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Chocolate Banana Muffins are so easy to make from scratch, with just the right balance of chocolate and banana flavor! This easy bakery-style muffin recipe is loaded with chocolate and makes fluffy and moist muffins that make a great snack or breakfast.
Double Chocolate Banana Muffins are the perfect way to start your day! These easy muffins are so fluffy, loaded with chocolate and full of banana flavor. My husband calls these muffins banana split muffins because they taste like a chocolate banana split. But don’t be fooled, these muffins taste decadent, are made with less sugar than your typical muffin because of the sweet, ripe bananas.
They’re made not only with Dutch process cocoa powder which gives them their dark color, but also with dark chocolate chunks which help to boost your mood and shake away the winter blues! Using dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate and less sugar makes these muffins not as sweet as other muffins, yet they don’t taste bland because the ripe bananas add sweetness. Just make sure to use really ripe or overripe bananas!
Why our recipe
- Less sugar than a traditional muffin recipe
- Our secret ingredient makes the chocolate flavor even more intense
- Great use for overripe bananas
Julia’s Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to use ripe bananas with brown spots for this recipe. They are sweeter and are easier to mash.
- Don’t have overripe bananas at home? Just place the bananas on a baking tray and bake at 350°F for 6–10 minutes until the skins turn black. Keep an eye on them because the time depends on how big and ripe they are to begin with.
- If you have ripe bananas at home but don’t have a use for them right now, peel and freeze. Frozen bananas are great for smoothies and for baking. They develop a deeper banana flavor while freezing, and it’s so convenient to always have perfectly ripe bananas on hand. Defrost them before adding them to the batter.
- Instead of Dutch-process cocoa powder, you can also use the same amount of unsweetened cocoa powder. Using Dutch-process cocoa results in a darker muffin.
- Instead of dark chocolate chunks, you can also use milk chocolate chunks, white chocolate chunks, or a mixture of chocolate chunks. Chocolate chips can be used too!
- This recipe makes 12 large “bakery-style” muffins or about 18 smaller muffins.
- Instead of espresso powder, you can also use Instant Coffee Powder.
Storage Instructions
Store: These muffins keep for 3–4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freeze: You can also freeze the Chocolate Banana Muffins. Put them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost them on the counter or in the microwave.
More Ripe Banana Recipes
Bread & Muffins
Moist Banana Nut Bread
Bread & Muffins
Easy Banana Muffins
Bread & Muffins
Banana Crumb Muffins
Breakfast & Brunch
Banana Nut Muffins
Chocolate Banana Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 bananas, ripe
- ½ cup vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder, (optional)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners or grease with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the bananas and mash at medium speed. Add the oil, followed by the eggs and the espresso powder. Beat until the espresso powder is dissolved. Then add vanilla extract and sugar.
- Sift the Dutch process cocoa powder into a small bowl. Add the flour and baking soda and mix with a spoon until combined.
- Add the flour mixture, beating at low speed, to the banana mixture. Beat just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks (or chips) with a rubber spatula. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes in their tin before removing and transferring to a wire rack.
Nutrition
I was baking these because of over ripe bananas. I have 2 fussy people I bake for. One wanted peanut butter and blue berries in the muffins. The other doesn’t like peanutnut butter so I added cranberries to the other half of the mix. I didn’t have any coffee powders so I made a very strong brew and used only about 2 tablespoons. Both the fussy people prefer butter to oil in these recipes. Lots of adjustments to the original and both my fuss budgets loved the muffins. A very forgiving recipe!
What and where do you get espresso powder
You can buy it at grocery stores, it’s basically fancy instant coffee powder..
Oh man these are tasty! I had some ripe bananas I needed to use and came upon your recipe. Espresso powder, dark chocolate, and banana? Yes, please. I made mine a little smaller as I’m taking them to work tomorrow (so I don’t eat them all myself). You left the dark chocolate chips out of the written recipe, but it wasn’t exactly tough to figure out when to put some in haha. These have just the right amount of sweetness for a breakfast treat, and I know my shift-working co-workers will love the espresso powder. :) Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for catching my mistake, Kate! I added the chocolate chunks, how could I forget them?! Seems like I shouldn’t publish my posts in the early morning before I had coffee :-D I hope your co-workers like them as much as I do! I’d love to have one for breakfast right now! – Julia xx
I mean, you had me at double chocolate. Adding bananas gives a little extra deliciousness, too!
Double chocolate for the win!! – Julia xx
I can’t wait to try your muffins they really look good