Chocolate Banana Muffins — These chocolate banana muffins are moist and soft in the middle, with a slight chewiness around the edges of the muffin top. The best breakfast treat EVER!
Chocolate Banana Muffins Recipe
Best muffin tops ever. And I’m one to judge. I’ve pilfered oodles of muffin tops in my day, leaving behind only the stumpy muffin cores. No shame.
These chocolate chip banana muffins are moist and soft in the middle with a slight bit of chewiness around the edges of the muffin top. Throw in the texture from the sugar granules, and it’s a perfect bite.
The muffin tops remind me of snow-capped mountains. They’re are as close to snow as I prefer to come.
I hit the jackpot when I recently snagged a big bundle of discounted bananas. Beat up and tired, practically free, and perfect for banana muffins, banana bread, and banana smoothies. When I saw Nikki’s muffins, I knew I had to try a version of her recipe with my banana bounty.
This is an easy, no mixer recipe, with the perfect amount of chocolate to satisfy your chocolate cravings without being too intense for a breakfast muffin, and the chocolate dominates the banana flavor. No complaints there.
Chocolate-banana cake disguised as muffins. Definitely a keeper.
What’s in Chocolate Banana Muffins?
To make the best banana muffin recipe, you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Egg
- Canola oil
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Mashed bananas
- Mini chocolate chips
How to Make Chocolate Banana Muffins
Whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another, then combine the two. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips last, then divide the chocolate chip banana muffin batter between 13 or 14 greased muffin cups.
Sprinkle the top of each muffin with granulated sugar — this is what gives these chocolate banana muffins that irresistible crackly topping.
Bake the moist banana muffins until they’re set, domed, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a crack comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Be careful not to over bake these muffins! It’s easy to over bake them because the batter is already so dark, so start checking them at the 20-minute mark to be safe.
Can I Use a Sour Cream Substitute?
Yes, plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of the sour cream, if desired.
Can I Freeze Chocolate Banana Muffins?
Yes, once fully cooled I recommend sealing these chocolate chip banana muffins inside a freezer bag. They’ll stay fresh up to 6 months if frozen correctly.
Tips for Making Chocolate Banana Muffins
I’m sure everyone knows this tip, but you can peel overripe bananas, break them into chunks, place in a Ziplock, and freeze. That way anytime you need ripe bananas for baking or smoothies, you’re set.
Although you can use regular-sized chocolate chips in the muffin batter, I love mini chips in muffins because they melt much more evenly and don’t sink to the bottom as easily.
Note that this moist banana muffins recipe makes 13 or 14 muffins, or 1 dozen plus a mini loaf. I love my mini loaf pans for that extra little bit of batter that I hate throwing out, but refuse to dirty another muffin pan for a couple muffins. The loaf pan fits perfectly next to the muffin pan on the same oven rack so everything bakes evenly.
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Chocolate Banana Crinkle Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup sour cream, lite is okay; Greek yogurt may be substituted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas, from about 3 medium/large bananas
- 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, strongly recommended but regular size may be substituted
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar for each muffin, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a Non-Stick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan and one mini loaf pan (recipe yields 13 or 14 muffins, or one dozen plus one mini loaf; or simply discard excess batter if that’s easier) very well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan; set aside. (I don’t prefer the cosmetic look of muffin liners).
- To a large bowl, add the first 6 ingredients, through optional salt, and whisk to combine; set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the egg, oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Stir in the bananas.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until just combined. Batter is quite thick and is prone to having dry bits hiding at the bottom of the bowl. Make sure everything is incorporated without unnecessarily over-mixing or muffins will be tough.
- Stir in the chocolate chips until just combined.
- Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or spoon, turn batter out into prepared pans. Each muffin cavity should be filled to about 3/4 full, but not exceeding, or batter could overflow.
- Sprinkle the top of each muffin generously with sugar, about 1 teaspoon each. It looks like a lot but I like the visual pop and contrast of the white and dark; noting some absorbs and some is lost to the pan.
- Bake at 350F for about 22 to 25 minutes, or until muffins are set, domed, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a crack comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter, noting it’s not a perfect test and you may hit melted chocolate chips which shouldn’t be confused with raw better. Don’t overbake, which is very easy to do with dark-colored items and start watching them closely at 20 minutes.
- Allow muffins to cool in pan for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until they’ve firmed up and are cool enough to handle.
Notes
- Muffins will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I find the muffins taste better on day 2 after the flavors have married.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Muffin Recipes:
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Fluffy Vegan Coconut Oil Banana Muffins — Soft and fluffy healthier muffins that you’ll never believe are made without eggs or butter!
Banana Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins — Banana muffins that could pass for dessert, that are studded with chocolate chips, and that are topped with streusel make me very happy to eat ‘breakfast’.
great
Hi! I really liked it! Just made them on monday. The only thing i changed was the sugar on top, because for me was enough sugar inside. I wasn’t very sure about the cocoa powder but they turned out perfect! The banana taste is there and the chocolate flavor it’s not so strong. Delicious! I’m baking them again!
Hi! I really liked it! Just made them on monday. The only thing i changed was the sugar on top, because for me was enough sugar inside. I wasn’t very sure about the cocoa powder but they turned out perfect! The banana taste is there and the chocolate flavor it’s not so strong. Delicious! I’m baking them again!
Great to hear you will be baking them again!
Maybe I didn’t use enough sugar but my “crinkle” doesn’t look so crinkly. The sugar gathered into a crust on top. They still taste yummy, but they’re not as pretty. Any suggestions?
With baking, it’s really hard to troubleshoot something like why the tops didn’t crinkle as much, unless I was standing in the kitchen with you. As long as they taste great, I’m happy!
Wow! These are amazing and super easy to make! I wish there was a way to post photos on here to share between readers, because they’re also very photogenic muffins! My Instagram and FB friends are currently drooling over the photo I just posted! Lol! Thanks so much for posting this recipe; it’ll be a nice option for those brown bananas instead of banana bread on occasion.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And I agree these are very photogenic muffins!
You can always tag me in your IG posts https://www.instagram.com/averiesunshine/
Just one word -YUM! :-)
I actually got 18 regular size muffins from this recipe and as a result you have made many neighbors VERY happy :-) thanks again for a great recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And you have very lucky neighbors :)
I came across your website through Pinterest and made these muffins tonight…they are So Good!! Light, fluffy, moist, delicious, chocolatey without being too sweet. I like that you don’t need a mixer, that sucker is heavy. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And thanks for finding me!
If you lightly coat your chocolate chips with flour, they won’t sink to the bottom. It’s a tip my grandmother gave me years ago, and it works like a charm!!
I made these today and they were delicious! So easy and so nice :) Thanks for the great recipe — I’ve baked my way through a few of your cookie recipes already. This was the first non-cookie recipe I’ve tried and I loved it!
Glad to hear you’ve tried so many cookie recipes and that your first non-cookie recipe turned out great too! Thanks for trying the muffins and my other recipes, too!
You and me both girl — I hate the snow!! My guy dragged me up to Tahoe almost 3 years ago, and… That was the last time I went. And I stayed inside burrowed under the covers in bed for the entire time, minus when I wanted food and wandered down to the cabin’s kitchen. Anyway. These muffins… I think I’d eat the whole dozen, plus the mini loaf. I love the chocolate & banana combo!
I haven’t been to Tahoe in years! That’s the one exception I make for cold weather, is skiing. But 1 day of it!! and then I’m ready to come home!
We only live 2 hours away, so he wants to go ALL the time. I’m proud of you for skiing — I just want to snuggle up with warm blankets and coffee!
My daughter and I just had “tea” while eating the chocolate-banana-crinkle muffins in loaf form. I haven’t hauled out my mini-loaf pans in years–thanks for the opportunity! These tasted just the way I thought they would–delicious–I have a suspicion they will join my “regulars” in baking. And I love it when my baked projects turn out looking like the pictures. :)
So glad they turned out like the pics and that you hauled out your mini loaf pans and that these tasted just the way you thought they were going to!
I made these for breakfast this morning and they are fabulous. I made mini muffins and topped with the sugar and mini chocolate chips. Everyone loves them! Thanks for another great recipe, Averie.
Thanks for trying these and so cute that you made them as mini muffins and then mini choc chips…perfect! Glad they were a hit with everyone!
Such glorious muffins, girl!! Those sugary tops are so beautiful! :)
They were the best muffin tops I think I’ve ever had…loved those things :)
I just finished making these muffins and – oh man – they are insanely delicious! I have always loved the chocolate/banana combination but this was literally a party in my mouth! Thank you for such an AMAZING recipe! This was my first recipe of yours to try and I can’t wait to try more!
So glad they turned out great for you and keep me posted what else you make!
I’ve been on the hunt for how to make the perfect muffin top. These look great! Already pinned. :)
Awesome and thanks for pinning!
I love a good banana muffin, and better yet, a good banana muffin top! These look fantastic!