’re fudgy yet still fluffy. What more can I say? I LOVE THEM. I’ve been keeping them in my freezer and warming them up whenever I have a sweet tooth. Here’s what you need to make them:
- Bananas: using ripe bananas helps to naturally sweeten these chocolate spinach muffins and give them the right texture. Choose bananas with brown spots on them!
- Eggs: you’ll need 3 eggs in this muffin recipe. I haven’t tested them with any egg alternative so I’m not sure how they would turn out. Let me know if you give it a try!
- Sweetener: we’re using just a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup to sweeten these muffins with the banana. Honey is a great option too! You’ll also need some vanilla extract.
- Dry ingredients: you’ll need fine, blanched almond flour, unsweetened cacao powder and rolled oats (gluten free to keep these muffin gf).
- Mix-ins: we’re also adding a few tablespoons of hemp hearts for a boost of healthy fats, fiber and protein, and of course, fresh spinach! I like to make these double chocolate spinach muffins by adding dark chocolate chips as well.
- Baking staples: you’ll also need some baking soda and salt so that these muffins bake properly.
Wait… spinach in muffins?
Yes! These chocolate spinach muffins have 3 whole cups of fresh spinach baked right into them. Trust me, you won’t taste or see it at all. It’s just like adding spinach to your favorite smoothie and adds a wonderful boost of veggies. Next I’m going to start blending spinach into my favorite banana oatmeal pancakes!
What makes these chocolate muffins healthy?
There are a few ingredients that really help to make these spinach chocolate muffins nutritious and healthy.
- Spinach: this recipe has 3 cups of spinach in there! Spinach is packed with iron, calcium, folic acid, plus vitamin A, C and K1.
- Almond flour: this is one of my favorite flours to bake with because it’s so nutritious. Tons of protein, fiber, calcium and healthy fats to help keep you full and satisfied.
- Hemp seeds: I use hemp seeds all the time with my son because they are a great source of protein, fiber, healthy fats and iron.
- Cacao powder: a great source of iron and a healthier alternative to regular cocoa powder.
Optional ingredient swaps
If you’re missing some of the ingredients for these chocolate spinach muffins, here are some subs I can recommend:
- Feel free to use honey in place of the maple syrup
- If you don’t have cacao powder, you can use regular, unsweetened cocoa powder
- Instead of rolled oats, you can use 1/4 cup of oat flour
- Swap the hemp hearts for a tablespoon of chia seeds if you’d like
Can I use regular flour?
Unfortunately, I would not recommend using regular flour for these gluten free chocolate spinach muffins. Try these muffins instead!
What do chocolate spinach muffins taste like?
If you love brownies, banana bread and chocolate cake then you’re in luck. These healthy chocolate spinach muffins literally taste like a fudgy brownie and your favorite banana bread had a delicious baby. The texture of them is similar to a slice of chocolate cake. Trust me when I say kids will love them!
How to make healthy chocolate spinach muffins in the blender
- Prep your muffin tin. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and add muffin liners to your muffin tin. Be sure to spray the inside of the liners with nonstick cooking spray.
- Blend the wet ingredients. Add your bananas, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla and spinach to your high powdered blender and blend until smooth.
- Blend in the dry. Next, add the almond flour, cacao powder, oats, hemp hearts, baking soda & salt and blend again until smooth.
- Chocolate party. Stir in those dark chocolate chips (do not blend). Or feel free to use whatever chocolate chips you’d like.
- Pour & bake. Evenly pour the batter into your prepared muffin liners, top each with a few chocolate chips and bake them. If the batter doesn’t pour well, you can simply scoop it into the muffin batter with a measuring cup.
- Top & enjoy. Add a sprinkle of fancy sea salt to the tops (if you’d like), let them cool and enjoy as-is or with a dollop of nut butter!
Pro tips for making spinach chocolate muffins
- Pack your almond flour. When you measure the almond flour be sure to pack it just like you would with brown sugar.
- Use ripe bananas. Be sure to use bananas that have lots of brown spots to give the muffins the perfect sweetness.
- Do not use steel cut oats. Rolled oats have a much different consistency than steel cut, so be sure you’re using rolled oats or quick oats.
- Keep them dairy free. Remember to use dairy free chocolate chips if you need to keep the muffins dairy free!
- Vegan option. I haven’t tested these chocolate spinach muffins with flax eggs, but let me know if you do in the comments!
How to store & freeze muffins
To store: place these gluten free chocolate spinach muffins on the counter in an airtight container for a day, then transfer to the fridge.
To freeze: allow the muffins to cool completely then put in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to reheat, you can thaw at room temperature, or heat up in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
More muffin recipes you’ll love
Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (dairy free + gluten free)
The Best Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (gluten free!)
Heart Healthy Olive Oil Salted Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Paleo Double Chocolate Tahini Banana Muffins
Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Glaze
I hope you love these blender double chocolate spinach muffins! If you make them be sure to leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Blender Double Chocolate Spinach Muffins
Fluffy gluten free chocolate spinach muffins made with nourishing ingredients like almond flour, hemp hearts, and of course, fresh spinach! These easy chocolate spinach muffins are naturally sweetened, pack in protein & healthy fats and are made right in your blender. An easy and delicious breakfast or snack that's great for kids!
Ingredients
- 3 VERY RIPE medium bananas
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or sub honey)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups organic spinach
- 2 cups packed fine blanched almond flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cacao powder (or sub unsweetened cocoa powder)
- ½ cup rolled oats, gluten free if desired (or sub 1/4 cup oat flour)
- 3 tablespoons hemp hearts (or sub chia seeds)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top
- For topping:
- Fancy Maldon sea salt
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners and spray the inside of the liners with nonstick cooking spray.
-
Add the bananas, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla and spinach to a high powered blender and blend until completely smooth.
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Next add in the almond flour, cacao powder, oats, hemp hearts, baking soda and salt; blend until smooth. The batter may be thick, so you might have to use a spatula to push the ingredients down, and blend again. It is best to do this in a high powered blender. Once the batter is smooth, stir in ⅓ cup chocolate chips (do not blend).
-
Scoop or pour batter into prepared muffin liners. Top with a few chocolate chips on each muffin. Bake for 22-27 mins or until the tester comes out clean. When they come out of the oven, sprinkle with a little sea salt. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy! Makes 12 muffins. I love serving these warm with a dollop of nut butter on top.
Recipe Notes
To freeze: allow the muffins to cool completely then put in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to reheat, you can thaw at room temperature, or heat up in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
Use ripe bananas. Be sure to use bananas that have lots of brown spots to give the muffins the perfect sweetness and for the muffins to blend properly.
Do not use steel cut oats. Rolled oats have a much different consistency than steel cut, so be sure you're using rolled oats.
Keep them dairy free. Remember to use dairy free chocolate chips if you need to keep the muffins dairy free!
Vegan option. I haven't tested these chocolate spinach muffins with flax eggs, but let me know if you do in the comments!
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
278 comments
These look delicious! If I don’t have a high powered blender, would a regular blender work? Or a food processor?
Thanks!
Try it in a regular blender and just blend the wet ingredients first before adding the dry 🙂
Can you substitute ground flaxseed for hemp hearts?
I wouldn’t recommend because flaxseed is very absorbent, but you can simply omit the hemp hearts!
Hi, could I substitute applesauce for the bananas?
I wouldn’t recommend applesauce as it’s typically not sweet enough and doesn’t pair well with chocolate.
Is thre a substitute for Hemp hearts or can I leave them out from the recipe?
Thanks
Check out the full post for suggestions on swapping! Chia seeds will work out well 🙂
Love this and they look delicious! I can’t wait to try it out! Can i use 1:1 gluten free flour instead of almond flour?
I wouldn’t recommend as the almond flour provides texture and moisture. I’ve only tested as is, but typically do not recommend subbing nut flours with grain or other gluten free flours – sorry!
Can I omit the spinach?
Yes absolutely!
For a nut allergy, could you swap with gluten free regular flour???
Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend as the almond flour provides texture and moisture. I’ve only tested as is, but typically do not recommend subbing nut flours with grain or other gluten free flours.
I used all purpose flour and baked it for 22 minutes. That was a little too much and next time will probably check it at 20 minutes. Monique is right about the nut flour adding moisture. I did not add anything extra and they were dense and a little dry. Next time I will add another banana or 1/3 cup applesauce or extra maple syrup. My 13 yr old daughter (who is allergic to nuts) liked them, but said she would prefer it to be sweeter. Next time I will just blend the wet ingredients in the blender and mix the dry and wet ingredients in a bowl. It was difficult to blend in my Vitamix and hard to remove as the batter was thick. It is an excellent recipe for incorporating spinach into a baked good without kids knowing about it.
Wish I read your review first! Also used all purpose flour, also baked for 22 minutes. Frustrating to mix in my blender, would also recommend transferring to mixer when combining wet and dry ingredients. Too dense, too dry, husband said they tasted “rubbery”. Not sweet enough for me but that’s the point I think!
Hi, Siri. Sorry to hear you this recipe didn’t work out for you. These Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are similar, but they’re not made in a blender–they might be a better option for you!
Rubbery might be overblending a bit. That might happen with certain blender designs. My dilemma is I’ve never eaten bananas so I usually sub with applesauce, which Monique mentioned doesn’t pair with chocolate. Hmm.
My little grandson would benefit from these ingredients though.
I made these muffins with my children this morning. They were delicious! We followed the exact recipe…..and it is written beautifully. Thank you!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly and they were terrific. I wasn’t confident my blender would do the job. I put the spinach in my food processor one cup at a time. Then just mixed it in to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mixed the wet into the dry as usual with muffins. I love that there’s so much spinach in them (which you can’t taste!) . Mine took 26:minutes to cook.
Perfect! So glad you loved them!
I made these in a mini muffin pan (baked for 17-18 mins- perfect!) this morning with my 2 y/o, and he immediately gobbled up 4 of them once they had cooled. The only change I had to make to the recipe was to add about 3/4-1 cup of almond milk because the batter was too thick for my vitamix, even with using the tamp. We will definitely make these again! They are so delicious and healthy!
Perfecdt! So happy to hear that!
These are so good! I subbed in chia seeds as I didn’t have hemp hearts and they came out perfect! Not too sweet, full of goodness, You can’t go wrong!
Perfecct! Love that 🙂
I was so excited to make these because I had all of the ingredients. I did use chia seeds instead of hemp hearts because I cannot ever seem to find hemp hearts. Usually all I can taste is the banana but these were very chocolatey and satisfied my craving. Thanks for the recipe. Loved these.
Amazing! Glad you loved them!
Came out perfect! Used chia seeds instead of hemp and almond meal instead of almond flour. Delicious taste and texture. Definitely one for the regular rotation!
So happy to hear that! I’m glad the almond meal worked out well, too.
So easy and delicious! Yummy with a little peanut butter on top! Thanks for the easy recipe.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
These were so delicious! I ended up having to add about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of almond milk because the batter was just too thick for my vitamix but they ended up perfect! Cannot taste the spinach whatsoever and the dark chocolate chips make them so decadent. Yum!
I’m glad they still worked out well! Perfect snack 🙂
Hi Monique, Really liked this recipe however ,the batter is much too dense for the vitamix, I had to transfer it to my cuisinart to finish, I am sure it is the variable in measuring almond flour which is why I prefer weight measurements to cup measurements, Thanks for the recipe! Andrea
HI! I’m glad they still worked out well in your cuisinart. Next time try blending the wet ingredients first and then adding the dry slowly 🙂
SO SO good! I have been making a ton of your recipes this past month and they are all my new favorites. These muffins were a big hit for my 2 year old and husband. Thank you sharing so many great healthy treats! You definitely need a cookbook!
Amazing! So happy to hear that. And hoping to get to a cookbook in the future 🙂
I would definitely buy a cookbook if you ever create one! I love your recipes!
Aw thank you! Hopefully in the future 🙂
Really yum! Will make again!
I”m so glad!
I agree with other reviewers that this batter was way too thick for a blender (at least my VitaMix). No amount of poking and prodding with a spatula helped. Eventually I had to pour out half the batter and add water just to get the spinach to blend, then mix it all back together in a bowl. I think this could be solved by switching up the order: The spinach should be blended at the beginning with the wet ingredients to ensure it gets fully mixed in. Then, you could pour the wet mixture into a bowl and mix it with the dry ingredients by hand. This aside, they’re delicious.
Hi! Yes, absolutely feel free to blend the spinach with the wet ingredients. Your best bet is to also blend the wet ingredients first along with the oats, then add in the almond flour and remaining dry ingredients and blend again. Your bananas should be extra ripe too!
I just made these and they are so incredible! Loved sneaking in the spinach and your really can’t taste it at all! I used honey and felt like the sweetness was perfect.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Tried this recipe. Normally the ambitious kitchen instructions are spot on but my Vitamix would not blend the muffin batter. I ended up having to put it in the food processor to chop the spinach. Recommend adding spinach to blender after the bananas/eggs/maple syrup/vanilla and then mixing the other ingredients in with a spoon. The muffins were still good. I added extra chocolate chips for my trouble 🙂
Well. Now I am seeing all the reviews… could not find them before. Good to know others vitamix blenders were not successful either. Now I do not have to throw my vitamix away! LOL
Yes feel free to blend the spinach along with the wet ingredients! That should help.
Really moist. Really good. Not sweet. Nice banana flavor. They rise beautifully.
4 stars because I had to move the batter to my food processor. My blender could not handle it. And i have a vitamix. Maybe if I stir the dry into the liquid a bit. But it worked
I packed the cups of spinach. Is that what the recipe calls for?
Yummy muffins. I agree with others who said it
Was difficult to get ingredients to blend properly in blender. I added a little milk and it helped quite a bit. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! Your best bet is to use a high powered blender and blend the wet ingredients first along with the oats, then add in the almond flour and remaining dry ingredients and blend again. Your bananas should be extra ripe too!
These are delicious! So easy to make and I was really impressed with the texture. I’ll be making these again 🙂
So happy to hear that!
These sound amazing. Any thoughts on substitutions to make them more keto-friendly? I imagine I could use erythritol instead of the maple syrup, but not sure what to sub for the bananas. Suggestions?
Hmm I don’t typically bake with alternative sweeteners and wouldn’t suggest subbing the banana so I’m not 100% sure! Let me know if you try an alternative!
These were delicious! I did have a hard time getting the spinach perfectly blended because the batter was very thick. My blender was having a tough time! I think next time I will blend the spinach with the wet ingredients.
Glad you enjoyed! And yes feel free to blend the spinach with the wet ingredients.
I was able to make these with an immersion blender by blending all wet ingredients with the spinach before folding in dry ingredients.
Loveeeee these!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
I followed the recipe to a “T” and these were so moist and yummy! Still can’t believe there’s 3 cups of spinach in there?! My toddler devoured them and I’m currently pregnant and needing to watch my sweet treats, so these are a great guilt free treat. 10/10
…. I should also mention, I have a Ninja blender (not a vitamix) and didn’t have a problem blending. As per instructions, I did have to push spinach down though half way through to ensure everything blended. But all was smooth.
Amazing! So happy to hear that. And yes a high powered blender is the best for this recipe!
These muffins are absolutely delicious! They have the richness of brownies with their intense chocolate taste. I work as a nurse and these are fantastic as a “breakfast” before night shift and at work as a snack. They fulfill my “sweet’ cravings while also being nutritious – such a win all-around! I followed this recipe but substituted cocoa powder and chia seeds for cacao powder and hemp hearts because these are what I had on hand. I highly recommend making this recipe!
Amazing! So happy you’re loving these – perfect fuel for a long day!
These taste great! My SUBSTITUTION was I only had 2/3 cup of almond flour…i subbed in 1/3 coconut flour and 1 cup gluten free flour. This required me to add in 1/2 cup almond milk to make up for the lack of moisture that was missing from the missing almond flour. These are very tasty!
I’m glad that worked out well!
These muffins are delicious! Love the sea salt sprinkle on top. Similar to the chocolate banana bread with almond flour but with a little added nutrition. The batter was a too little thick for my blender so I added a splash of almond milk. Did the trick and they turned out great!
Perfect! I’m glad they turned out well 🙂
Loved how they turned out. The taste was great (couldn’t taste the spinach at all). Nutrition and as a chocoholic was so excited to find this recipe. However, the prep time for me was greatly underestimated. I had to keep stopping and using the spatula which was far more than 15 minutes. Sooo labor intensive not sure I would make regularly!
Noted on the prep time here! Glad you enjoyed the final result 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly only substitution was chia seeds for the hemp seeds. These muffins are amazing, moist, decadent & overall better than I expected!!! (Sorry 😇) My husband cannot believe they have 3cups of spinach. We love them! Thank You and already talking about making the next batch! XO
Amazing! So glad they were a hit!
Would these work with coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Unfortunately no, they will not. Coconut flour is very absorbent and takes on a much different texture.
These muffins are great!! The best part is that they are packed with spinach and my kids don’t know and they thought they were delicious. I love your recipes, haven’t tried a bad one yet!! Thanks!
Absolutely! So happy to hear that!
These were delicious! I made them for my family for breakfast today, and everyone gobbled them up and asked for more! They taste chocolatey and decadent, but I love that they were full of spinach and nutrients and’s very low in sugar. They kept everyone satisfied for hours. I didn’t have hemp hearts, so I used the chia seeds and it worked beautifully. The batter was REALLY thick and slightly gray looking…I was genuinely worried they wouldn’t come out, but they were perfect, so don’t be worried if your batter seems too thick. I scooped mine into silicon muffin tins with an ice cream scoop (there was no way it was pourable), but the finished muffins were light and airy. A keeper for sure!
Amazing! So glad they were a hit!
These muffins are delicious! I also like that I was able to incorporate veggies that are unnoticeable and surety less dishes while making them.
I did modify the recipe a bit after reading about others’ difficulty with blending. I added the spinach with the other liquid ingredients and while blending at this stage added ~1tbsp almond milk. I did not pack the almond flour much at all and added ~1tbsp more of almond milk while blending with the dry ingredients. This allowed my Vitamix to handle the batter just fine.
Perfect! I’m glad that worked out well 🙂
SO GOOD! I followed the recipe exactly and just had one for dessert. So delicious and easy. I used a food processor to blend with no issues. These are going into the regular muffin rotation!
Love it! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
After reading other reviews I decided to make these in my food processor and it worked perfectly. I made them into mini muffins and my three year old devoured 2 within minutes. Delicious, I love that they are not overly sweet. Will definitely be making these again!
Love it! Glad you both enjoyed!
Hi !! Should I use only 1 tbsp of chia seed for the 3 of hemps? Or 3 tbsp of chia as well ? Thank you
I’ve made these twice now. Can’t believe that they have so much nutrition. They are yum! The second time I actually used peas because I didn’t have spinach. Still delicious.
Absolutely! I’m glad that worked out well, too 🙂
These were the best healthy chocolate muffin I’ve ever had. Definitely will be making again since they are so easy to make because all the ingredients go right in the blender.
I’m so glad! Such a great breakfast or snack 🙂
I made these muffins and they were out of this world! They did not disappoint in any way. I followed the recipe exactly as written.
So happy to hear that! Such a great snack 🙂
These were SO good, I will definitely be making them again! I love the idea of adding spinach to muffins. I was a little skeptical at first but it turned out delicious!
So glad you loved these! Best way to add in some veggies 🙂
These are delicious and my toddler and preschooler gobble them up. Love that they have almond flour and spinach in them! My poor vitamix does seem to struggle blending even though I follow the recipe as directed – I see comments to try adding almond milk and will try that next time. I also just sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top instead of folding in… my kids don’t know the difference and the muffins taste sweet and chocolatey enough! Yum!
So glad they were a hit! And let me know how it goes with a little more milk next time 🙂
Loved those moist delicious muffins!! Saving for a repeat soon…
So happy to hear that!
These muffins are just amazing. They are super moist and very tasty. I think you need a powerful blender though because the batter will be thick, I have a Blendtec and it worked . I also added some avocado oil ( 1/4 cup ) to the mixture at the end, I was afraid the muffin would be a bit dry. Turned out real good. I sprinkle some white chocolate chip on top before putting in oven. Will definitely make them again. Thank you Monique. I collect your awesome recipes. Love them.
Love these! To me they taste more fudgy than traditional muffins and that makes it so much better especially sneaking veggies in there. You cannot taste the spinach at all! I used my food processor to blend everything together and had no issues with it all blending up. Stored them in the fridge
These are my favourite muffins! The texture is so perfect, the taste is incredible! You’d have no idea these are gluten free and packed with spinach! I love to have a half with breakfast with a little bit of PB! So delicious! So filling! So chocolatey! And packed with protein! I’d give them 10 stars if I could ⭐️
Made these this week and they were really good! I followed other commenters’ tips and blended wet ingredients, oats, and spinach in first, then added to dry ingredients in a bowl. My little one is picky with textures, so I only added 1 tbsp. of hemp seeds. They didn’t change the texture at all, so next time I’ll add the full amount. i also got 15 muffins instead of 12 (yay!). I also subbed honey for the maple syrup cause it’s what we had on hand. These were s big hit with my picky kids and we will definitely be making them again. Thanks Monique!
So easy & minimal clean up which is the best part.
These muffins were so good, you wouldn’t know they had so many healthier ingredients!
These were SO YUMMY!!! One suggestion I had was to preblend the spinach with the bananas because I don’t have a super high powered blender unfortunately. Otherwise these were PERFECT and guilt free because of all the great ingredients!
I make this for my 10 month old and omit the chocolate chips and he loves them for breakfast!! So yummy for everyone in the family, really!
Love that! Glad these are a hit 🙂
Love that these are so easy to make!
My young kids enjoy them which is definitely a win as I use can give these as a dessert without feeling like theres no nutritious benefit for them!
Personally I think the spinach makes them bitter. So for me these came no where close to a healthier alternative to cake for me!
I would still happily continue to make them for the kids though!
Glad they’re a hit with the kiddos! 🙂
These were amazing! I’ve made them 3 time already!
So glad you love them!
Delicious! My husband couldn’t believe these had tahini in them.
AMAZING! Have made them back to back weeks already. I have a small blender so I blended all the dry ingredients, dumped them in a mixing bowl, then blended the wet (including spinach) and added to the dry – worked perfectly! Thanks for another great recipe!
This muffin recipe is so easy to make and turned out so incredibly good. Highly recommend the sea salt on top, it adds the perfect balance to the chocolate. My 3 year old made it with me and said gross when I added spinach to the blender. Muffins come out of the oven and he devours it saying he now loves spinach lol.
I went and bought a blender just to make these muffins and they were worth it !! I’m someone who does not like bananas and can’t even stand them in a smoothie because I can smell them and the taste is too much for my liking, so I was hesitant about 3 (!!) in this recipe. They came out amazing and the ripe bananas really added that sweetness. Also for the hubs he didn’t even taste the spinach 🙂
These are amazing! Made the recipe as is and they turned out perfect – moist and full of chocolate flavor. You’d never know we snuck so many healthy ingredients inside. Will be making these for the 2nd time today!
I love how delicious, easy and nutrient dense these muffins all. My blender had no problem handling the batter, I blended the spinach after the wet ingredients. I didn’t get it perfectly smooth (I don’t have the best blender), but the muffins still turned out great!
These muffins were absolutely delicious!!! They tasted like chocolate cake & you could never tell there was spinach inside! Amazing recipe yet again Monique. I did use my food processor instead of my blender & it still turned out fine. My 3 year old daughter loves them
Perfect! So happy to hear that!
Just made these in an attempt to get my 2 year old to eat more veggies (that and he loves making muffins, so great weekend activity – AK is where I get all of my recipes from). They turned out amazing! So delicious and moist, can’t even tell they’re loaded with spinach. I did the chia seed swap for the hemp hearts and turned out great. Highly recommend! He also has an egg allergy (“wet egg”, can eat baked egg) – so I’m excited at the amount of egg in this recipe, hopefully the more exposure he gets to baked egg he’ll potentially overcome his “wet egg” allergy. Let those bananas ripen and bake these muffins!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
This recipe makes me want to put spinach in all my baked goods. So moist and chocolatey. Youd never know there was THREE whole cups of spinach in them!!
Right?! So good!!
These turned out great, fudgey and almost brownie-like for me. I don’t have a very high powered blender, so I did the liquids first, followed by the spinach, then all dry ingredients excluding the almond flour. I transferred the mixture to a bowl to stir in the almond flour. But everything seemed to turn out great. Thank you!!!
Perfect! I’m glad that worked out well. Such a great snack or treat!
I Love Love Love these as my TREAT. I will often put raspberries on top..Yum. I do find that if using frozen bananas, you may want to let them thaw before mixing them in. If your ingredients are at room temp, the cooking time is accurate, otherwise you will have to leave them in much longer. Making these again tomorrow for my friends birthday!!
Yes definitely thaw & drain your bananas before using them 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
These were excellent!! Delicious, great texture, a hit with my kids, and a new addition to our regular rotation! The only downside is I have to make the muffins when the kids are not around so they don’t know they are eating spinach for breakfast!
forgot to rate the recipe with my last comment
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Loved this recipe! I used whole wheat flour instead because it’s what I had and also accidentally put a half cup of hemp hearts because I read the list wrong. Still great!
I’m glad they still worked out well!
These are delicious! I have made them multiple times and have loved them every time. Tastes like a healthy chocolate cupcake! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
So glad you love them!
These are delicious. I thought I had somehow messed up my dry ingredients because the batter was so thick, my VItamix couldn’t handle it. I added about 2 Tbsp of oat milk to loosen it up a bit. It was still pretty thick but all the spinach was nicely blended in. They cooked perfectly in 25 minutes and the smell brought my son to the kitchen. He could smell the chocolate and banana but I didn’t tell him about the other ingredients I knew would have turned him off before tasting. He ate 2 muffins before I told him about the spinach and hemp hearts. Then he took a 3rd! I will definitely make these often for my growing teenagers (and me).
Perfect! So glad they were a hit 🙂 And yes feel free to add a little milk where necessary.
I also added a splash of flax milk for the same reason, they still turned out great!
Love these! They can be a little hard to move around in the blender, but it’s worth the effort! I left out the chocolate and salt and gave them to my baby – great BLW food! The rest of the family enjoyed them as well. I’ve made them 3 times now!
Perfect! Glad they were a hit!
Just made these and they are delish!!!
Glad you liked them!
So easy and really tasty! Love that there is no added sugar besides the maple syrup and chocolate chips!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Amazing. And my husband didn’t even know they were full of spinach. Love this recipe and love Ambitious Kitchen
Sneaky veggies are the best 🙂 glad you both enjoyed!
These are easy to make and delicious! Love adding a little nut butter and taking them in the car for an easy on-the-go breakfast!
The best! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
These were delicious but I was wondering if I could use oat or coconut flour instead of almond flour, my daughter is allergic to nuts.
Unfortunately I’ve only tested these as is and the almond flour is meant to provide healthy fats and moisture in the recipe.
OMG. Truly amazing. These muffins have the most healthy ingredients, but you would never know… they taste delicious! Will 100% be making these again to keep in my freezer
Perfect! So happy to hear that!
These were delicious and so easy to make. They were everything I was hoping for, they were fudgy and packed with protein. Will 100% make again.
So glad you loved them!
LOVED these muffins! I’m not going to lie, the texture of the batter threw me off and I was doubting them. But they came through BIG! I used an egg substitute (Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer) and the texture of the muffins came out perfect. Used dairy free chocolate chips. So these were gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. It is SO hard to find delicious recipes with all 3 but this is definitely one of them!
I’m glad that worked out well! Such a great snack or breakfast 🙂
Hi. I made these muffins using kale instead of spinach and they were fabulous! However my little one said the banana taste is overwhelming and didn’t like them. If I am going to replace the banana with sweet potatoes, what would be the volume of sweet potatoes? 1 cup? 1/2 a cup? Thanks!
Feel free to try our zucchini muffins instead: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-double-chocolate-zucchini-muffins/ Or you could replace the banana with 1 heaping cup of applesauce or pumpkin/sweet potato puree.
Made these with flax eggs and they turned out amazing!! I somehow managed to get 15 full size muffins out of the batter, which I’m definitely not complaining about! It was a little tough for my vitamix, but next time I’ll try adding the dry ingredients slowly. Thanks for always sharing such delicious and healthy recipes!!!!
Delicious! And yes great idea to add the dry ingredients a bit slower. So glad you’re finding recipes here you love!
Made these this weekend and they were a hit! Super easy and kids thought they were a dessert.
The best!!
I followed the above commenter who recommended using the immersion blender for the wet ingredients and spinach and then folding in the dry ingredients. That worked very well! Made enough batter for 16 standard muffins. My 5-yr old said they are “delicious and you can’t taste the spinach!”
Perfect! Love that!
These are so easy to make and so so delicious! Will be making them over and over!
Glad you loved them!
Just WOW Monique!! Chocolate for breakfast it is!! 🙂
The best!!
This recipe is a total gem. I make these for my picky 5 and 2 year old. They couldn’t be easier and you only have one blender to clean! They devour them. A special chocolate muffin treat that’s super healthy! I make a batch and freeze half, then pull out as needed. They freeze great. Thank you for all your hard work and providing awesome recipes like this one.
Love that! So glad it’s a hit 🙂
I’ve now made this recipe 5 times and it really is one of our family favorites including my 3 year old chocolate lover toddler. I did change the eggs to flax eggs since we’re vegan and they still came out amazing. Thank you Monique for having one of the best food blogs out there- you are a gem!
Perfect! So glad they’re a hit 🙂
Another new favorite of mine! Made a huge batch to freeze for breakfasts. Makes me feel good to be fueling my body with such a nutritious and easy breakfast!
Love it! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Holy smokes these muffins are incredible! You wouldn’t even know that they are packed with veggies! Chocolate fudgy goodness – mind as well be dessert!
Absolutely! Glad you loved them 🙂
These muffins are absolutely delicious and I’ve made them several times! But I think there has to be a better way to prepare the batter and that’s my only reason for not giving 5 stars. I have a vitamix and the batter gets very thick and stuck. I find whole pieces of spinach stuck in there. I follow the instructions perfectly, so not sure if anyone else is having the same issue. Would love any advice/tips on how to make these delicious muffins easier to make!
Hi! Other readers have had success blending the wet ingredients first and then slowly blending in the dry ingredients. Give that a try next time!
These were so delicious and nutritious. I used chia seeds just because of an allergy, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Not sure if you changed the steps but I had no problems with the thickness in my blender. I used a scoop instead of pouring them as I could control the exact amount of batter. Will be making these on repeat!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
These taste so good, you wouldn’t even know they’re healthy! I have a vitamix and struggled a little to blend the dry ingredients into the wet…I had to use the plastic plunger a few times to make sure everything was mixed well. Not sure this would be possible in a traditional blender. These will be a staple at my house!
Absolutely! Try blending the wet ingredients separately first – that should help!
Welp. I love everything on this site, Except these muffins. This is the first recipe my Vitamix couldn’t handle. It’s so thick. I had to add almond milk just to KIND of make it work, and still ended up with leaves of spinach in the final batter after trying for so long, stirring. stopping. adding milk. Definitely not why I choose a blender recipe…it was so much work!
I would recommend blending everything EXCEPT the almond flour, so your spinach and oats blend smoothly. then blend the flour in last, because worst case you can always mix that in by hand without ruining the final product.
Hoping this update will balance out the rating to like a 3 or 4. My daughter doesn’t seem to mind the spinach leaves, so it wasn’t a total loss. And the flavor is delicious as is every recipe I’ve tried here. So trying to make amends lol
Sorry to hear that you had trouble! Yes, feel free to blend the wet ingredients first before incorporating the dry ones. I’ll add a note to the recipe as many people have chosen to do this, too. Glad they still tasted delicious!
So easy to make and so delicious. I accidentally forgot the oats, but they still came out great! We have someone with a moderate oat allergy in my house, so this worked out for them anyway.
I’m glad they still worked out! Perfect breakfast or snack 🙂
Made without chocolate chips and subbed half of the spinach for baby kale, still came out perfect! My 18 mo old looooves them 🙂
Perfect! So happy to hear that 🙂
Already book marking these to sneak veggies in for the children I don’t even have yet. YUM!
Haha great idea!!
Such a delicious muffin! So decadent. Left out the chocolate chips and maple for my son, and he loved it too.
Perfect! I’m glad they were a hit 🙂
My kiddo has a tree nut allergy, but she can have peanuts. Do you think I could swap the almond flour with peanut powder?
I am not sure if it’s quite the same or how it would turn out, but let me know if you give it a try!
These are amazing! My kids devour them! I follow the recipe exactly as written, except for using a food processor instead of a blender because I don’t have one. This is my second time making them in two weeks time. They’re a keeper!
So happy to hear that! I’m glad the food processor works out well 🙂
I love these! They are super moist and delicious and I love that they have veggies in them. I used frozen kale instead of fresh spinach and they turned out great. Will definitely be making this recipe again!
Perfect! Such a great snack 🙂
Omg! These are the most delicious muffins! Chocolatey, healthy and so scrumptious!!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
So glad you loved them!!
Loved these! Delicious and great texture. I don’t have a blender so I made mine in a food processor and they turned out great!
Awesome! So happy to hear that the food processor worked.
These are amazingly delicious!! Easily my new favorite muffin.
I’m so happy to hear that! Glad you’re loving them 🙂
This is my third time making these muffins and every time they turn out incredible!! SO easy and delicious. Can’t beat a recipe with spinach that tastes like dessert. 🙂
Omg right, love those sneaky veggies! Glad you’re enjoying them so much 🙂
Super yummy!
Happy you’re loving them!
These are sooooo delicious! I used slightly less chocolate chips (approx 1/4 cup) and had my husband try one (but the rest is for me lol) and he was so shocked to find out there was spinach in them. These will definitely become a staple in our home. Your site is my absolute favourite!
SO happy that you guys both loved these! Can’t wait for you to enjoy them again 🙂
These are amazing!!! I followed the recipe except for the spinach, I am out of spinach so I skipped it. Very dark chocolate flavor which I prefer, I had two already and can’t wait tomorrow to put some nut butter on top like you suggested it too. I love that you used hemp seeds, very good idea, never thought of adding them to baking goods. Thanks!!
Hi, Svetlana! I’m so happy you tried and are loving these! Hope you enjoy it with the nut butter 🙂
10/10 everytime. I have also made these without honey for my little and they were still amazing.
Yayyy! So glad to hear that it worked well without the honey 🙂
Delicious! Pulled them out around the 22 minute mark and they were perfectly fudgey. Everyone who tried them thought they were brownies.
This is my kids’ absolutely favourite muffin and I feel like I have them totally duped bc they are secretly so healthy. They think they’re eating a treat bc they’re chocolate and I secretly know there’s spinach, almond flour and hemp hearts to keep them going. They’re soft and so moist. SUCH a great recipe!
I am SHOCKED at how good these are. And I know Monique is a pro at doing that (I’ve made maye 18 of her recipes over the last 3 years?) Anyways, these muffins are SO light and fluffy, SO moist, and have the most perfect chocolate flavor! The texture is absolutely mind-blowing… And the fact these are paleo-friendly and full of wholesome ingredients is what inspired me to make them in the first place. I finally have a filling breakfast that includes spinach, and one that keeps me satiated (unlike smoothies). Bless!
Ahh you’re the best! Thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂 I’m SO happy you’re loving these so much!
I love these! So simple and yummy. I made a double batch and froze when I was pregnant for a quick postpartum snack/treat.
SUCH a good idea to double batch and freeze them! So happy you love them.
I made these as we were all craving something a little chocolaty. These taste amazing and you would never know there was that much spinach in them, great for kids and adults. I didn’t think my blender would be good enough but it worked which cut down on dishes. This is a brilliant recipe. 🙂
Oh thank you so much!! I’m so happy they turned out perfectly. Isn’t the sneaky spinach amazing?!
Delicious!! My kids love them too…. Great Breakfast for on my way to work…
Yay! So happy you guys are all loving these 🙂
These are so delicious and light tasting. I made it as written except used chia seeds since that what I had.
Nice! So happy you enjoyed them, Carla 🙂
I ended up having to make a few substitutions, but this recipe came together great! I had to use a food processor for the first few steps as I don’t have a blender, and it has a tiny jug so added the dry ingredients in a bowl. Was running low on almond flour, and subbed in 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of ground flax for the dry base. Also, subbed the chia seeds as suggested. Baked the recipe in a loaf pan for 40 mins, and it came out great! Wonderful recipe full of nutritious ingredients! Thanks! Will be making again!
These muffins are SO good (and I’m the picky plant-based eater in the family).The listed ingredients have become staples in my pantry (except for pure maple, I most always use honey). Even though oats add a special chewiness in each bite for the next bake session I will swap the oats for oat flour as mentioned. And there will be a ‘next time’ very soon.
I can’t even begin to describe how much my family loves these muffins. My 2-year-old wakes up asking for chocolate cake every morning (he thinks he’s eating cake when I give him one of these). I make these weekly and recently, I’ve been omitting the chocolate chips and they’re still just as delicious!
Awww I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you ❤️ You guys might like these chocolate zucchini muffins + these almond butter chocolate pumpkin muffins, too 🙂
This recipes looks so yummy!! My husband has a nut allergy so we can’t cook with almond flour. Any chance coconut flour would work? Thanks for all the delicious ideas.
Hi, Beth! Sorry to say coconut flour and almond flour yield totally different textures because they absorb moisture very differently, so they aren’t interchangeable. Unfortunately I can’t recommend a sub, but I have a similar nut-free recipe that can definitely be turned into muffins: Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread (nut free, vegan & gluten free!). Hope that helps 🙂
Perfect consistency and flavor! I was able to make 16 muffins too.
Another awesome muffin recipe that will go into rotation. My ninja blender handled the ingredients beautifully, no addition of liquid needed. LOVE that they are packed with nutrition!! The banana flavor and chocolate is so good and of course, I slathered PB on top! My son said he liked these more that the double chocolate muffins with almond butter and pumpkin.
Awesome! I’m so happy you both loved these!
This was so good! I was a little skeptical because I have never had spinach in sweet baked goods before, but this did not disappoint. I used all the written ingredients and did not change anything (I used a vita mix). Three cups of spinach in this muffin and my six and ten year old love them. They could not detect any spinach, and were asking for more. Thank you, and keep the recipes coming!
Nice! I’m so happy you and the fam loved them! You might like these spinach muffins, too 🙂
I’m currently out of spinach; can I substitute anything else? These look delicious!
Thanks.
Hi! Hmm I haven’t tried anything else in here and not sure if another leafy green would blend as well… It might work just fine to leave out the spinach!
Made these right after the spinach banana muffins. They share a lot of the same ingredients, so it was easy to whip them both up at the same time. The texture is great. Huge hit with kiddos. Will be making again and freezing!
Oh yes that’s perfect! I’m so happy you guys are all loving them 🙂
I just made these muffins and they were delicious!!! We can’t stop eating them. I followed the recipe exactly except adding an extra tablespoon of maple syrup. I followed the recommendation to add the rolled oats and spinach to the wet ingredients and it worked well. These are great with peanut butter and a tiny bit of jam.
My kids couldn’t detect the spinach in them. Thanks for another fab recipe!
Woohooo! Gotta love those sneaky veggies! Happy you all loved them 🙂
These sound wonderful. I love the idea of the spinach. Unfortunately, while I like bananas, they do not like me. Is there any substitute for them? It seems bananas are always used in everything.
Hi, Rebecca! Sorry to hear that about bananas! I haven’t subbed anything for them in this recipe but I have a similar chocolate muffin recipe here that you might like that doesn’t have bananas 🙂
Delicious muffins! I have a low powered blender, so I dumped the blender contents into a large bowl before adding the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and chocolate chips. I used flax meal in place of hemp hearts. It worked great! I used mini dairy free chocolate chips, but will try the regular sized chips next time for extra gooey chocolatiness.
I love using almond flour but my grandaughter is allergic to tree nuts what flour can I substitute.
Hi, Marianne! I haven’t tested these without the almond flour so I’m not sure what would work well, sorry! I do have a similar chocolate muffin here that should work ok for her (you can use any kind of milk in place of the almond milk). 🙂
Unfortunately these were quite awful and didn’t work out. I followed the recipe precisely, and am an accomplished baker, but they were tasteless, a strange muddy green colour, and tough as a rock (perhaps from using a blender?). Couldn’t even convince my kids to try one bite because of the colour. Disappointing waste of pricey ingredients. Sorry.
Hi, Charlotte! So sorry they didn’t turn out great. What kind of blender do you have? It sounds like things didn’t blend up correctly because they should be fluffy + a nice chocolate color and flavor.
Wow, Monique, THESE…ARE… AMAAAAZING!!! We like them topped with cashew butter and a few mini semisweet chocolate chips!!! 😍💃🤸♂️❤️❤️❤️😋😋😋 I call them super heathy cupcakes and let my 4 year old place the chocolate chips on top. oh— I subbed Lakanto Monkfruit sweetener for the maple syrup and they are just as good! Thanks for another awesome recipe! 😄😄😄
Yaaaay! I’m so thrilled you’re loving them and that the monkfruit sweetener worked well in here. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, Susie — it means a lot! 🙂
This is amazing. I added 1/4 of maple syrup. I kept everything the same. Love how this is all Whole Foods and sneaking in greens. I asked my kids do you know the secret ingredients? And they were like chocolate? And I was like nope….Spinach and hemp seeds. You should have seen the shock on their faces…all these ingredients are stables in my pantry, so I will be making these again plus Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Cups & Blender Banana Spinach Muffins this week. So happy I found your blog
How much frozen spinach so you think would I use here
I actually haven’t tested it but my guess is around 1/2 cup!
When these went into the oven, I though… yikes! What did I do wrong?! The batter was SO thick and looked like newborn baby poo. (I knew it had to be something I did and not the recipe itself since I make AT LEAST one of your recipes every week and they’re all fantastic!) Well, 45 minutes later, when they were out of the oven and cooled, my 4YO and I devoured one! It was amazing! I had to practice serious self-control to not let us both eat all 12 (especially considering lunchtime was coming up!). Thank you for yet another fabulous recipe!! Can’t wait to add these to our regular rotation.
Ahh this is amazing! Happy to hear this recipe came out great and is a big hit! ❤️🙂
Great recipe. I used whole wheat flour in place of the almond flour because of a treenut allergy. I also substituted a scoop of chocolate protein powder for the hemp seed and added 1 tsp baking powder, so because the batter was so thick I also added an extra 1/4 cup of coconut milk. It ended up making 14 muffins for me.
YUM! So glad you are loving this recipe! 🙂❤️
These are literally a family favorite!! I use flax eggs and they always come out great. What an awesome way to sneak veggies into a muffin. Love them!
Excellent. I am glad that you are enjoying this recipe ❤️🙂
My kids loved these! I love how nutrient rich they are. I’m wondering if I could substitute something else for the banana to change it up? Any ideas?
So happy to hear that! Hmmm I haven’t tested these with anything besides bananas and I’m not sure what would be a good swap for the flavor & texture of 3 ripe bananas. Let me know if you give something else a try!
What if you don’t add cocoa powder?
What if I want to substitute the cocoa?
Substitute it with what?
So easy and quick to make and incredible delicious!!!! It was a hit! Great way to get the little ones to eat spinach.
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe! My go to muffin from now on 😍
Miceia
Absolutely, the best way to sneak in those veggies! SO glad you are loving this recipe ❤️
The best nutritious chocolate muffins packed with spinach! Love making these for a quick breakfast for my toddlers.
I originally was going to make your chocolate banana bread but I saw these when I searched for it and since I also had spinach to use up, it was perfect! I’m out of eggs so I tried flax eggs and they worked great. I did find that even with my Vitamix and tamper, the batter was super thick and struggled to blend so I don’t know if maybe my muffins are actually more dense than they’re supposed to be…but I’m happy with them either way!
Yay! So happy these turned out great and you enjoyed them ❤️🙂
I am allergic to oats. Is there a swap for the oats you can recommend? These look amazing and I would love to try them.
Would frozen spinach work if I thawed and squeezed out excess liquid? Any guess on how much to use? Can’t wait to try this one, your recipes are always a hit in our household!
Easy and delicious. Mine are fudgy in texture vs muffin in texture. I can’t taste the spinach at all.
Holy wow!!!! These are amazing. I followed another persons comments and made them into minis at 18min they came out perfect. But I’ll just make them regular size next time because my husband and 2 1/2 ur old daughter just keep eating multiples!!! Same issue with my vitamix – the batter was too think I also added about 1/3cup of coconut milk which helped but I had to stop the machine, pour it all in a bowl (which is hard to do bc it’s like a thick batter) and then mix with a whisk. It’s not ideal..a messy additional step, not sure if a food processor would be better? But hands down AMAZING tasting muffins!I will still make again!
I made these over the weekend, as I had a few overripe bananas. The texture of the muffins was spot on, couldn’t tell they were made with “healthy” ingredients. However it had a very “STRONG” taste of baking soda, and was not sweet enough. ( Not sweet enough for a family who does not eat too much sugar)
Oh no! Not sure why that happened? Did you use the correct amount? I haven’t had that problem before.
These were terrific!