I have been experiencing an overwhelming, nonstop craving for chocolate over the last couple of months…

Few days go by where I don’t enjoy something chocolate — a chocolate chip cookie, a chocolate covered pretzel, etc (today I indulged in a “healthier” treat with a black bean brownie). So, when I was deciding on what treat I wanted to make for Kia recently, chocolate would not get off my brain. Unfortunately for our furry little friends, chocolate is not something in this world they have the pleasure of safely enjoying, sigh.

While standing in the baking aisle at the store staring at all the chocolate chips I could not use for Kia’s special homemade treat, I noticed a bag of carob chips — a great alternative for chocolate (for both dogs and vegans alike). Excited with my find, I quickly grabbed a fairly ripe banana and hurried home to make Kia these delicious banana carob chip muffins!

The muffins came out a beautiful golden brown with the carob chips melted ever so slightly, playing perfectly into the chocolate-esque-feel I was going for with these treats.

They looked so delicious that I had to try one (duh) and they were pretty good!! They had a little bit more of a savory flavor since the dog treats never really contain much, if any, sugar, BUT the mashed banana and carob chips added that bit of sweetness that made the muffins enjoyable overall. As usual, Kia LOVED them! We went through a couple during our little photo session with the freshly baked muffins, but I stored the leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for the rest of the week, which kept Kia very happy anytime she noticed me pull them out of the fridge!

If you have a smaller dog, you may consider making them in a mini-muffin pan rather than the standard size I used in my recipe.

While nothing can ever really replace the deliciousness that is pure chocolate, carob chips make a great alternative for anyone looking for a substitute. Swap them in your next recipe that calls for chocolate chips to give them a whirl!