Chocolate-Glazed Espresso & Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins {dairy-free}

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Yesterday I had my first cup of coffee in 10 weeks and it was dreamyyyy.

It was also black.

Yep - this girl, the one who was previously addicted to iced caramel lattes, drank a cup of black coffee yesterday morning and actually enjoyed it. Then this morning, I drank espresso, and if anything it was even better. Who am I and how did this happen? It's honestly nothing short of a miracle.

This whole thing is even more exciting because I got a Nespresso machine a few weeks ago, and ever since it's just been sitting in my kitchen DYING to be used until I finally got to test it out yesterday. Real talk, I didn't need one of these little gadgets at all, but I kinda ♡ it. It's perfect for those moments when you just want coffee for one, and you have zero patience to wait (which, let's be real, is me 99.9% of the time). And the best part is, the espresso it makes is prettttty killer. I tried some espresso from Gourmesso with my fancy new machine and I swear I never understood the concept of crema until now. Just call me an espresso snob already, I'll take it.

So if you couldn't already tell that I'm having a major coffee moment right now, I also baked some muffins with it, because WHY THE HECK NOT. (I figure this is just one step up from coffee banana bread anyway!) These start out as your classic banana chocolate-chip muffins, but with a punch of coffee in the batter, plus the most luscious, rich, dark, & silky espresso chocolate ganache on top. I'm not even sure whether glazing muffins with ganache is socially acceptable but I really don't care; these muffins have ganache and it makes them a million times better.

Bonus - they're dairy-free, because I'm also having a bit of a moment with coconut milk right now and it dawned on me yesterday that I could totally make a dairy-free chocolate ganache with coconut milk. I swear you can't even taste it in there - the espresso and dark chocolate take over and I'm SO okay with that. Did I mention the glaze makes these muffins a million times better? Make it. Put it on your muffins. Eat it by the spoonful. No regrets.

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Chocolate-Glazed Espresso & Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins {dairy-free}

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Light and tender, chocolate-studded banana muffins with a coffee kick, topped with a silky chocolate-espresso ganache. Perfect for a sweet breakfast treat or dessert - no mixer needed! {dairy-free}

• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 18 muffins 1x

Ingredients

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Muffins

• 4 ¼ ounces (1 cup, spoon and level) all-purpose flour
• 4 ¼ ounces (1 cup, spoon and level) pastry flour*
• ½ teaspoon espresso powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 12 ¾ ounces (1 ½ cups) mashed banana
• 5 ¼ ounces (¾ cup) granulated sugar
• 3 ¾ ounces (½ cup, packed) brown sugar
• 4 ounces (½ cup) coconut oil, melted
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) espresso or strongly brewed coffee
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces (1 cup) dairy-free dark chocolate chips

Glaze

• 3 ounces chopped dairy-free dark chocolate or chocolate baking wafers
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) full-fat canned coconut milk
• 1 ounce (⅛ cup) espresso or strongly brewed coffee

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Instructions

Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF and grease 18 standard-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate, large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted coconut oil, espresso, and vanilla extract until smoothly combined. Add the eggs and beat in until fully incorporated.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold in just until evenly combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ of the way. Bake in preaheated oven for 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Glaze

1. Place chocolate in a small bowl.
2. Combine coconut milk and espresso in a separate, microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 45-60 seconds, just long enough to bring to a boil. Pour over chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
3. Dip tops of muffins into ganache and let set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Notes

*Whole wheat or regular pastry flour will work

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