Chocolate Banana Muffins

These chocolate banana muffins are moist, tender, and filled with banana flavor! The easy recipe is a great way to use up overripe bananas.

I’m a big fan of banana baked goods. And these chocolate banana muffins are one of my favorites. They taste like if you crossed a chocolate cupcake with brown sugar banana bread.

To make a batch you’re going to need overripe bananas. The browner the bananas the better. Overripe bananas are sweeter and more flavorful than yellow bananas, making them perfect for baking! If you don’t have any bananas on hand, buy a bunch and wait for them to ripen. These muffins are worth the wait! 

Ingredients

• Flour. All-purpose flour gives these a great texture. 
• Bananas. Use three very ripe large bananas. 
• Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. This recipe works best with Dutch processed cocoa powder. It gives the muffins a deep chocolate flavor.
• Chocolate chips. Totally optional but I like to add some chocolate chips for an extra chocolate flavor. 
• Brown Sugar. Adds a nice sweetness. Both dark or light brown sugar work. 
• Butter. I like to use salted butter.
• Eggs. Two large eggs give the cupcakes structure and keep them moist.
• Baking powder and baking soda. The combination of baking powder and soda help the muffins to rise. 
• Salt. A little salt enhances all the other flavors.

Recipe Tip: How to Mash Bananas

The first step when making the batter is mashing the bananas. You’ve got some options. 

• Use a fork or potato masher. Press until the bananas are mashed. This method leaves a few small pieces of banana in the batter, which doesn’t affect their rise at all.
• Use an eclectic mixer. Set the mixer to low and blend until the bananas are smooth. This is how I usually mash my bananas. It’s simple and I use the same mixer to make the batter. 
• Use an immersion blender. If you don’t like the texture of banana pieces in your muffins, puree the bananas instead of mashing them. An immersion blender makes this easy. Set it to low and puree until smooth. 

How to Make Chocolate Banana Muffins

This is a simple recipe. Let’s take a look at the key steps. The full recipe is listed below.

1. Place the ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mash until smooth.
2. Add the brown sugar and mix until it looks like a caramel sauce. 
3. Stir in the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. 
4. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 
5. Mix until a thick batter forms. If you’re adding chocolate chips or nuts, stir them in now. 

5. Spoon the batter into paper-lined and greased cupcake pans. 
6. Bake until the muffins are set and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. 

Tips and Variations

• Grease the top of your muffin pan. A quick spray of nonstick cooking spray keeps the tops of the muffins from sticking to the pan.
• Add stir-ins! Chocolate chips and nuts are just the beginning. Dried cranberries, banana chips, or peanut butter chips make tasty additions to these muffins.
• Top with extra chocolate chips. Add a sprinkle of chocolate chips to the top of the muffins right before baking.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover muffins wrapped on the counter for up to four days. 

Print

Chocolate Banana Muffins

This recipe makes chocolate banana muffins that taste like a cross between a chocolate cupcake and banana bread. They’re moist, rich, and not too sweet. Be sure to use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and texture.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 16 muffins

Ingredients

• 3 large ripe bananas about 1 ¼ cups mashed
• ½ cup butter, melted (4 ounces; 112 grams)
• ¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar (5 ¼ ounces; 150 grams)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (6 ⅓ ounces; 180 grams)
• ½ cup cocoa powder (1 ½ ounces; 42 grams)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips, optional (6 ounces; 170 grams)
• 1 cup chopped nuts, optional (4 ounces; 112 grams)
• Extra chocolate chips for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line 16 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Lightly grease the top of the pan to keep the muffins from sticking.

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add the brown sugar. Mix until smooth. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
3. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until a thick batter forms. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

4. Fill muffin cups ⅔ full. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of each muffin.

5. Bake until muffins are set and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
6. Cool the muffins in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then remove and let them cool completely.