Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Turn overripe bananas into crowd-pleasing banana chocolate chip muffins. A couple of thoughtful techniques plus mashed banana make these chocolate-studded muffins tender, moist, and hard to resist.

By
Kayla Hoang
Kayla Hoang
Kayla Hoang
Kayla Hoang is a freelance recipe developer, writer, and baker. Her journey in food media began with interning at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and continued through Food Network, Kitchn, and freelance work.
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Published March 04, 2023
Kayla Hoang
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins on a Cooling Rack Over a Kitchen Towel

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

There are few things as wonderful as baking with overripe bananas. They provide fruity flavor, sweetness, and moisture to baked goods like banana bread, pancakes, and muffins. 

In this recipe, mashed, well-ripened bananas do all of that! Combined with a couple of thoughtful techniques, the resulting golden brown muffins are tender, moist, and bursting with banana flavor. 

Banana chocolate chip muffins come together quickly and easily, making them a delicious breakfast, mid-morning snack, afternoon treat, and everything in between.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins in a Baking Tray Over a Kitchen Towel

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Use Overripe Bananas

This recipe works well with ripe bananas. I prefer to use bananas that are “overripe”—the peel is heavily spotted (more brown than yellow) and the inside is super soft and barely firm, making it easy to mash with a fork.

If I plan to bake with bananas but they aren’t quite ripe enough yet, I like to ripen them in a paper bag. A few days before baking, place your bananas in a brown paper bag and leave them on the counter. This helps speed up the ripening process.

Frozen overripe bananas can also be used in this recipe. Simply thaw the bananas overnight in the fridge, drain the excess water, and use as instructed. 

Tips and Tricks for the Best Muffins

While banana chocolate chip muffins are easy to make, here are a few tips to make sure your muffins come out delicious every time:

  • Line your muffin tin! These work best with paper cup liners. 
  • Don’t overmix the batter. This can lead to tough muffins. 
  • Try not to skip resting the batter. Allowing the batter to rest results in a more consistent bake.
  • Bake at 2 different temperatures. Because the mashed banana adds a little bit of weight to the muffin batter, starting them at a higher temperature and finishing them at a lower temperature helps create a nice, light texture. 
A Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Bitten Into on a Plate

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

How to Make Jumbo and Mini Muffins

This recipe works best with a standard-size muffin tin but can be baked in a jumbo or mini tin if that’s all you have. Note that jumbo muffins will be a bit more golden brown and mini muffins will be paler.

  • For jumbo muffins: Line the jumbo muffin tin with paper cup liners. Divide the batter between 6 cavities of the muffin tin (2/3 full). Top with mini chocolate chips. Bake at 400°F for 8 minutes, then immediately lower the temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes more. 
  • For mini muffins: Line a 24-cavity mini muffin tin with paper cup liners. Divide the batter between the 24 cavities of the tin and top with mini chocolate chips. Because these are so tiny, it’s better to bake at one temperature all the way through. Bake the muffins at 350°F for about 14 minutes. 

Simple Variations

The best part of a muffin (other than the top) is the mix-ins that give them a little razzle-dazzle. These muffins are accented with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, which provide the right amount of sweetness and the mini size distributes evenly in the batter. 

While these muffins are wonderful as is, I love how adaptable they are. Consider these additions and substitutions:

  • Add nuts. Toasted pecans or walnuts would work wonderfully here. 
  • Swap semi-sweet chocolate for milk if you like things sweeter or dark chocolate if you prefer things on the richer side. 
  • Can’t find mini chips? Finely chop a chocolate bar (or even chocolate chips) to a size comparable to mini chips. 
  • Substitute some of the chocolate for toasted, shredded coconut for a fruity, nutty addition.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins on a Plate Over a Kitchen Towel and Next to Two Glasses of Orange Juice

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

More Muffin Magic

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 17 mins
Rest Time 60 mins
Total Time 87 mins
Servings 12 servings
Yield 12 to 13 muffins

You can skip resting the batter and bake the muffins right away, but the tops will fall flatter. 

The muffins can also be baked in one 12-cavity muffin tin rather than two. The tops may bake into each other slightly, making for slightly less-than-perfect muffins.

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups (236g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar

  • 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter, melted

  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable

  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup well-mashed overripe banana (about 2 medium bananas)

  • 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature

  • 185 g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Method

  1. Combine the flour, leavening, and salt: 

    In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine and set aside.

    Bowl of Dry Ingredients Whisked Together for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  2. Mix the sugar, butter, and oil:

    In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, and oil until well combined, about 15 seconds.

    Sugar, Butter, and Oil Whisked Together in a Bowl for Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  3. Add the remaining wet ingredients:

    Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Vigorously whisk until the egg is completely broken up and the mixture is well combined and lightened in color, 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

    Add the mashed banana to the butter mixture and whisk until fully combined, about 30 seconds. There shouldn’t be any big chunks of banana. Add the buttermilk and whisk until combined.

    Bananas Whisked Into Bowl of Wet Ingredients for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Buttermilk Whisked Into Bowl of Wet Ingredients for Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients:

    Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined and no dry bits remain. It’s okay if the batter looks a little lumpy. 

    Add 3/4 cup of the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter, reserving the remaining 1/4 cup for topping the muffins. Gently fold the mini chocolate chips into the batter just until the chips are evenly dispersed. Don’t overmix!

    Wet Ingredients Mixed into Bowl of Dry Ingredients for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Chocolate Chips Added to Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Batter

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  5. Rest the batter:

    Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the batter to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Resting the batter allows the flour to hydrate which in turn reduces some of the spread of the muffin tops and helps create even, rounded tops.

    If you’re short on time, you can skip this step.

  6. While the batter rests, preheat the oven and prepare the muffin tins: 

    Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

    Line every other cavity of 2 standard-size muffin tins with paper liners. There should be 12 total lined cavities. Allowing this space helps the muffins to rise and bake more evenly and reduces the likelihood of the muffins baking into each other. If you only own one muffin tin, you can fill each cavity and bake them all side-by-side.

    Muffin Wrappers Lining Every Other Divot in a Muffin Tin for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  7. Divide the batter:

    Using a 2 1/2-inch scoop (about 1/3 cup), scoop 12 portions of batter into the lined cavities of the muffin tin, filling slightly over 3/4 full. Depending on the capacity of your muffin pans, you might get 13 muffins. Top each muffin with the remaining mini chocolate chips.

    Every Other Baking Tine Lined with Baking Cups and Filled with Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Batter

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
  8. Bake and cool:

    To yield maximum oven spring (and in turn a better rise and texture), the muffins are baked at 2 temperatures.

    Arrange the pans on the middle rack of the oven. Bake the muffins at 400°F for 9 minutes. Without opening the oven door, lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for 4 more minutes. Rotate the pans and bake until the muffins are golden brown around the edges, spring back when gently poked, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 4 to 6 minutes more (17 to 19 minutes total bake time).

    Let the muffins cool slightly in the pans set over a wire rack for a few minutes. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

    Leftover muffin tops can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

    Tip

    I love to reheat leftover muffins in the microwave for a few seconds or until the chocolate is melted again.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars below!

    Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins in a Baking Tin on a Cooling Rack

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
    Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins on a Cooling Rack Over a Kitchen Towel

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
301 Calories
15g Fat
41g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 301
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 184mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 53mg 4%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 159mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.