Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place paper muffin cups in a muffin tin (or grease the muffin cups).
• In a large bowl, combine the sugar, applesauce, and egg. Beat or whisk until the mixture is creamy and light yellow, about 1–2 minutes.
• Add the mashed bananas and the vanilla extract to the bowl and stir until evenly combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir gently until just combined and no large streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
• Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
• Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.