These banana chocolate chip muffins are moist, fluffy, buttery and filled with chocolate chips. They taste like a warm slice of banana bread; have perfectly domed, golden muffin tops; and have just the right amount of chocolate chips.
This recipe was originally posted June 22, 2018 and republished December 1, 2019 with more recipe tips and new photos
These banana chocolate chip muffins are an easy, crowd-pleasing way to use up overripe bananas. Soft and super moist, they capture the classic banana bread flavor in a quick, single-serve form, studded with melting chocolate chips. As they bake, they fill the kitchen with a warm, inviting aroma.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
These muffins balance mellow banana flavor with vanilla and brown sugar for depth, and each bite contains plenty of chocolate chips. If you like extra texture, fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. For the best banana flavor, use ripe bananas with brown spots.
Overview:
- Whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Melted butter adds a rich, buttery flavor and removes the need for softened butter.
- Stir in mashed bananas and milk. Buttermilk gives extra tenderness, but regular milk works fine too.
- Sift and combine dry ingredients, then gently fold them into the wet mixture. The batter should remain slightly lumpy; avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
- When the flour is mostly incorporated, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon batter into a lined muffin tin and bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (apart from melted chocolate).
Baking Tips
- Use brown, spotted bananas for the sweetest, most pronounced banana flavor. You’ll need about 3/4 cup mashed banana (roughly 2–3 bananas depending on size).
- Measure flour accurately — spoon it into the cup and level it off to avoid dry muffins.
- Do not overmix the batter. Overworking the batter leads to tough muffins. Leave a few small lumps for a tender crumb.
- Fill liners to the top for large, domed muffins. Optionally press a few extra chocolate chips on top before baking for an attractive finish.
- These bake faster than banana bread, making muffins a quicker treat when you’re short on time.
Why you’ll love these muffins:
- Fluffy, buttery, and soft texture
- Classic banana bread flavor in muffin form
- Golden, domed tops and tender edges
- Generous chocolate chips in every bite
- Simple steps and a short bake time
Ingredients (yields 12 muffins)
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar (or a mix of brown and white sugar)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup mashed bananas (about 2–3 brown bananas)
- 1/4 cup milk (buttermilk preferred)
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin tin with papers. This recipe makes 12–14 muffins.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir in the mashed bananas and milk until combined.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix. The batter should remain slightly lumpy.
- When the flour is about 80% incorporated, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup to the top. Optionally sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 16–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean aside from melted chocolate.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for another 5–10 minutes before serving.
Storage and Notes
- Muffins are best the day they are baked. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 24 hours, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- You can substitute part of the brown sugar with granulated sugar if you prefer a milder molasses note.
Nutrition (per muffin, approximate)
Calories: 317 kcal; Carbohydrates: 46 g; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Cholesterol: 58 mg; Sodium: 80 mg; Potassium: 184 mg; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 25 g.
