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Have some overripe bananas sitting on the counter? Let’s bake a batch of muffins! These tender and moist banana chocolate chip muffins are a quick and easy breakfast or snack. With just 10 minutes of prep and a single bowl, you can even make them in advance and keep them stashed in the freezer for grab-and-go mornings.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- How to Ripen Bananas in the Oven
- How to Make Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- How to Keep Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Moist
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
- One-Bowl Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
We buy (and eat) a lot of bananas around here, but inevitably I find a few stragglers on our counter that turn brown and spotty before we can get to them. That’s where these banana chocolate chip muffins come in. They’re made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, they’re quicker to bake than a loaf of banana bread, and they are studded with plenty of chocolate chips. Needless to say, this one-bowl homemade muffin recipe is a family favorite!
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a batch of the best banana chocolate chip muffins. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Eggs: give the muffins structure.
- Granulated sugar and light brown sugar: just enough for sweetness. I love the moisture and flavor that you get from a little bit of brown sugar.
- Vegetable oil: for moisture; you can substitute with canola oil or even melted butter.
- Bananas: add flavor, sweetness, and moisture to the muffins.
- Vanilla extract: for more flavor.
- Baking soda and baking powder: the leavening agents that help these muffins rise high!
- Salt: balances the sweetness and adds flavor to the muffins.
- All-purpose flour: for even healthier muffins, swap out half of the all-purpose flour for 1 cup of whole wheat flour.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: warm spices that give the muffins cozy flavor.
- Chocolate chips: any chocolate chips will work, including mini chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips.
How many cups is one mashed banana?
This can be tricky! If a recipe calls for 3 bananas, how much is that? We all know that measurements are important in baking, so the difference between a very small banana and a very large banana can be significant when baking a batch of banana chocolate chip muffins.
My recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of mashed banana. One large banana yields about ½ cup mashed, so I used 3 large bananas for a total of about 1 ½ cups. If you’re working with small bananas, you’ll need at least 4 (and maybe even 5). Measuring is always the safest way to make sure that your banana muffins turn out perfectly moist, sweet, and delicious!
How to Ripen Bananas in the Oven
Want to make these muffins right away, but you don’t have any ripe bananas? You can ripen the bananas in the oven! To do so, preheat the oven to 300°F. Place bananas (in their peels) on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until mushy and sweet. The banana peels will turn a black, shiny color (and look really weird!), but don’t worry — the insides will be perfect. Just let the mashed banana cool completely before using in the recipe.
How to Make Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
We’re making these moist banana chocolate chip muffins with one bowl and about 10 minutes of prep! They boast plenty of banana flavor, lots of rich chocolate chips, and taste like they came from a bakery.
- Stir together the sugars, oil, and eggs.
- Add the banana and vanilla.
- Sprinkle baking soda, baking powder, and salt over top of the wet ingredients. Stir the banana mixture until well blended.
- Sift in the remaining dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Combine, but don’t over-mix the flour mixture.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter evenly among 16 muffin cups in two standard-size muffin pans. Fill them really full! Sprinkle coarse sugar and extra chocolate chips on top.
- Bake in a 375°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
How to Keep Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Moist
There are a few keys to keeping banana muffins moist and tender:
- The correct ratio of fat (such as oil) and bananas to flour is key, since the fat and bananas add moisture to the batter. Too much fat or bananas, however, and the muffins will be gummy and mushy.
- Do not over-mix the batter. Stir just until the ingredients are combined and you don’t see any dry pockets of flour, then stop. A few lumps in the batter is normal. Overmixing the batter will activate the gluten in the flour, yielding tough, dry muffins.
- Do not overbake the muffins or they will become dry. My muffins are typically done by the 20-minute mark, so check them early.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the muffins warm, at room temperature, or even straight from the refrigerator! They’re a great option for breakfast or snack when paired with a mug of hot coffee or tea, or with a cold glass of milk.
The muffins are delicious on their own, but you might also enjoy them spread with butter, cream cheese, almond butter, or peanut butter. Add some yogurt or eggs and fresh fruit on the side for a perfect morning feast!
Storage
Banana chocolate chip muffins are a great make-ahead breakfast or snack because they just get better as they sit overnight and the flavors come together. Allow the muffins to cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw frozen muffins on the counter overnight or in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, just until warmed through.
Recipe Variations
- Replace half of the all-purpose flour with 1 cup of whole wheat flour.
- Instead of just the cinnamon and nutmeg, try other spices like ginger and cloves. You can also omit the spices altogether.
- Swap out the coarse sugar and instead add a streusel topping on your muffins.
- Stir in 1 cup of chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts.
- Add 1 cup of raisins or sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins) to the batter.
- Mini Muffins: Divide the batter between mini muffin tins. Bake the mini muffins in a 350°F oven for a total of about 14-16 minutes.
Tips for the Best Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
- Use very ripe bananas for maximum flavor and sweetness. You want them to look quite speckled and brown! Mash them in a bowl with a fork, or place them in a large Ziploc bag and squeeze them with your hands until they’re perfectly mashed.
- Use either canola oil or vegetable oil. You want a neutral oil that will not flavor the muffins, so don’t use olive oil. Feel free to substitute with melted unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Sift the flour to avoid any big clumps in your batter.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. You want it to come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in dry, dense muffins.
- Any variety of chocolate chips will work. I used milk chocolate chips here, because that’s what my boys prefer. Other good options include white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped bittersweet chocolate, or mini chips.
More Banana Recipes to Try
Best Ever Banana Nut Bread
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Zucchini Banana Bread
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
One-Bowl Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups mashed overripe banana (about 3 large bananas or 4 medium bananas)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Optional, for topping: extra chocolate chips; coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and brown sugar. Add the bananas and vanilla extract; whisk to combine.
- Sprinkle baking soda, baking powder, and salt over top. Whisk until well blended.
- Stir in the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mixing just until combined. Do not over-mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup almost to the top. If desired, sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of coarse sugar and additional chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean.
- Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for maximum flavor and sweetness. You want them to look quite speckled and brown! Mash them in a bowl with a fork, or place them in a large Ziploc bag and squeeze them with your hands until they’re perfectly mashed.
- Use either canola oil or vegetable oil. You want a neutral oil that will not flavor the muffins, so don’t use olive oil. Feel free to substitute with melted unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Sift the flour to avoid any big clumps in your batter.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter. You want it to come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in dry, dense muffins.
- Any variety of chocolate chips will work. I used milk chocolate chips here, because that’s what my boys prefer. Other good options include white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped bittersweet chocolate, or mini chips.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in April, 2020. It was updated in December, 2022.
Can you substitute a brown sugar if you are out of granulated white?
Hi, Jaymee! Yes, you should be able to make that equal substitute. The brown sugar has molasses in it, so it will change the taste and texture of the muffins slightly, but the recipe should still “work.” Enjoy!
Hi Blair,
I am going to make these muffins and I was wondering if I could use 1% milk instead of whole milk or maybe 2% or do you have to use whole milk?
Thank you
Hi, Annette! Yes — you can use 1% or 2%. I recommend the whole milk because the fat in whole milk helps to tenderize and moisturize baked goods. When you use whole milk to bake muffins, they turn out moister and finer than muffins made with skim milk. Again, it’s no problem to use the 1% or 2% — they’ll still work. 🙂 Enjoy!
Oh my goodness, I have tried 3 different recipe’s for banana chocolate chip muffins. I noticed you had one also. Well my dear I don’t know what the difference is but yours were moist, tasty and sooo good. I test them on my 4 yrs old grand-daughter and my daughter, her mom lol. 4 yrs old finally ate the whole thing and my daughter said, ok mom, THESE are the best.
I will try your Bran muffins next, I made a few from another recipe, they were good but stayed small. Maybe the trick is to ground half the bran like in your recipe. I will get back to you to tell you how it went. FYI I’m not a baker and hate baking because I usually burn stuff or they don’t turn out too good lol. Thank you, Danielle from Ottawa, Ont Canada
Thank you so much, Danielle! We appreciate you trying out our recipe and are so happy to hear it was such a big hit! We hope you enjoy the bran muffins as well and can’t wait to hear how they turn out.
Could you use 1/2 banana and 1/2 applesauce. In These muffins
Would half banana and half applesauce work
Hi Carol,
We haven’t tested it, but you should be able to replace part of the banana with 1/2 cup of applesauce. We do not recommend using more than that as it’s likely to cause the batter to become too wet and dense. Please let us know how it goes if you do give it a try!
Why is there a comment about substituting milk in this recipe as it doesn’t call for any milk?? I’m confused
Hi, Stephanie! Her comment was leftover from the older version of this recipe that included milk. The recipe has since been updated. 🙂
Turned out perfect. Instead of 16 I made 12 Jumbo and added a bit of sugar and chocolate chips on top.
Sounds delicious, Diane. Thanks for letting us know!
Great muffins. My kids enjoyed them. Definitely will save the recipe. Very moist, flavorful, and fluffy.