If you love chocolate, these fudgy Chocolate Banana Muffins are going to make your mornings positively delightful. A combination of ripe bananas, buttermilk, and a double dose of chocolate ensures your muffins not only yield incredible flavor but always bake up with a soft and tender crumb.
Rich with chocolate and bounding with big banana flavor, this breakfast treat is the best thing to happen to overripe bananas since banana bread. You'll find them a cinch to whip up, and just as perfect for busy mornings on the go as they are for slow-moving Saturdays!
If you are a serial banana buyer and merrily live with a bunch ever-ripening on the counter, bookmark and try out these recipes for Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies and Banana Oatmeal Muffins next!
CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS INGREDIENTS
Just like almost every other baking recipe on the planet, the ingredients for Chocolate Banana Muffins can be broken up into a few simple categories: Dry ingredients, wet ingredients, and the add-ins.
DRY INGREDIENTS
For the dry ingredients, you'll begin with all-purpose flour. Then, it's on to the chocolate. A half-cup of unsweetened cocoa powder is all you need to make your muffins über chocolatey. We used Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa Powder for this recipe. In addition to flour and cocoa, you'll also need baking soda (not to be confused with baking powder), and salt. Fine sea salt is always our sodium of choice for baked goods.
WET INGREDIENTS
The wet ingredients are as follows: mashed bananas, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk.
ABOUT THE BANANAS
You can use either 2 large or 3 smaller bananas for this recipe. If you're a stickler for measurements, 1 cup of mashed banana is exactly what you'll need!
It’s best to use ripe bananas for baking, and if there’s more brown/black showing than yellow, they’re just right! Once they've browned and start to feel a little squishy, they’re just right for making Chocolate Banana Muffins!
BUTTERMILK IS AWESOME IN MUFFINS
The acidic nature of buttermilk has a tenderizing effect on baked goods, but especially cake-y baked goods like muffins! In addition to producing a fine and tender crumb, it will also help to keep them moist.
DON'T FORGET THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS!
These Double Chocolate Banana Muffins are living up to their name with cocoa in the dry mix and a bonus addition of chocolate chips sprinkled throughout the batter.
You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks in this recipe. In fact, you could even use white chocolate or peanut butter chips if you'd like! The only chocolate chips we advise against using are miniature chocolate chips.
TIPS FOR PREPPING THE MUFFIN PAN
Before you begin making the batter, you'll want to have your pan ready to go! If you have two, you'll want to prep both for this recipe, as it yields 16-18 muffins. If you don't, that's ok -- just let the pan rest until it is cool enough to handle before you ready the second batch.
Parchment paper muffin liners get our vote every time, as they'll peel easily from the sides of your baked goods, leaving your muffin perfectly whole and intact. Yes, please.
As an extra, extra precaution, once your liners are assembled in the tin, give the whole shebang a spritz with nonstick cooking spray.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS
- Melt the Butter - The first thing you should do is melt the butter. This can be done in any microwave-safe bowl or pitcher. Add the butter and microwave for 30-45 seconds until melted. Then, set it aside to cool until it is no longer hot to the touch.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients - Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients - Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl and then add the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Whisk it all together until well blended.
- Alternate Adding Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk to the Wet Mix - Stir in the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, until everything has been combined. Lastly, add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly dispersed.
- Fill the Tin and Bake - Fill each cavity only ⅔'s of the way full. It is important to note each cavity should not be filled all the way to the top. Bake at 375°F for 18-20 minutes.
TESTING FOR DONENESS...
To test for doneness, stick a toothpick in the center of the muffin. It should come out with a few crumbs clinging to. Another way to test is to gently poke the center of the centermost muffin in the pan. If it springs back slightly, they're very likely done.
TOOLS TO HAVE ON HAND:
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Whisk and Silicone Spoon
- Muffin Liners (preferably made of parchment paper)
- Muffin Pan
- Ice Cream Scoop (preferably with a spring-action handle)
- Cooking Spray
HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS
It is fine to leave the muffins out at room temperature, but eat them up within 3-4 days for peak freshness. If you'd like to preserve them beyond this time period, freeze them!
To freeze Chocolate Banana Muffins, allow them to cool to room temperature, then place them in a freezer-safe gallon-sized ziplock bag. Remove as much air as possible, seal, and freeze. Eat within 3 months for best quality.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST MUFFINS
- Don't forget to preheat the oven!
- Do not deviate from recipe measurements.
- Use parchment paper muffin liners.
- Spray the pan and liners with cooking spray.
- Don't overmix the batter.
- Use an ice cream scoop to perfectly portion the batter.
- Don't overfill the pan.
4 MORE MUFFIN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
Double Chocolate Banana Muffins with chocolate chips are tender and soft, with big banana flavor! Rich and fudgy, this is the best use for a chocolate lovers' overripe bananas yet!
- ½ cup melted butter cooled to room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 ripe bananas mashed (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
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Preheat the oven to 375° and have ready two greased muffin tins, greased or lined with cupcake liners. Consider using parchment paper muffin liners. If you don't have this kind, it's best to spray the muffin liners and the pan with cooking spray before adding the batter.
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Melt the butter and set aside to cool until lukewarm or at room temperature.
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cooled butter, bananas, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well blended.
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Stir in the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, until all of the ingredients have been combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly dispersed.
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Fill the muffin tins ⅔'s of the way full and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out moist, but not wet with batter. Allow to cool slightly, serve, and enjoy.
Makes 16-18 muffins.
