Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins

These banana chocolate chunk muffins are made with over-ripe bananas, a hint of cinnamon, and lots of chocolate chunks for a quick homemade breakfast treat. The batter mixes up in minutes and no mixer needed!

 

When it comes to a muffin I want a really good bakery-style muffin. You know what I mean right? Tall, fluffy muffin tops with a moist, soft crumb.

Like my chocolate chip muffins or buttermilk blueberry muffins. And I think these tender chocolate chunk banana muffins are my new favorite muffin. 

I mean dark chocolate chunks stirred into some banana muffins?! What’s not to love.

Why This Recipe Works

• Muffin batter mixes up in minutes
• No mixer needed
• Great way to use up those over-ripe bananas
• Perfect for freezing to enjoy later for an easy afternoon snack!

Ingredients Needed

• All purpose flour – Be sure to measure your flour correctly or you will end up with dry muffins.
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Eggs – Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs will cause the melted butter to solidify. Read my full tutorial on how to bring eggs to room temperature fast.
• Neutral-tasting oil – I used vegetable oil, but canola oil or avocado oil also works. You could also use melted butter or melted coconut oil but your muffins may not be as fluffy. You could always use olive oil but this would impart some flavor but would still work.
• Vanilla extract
• Milk – I used whole milk but any milk will work. You can also use a plant-based milk, such as almond milk.
• Mashed Bananas – Use overripe bananas or very dark brown bananas. Read my tutorial on how to get ripe bananas fast. 
• Chocolate Chunks- You can buy pre-packaged chocolate chunks, or buy a chocolate bar and chop it roughly.

How To Make Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Fold in chocolate chunks.

In a large bowl, add the bananas to the bowl and mash with a fork.

Add in the eggs, oil, milk, vanilla extract and whisk to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula until just combined. 

For the best results I like to let the batter rest for an hour (this results in a taller muffins). 

Preheat oven to 400^oF. Line two 12-cup muffin tins alternately paper liners, or grease with non-stick cooking spray. I line the pan with only 6 liners each (skipping every other well). This makes for taller muffins because more heat can get to each muffin.

Divide batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each well to the top.

Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool completely in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and continue cooling on a wire cooling rack.

Recipe Tips

• Do not overmix. Mix the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet batter so you end up with a tender muffin. Yes there will be lumps left but that’s ok. If you continue stirring you will create tough strands of gluten which result in a very chewy muffin. 
• Fill the muffin cups up to the top. To get tall muffins, you want to fill the muffin liners up to the top so they have a domed top. This gives you that beautiful muffin top when it bakes!
• Use a kitchen scale for best results. I always recommend using a scale and measuring your ingredients, especially your flour. If you are using a measuring cup then make sure to spoon the flour into the cup and level it off. Do not pack it down or you will end up with too much flour. 
• Use ripe bananas. You want bananas that are dark brown or black and very speckled. These brown spots mean that your bananas are nice and sweet so your muffins will have the best banana flavor
• Measure your bananas. Not all bananas are the same size. So I recommend mash bananas first, then be sure to measure.
• Use a large ice cream scoop. This will ensure even scooping and same sized muffins.
• Bake muffins every other well. By only baking in every other muffin well in the muffin pan, allows more heat to get to each muffin and results in taller bakery style muffins.

Recipe Variations

• Use gluten free flour. Swap the all purpose flour and use gluten free flour to make gluten free blueberry muffins.
• Make them whole wheat. You can swap some of the all purpose flour and use whole wheat flour. 
• Use chocolate chips instead – I like the big chunks of chocolate but if you don’t have any just use chocolate chips! You could stir in some mini chocolate chips to get chocolate in every bite!
• Use milk chocolate instead. If you don’t like dark chocolate and prefer them a little sweeter, use milk chocolate chunks or chips.
• Top with turbinado sugar. Before baking you can sprinkle on a little raw sugar for a little extra crunch and sweetness.

Storage Instructions

I store my muffins, on cooled at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days (but they usually can last a couple more) but I find they’re best if eaten within a couple days. Just make sure they are cooled and covered.

You can freeze them baked or unbaked. If baked already, I store them in a sealable freezer bag for 2-3 months and thaw at room temperature before enjoying.

If unbaked, you can freeze them solid in the cupcake liners and take them out of the pans (so you can re-use your muffin tin) and pop in a bag to freeze for up to 3 months. And bake frozen, do not thaw, as normal but add a few minutes more of baking time.

Recipe FAQs

More Recipes To Try

If you’re craving more muffins then be sure to try my Zucchini Bread Muffins – great way to use up all that summer zucchini!

If you’re craving more banana recipes then be sure to try my Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls – an eggless cinnamon roll dough made with fresh bananas!