These bakery style banana chocolate chunk muffins are soft, moist, bursting with the flavor of ripe bananas and generously studded with rich, dark chocolate chunks. They’re the perfect way to use up ripe bananas and make a delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert. These muffins are quick, easy, and come together in one bowl—no mixer required!
I love making these Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins because they’re the perfect way to use up any frozen bananas in your freezerSoft, moist, and packed with chunks of rich chocolate, these delicious muffins are the perfect treat for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. Made with ripe bananas and pantry staples, these muffins are quick and easy to whip up. Each bite is loaded with sweet banana flavor and melty chocolate, making them a favorite for both kids and adults!
For more quick breakfast treats try my cinnamon streusel muffins or pumpkin chocolate bread.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect Use for Ripe Bananas: This easy recipe is a great way to use any leftover overripe bananas.
- Rich Chocolate Flavor: The addition of chocolate chunks throughout the muffin give bursts of decadent flavor in every bite.
- Moist and Tender Texture: Thanks to the bananas and a splash of milk, these muffins are incredibly moist and fluffy.
- Quick and Easy: Ready in under 30 minutes and made in just one bowl for minimal cleanup.
- Freezer-Friendly: Make a batch now and freeze some for later!
Ingredient Notes
- Bananas: Use overripe bananas with brown spots for the best sweetness and flavor.You can also use frozen bananas too. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe
- Chocolate Chunks: Opt for semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks for a rich chocolatey bite.You can even use your favorite chopped dark chocolate bar.Chocolate chips would work too!
- All-Purpose Flour: Creates the perfect structure for fluffy muffins.
- White Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness, but you can use half brown sugar for a hint of caramel-like flavor.
- Neutral Oil: Keeps the muffins moist and tender. You can use canola or vegetable oil.
- Unsalted Butter: Use unsalted butter for a rich, buttery flavor in the muffins
- Egg: Provides structure and helps bind the ingredients together.
- Milk: Adds moisture; you can use any type of milk, including non-dairy options like almond or oat milk.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds a wonderful warm note to these muffins.You can even use pumpkin pie spice or chai spice.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Ensures the muffins rise properly for a light and airy texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Chopped Pecans: Optional here but I love the combination of crunchy nutty pecans with rich dark chocolate.You can use walnuts or even toasted almonds here.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make and bake these banana chocolate chunk muffins. You can use a large mixing bowl with a whisk.Line two 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease using butter or cooking spray.
Step 1. Mash Bananas: In a small bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth.
Step 2. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl add neutral oil, granulated sugar, large eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
Step 3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
Step 4. Mix Batter: Using a spatula gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until just mixed and no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
Step 5. Add Chocolate Chunks: Gently fold in the chocolate chunks and chopped pecans if using reserving a few for topping.
Let the muffin batter rest for 15-20 minutes while the oven is preheating. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C)
Step 6. Fill Muffin Cups: Divide the muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups using a large ice cream scoop, filling each almost to the top. Place a few chocolate chunks and pecans on top of each muffin.
Step 7. Bake: Bake the muffins at 425 for 7 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 350F(180C) and bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
Step 8 Cool: Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
“If you only have one muffin tin, you can fill all the liners at once and bake them together. These muffins will still turn out delicious!”
Tips & Tricks
- Rest the batter for about 15-20: This is a little trick to get those beautiful bakery style muffin tops. Allowing some time for resting allows the batter to hydrate, thicken and rise, making these the best chocolate chunk banana muffins.
- Don’t Overmix: Mix the batter just until combined to keep the muffins light and fluffy.
- Alternate muffin liners: Or spacing out the liners in the muffin pan allows the heat from the oven to circulate around each muffin equally, helping muffins to rise, bake, and brown more evenly. Spacing them out also allows you to fill the liners to the brim without the tops overflowing. So that means for a standard 12 muffins tin you would make 6 muffins and would need 2 trays to bake the muffins.
- Bake initially at higher temperature: The initial high blast of heat will help these beauties rise and dome/puff up really nicely.
- Add Extra Chocolate: Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chunks on top before baking for a bakery-style look.
- Check for Doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin; if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, they’re done.the muffins will continue to bake from heat of pan
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room-temperature eggs and milk helps create a smoother batter.
FAQs
Yes! Chocolate chips work just as well, but chunks give a more indulgent texture with larger pockets of melted chocolate.You can even use semi sweet, dark or even white chocolate chips.
You can speed up the ripening process by placing bananas in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 15-20 minutes until the skins are black.
Mix your muffin batter as little as possible in order to achieve a light, tender crumb. Overmixing the batter not only crushes air bubbles, but also overworks the gluten, which can lead to tough, dense muffins.
Although I haven’t tested this recipe with any alternate flours you can substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
Yes! you can use a 24 cup mini muffin pan and bake these for 13-14 minutes at 350F .
Storage & Freezing
Storage
- Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 7 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
Freezing
- Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for a quick treat.
More Cake Recipes To Try
Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Equipment
- 2 12 cup muffin pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups mashed banana about 3 medium bananas
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts optional
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts.
- In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add melted butter, oil, mashed banana, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix until well combined.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425F(220C).Line two muffin pan with 6 paper liners meaning you’ll only fill every other muffin well with batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each almost to the top.
- Bake at 425 for 7 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 350F(180C) and bake for another 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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