These whole grain Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are made with nutritious ingredients (including whole grains and less sugar) and have the BEST flavor. They’re a great breakfast or snack option to have on hand during busy weeks…or just as a way to use up overripe bananas!
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
These muffins, which simply mix together in a bowl, are made with a mix of pantry staples and get their sweetness primarily from ripe bananas. There’s a bit of added sweetener in the mix to help even things out and just enough dark chocolate to make these feel like a treat.
They have healthy fats, potassium and even some fiber. But mostly…they just taste really good. I love the hint of peanut butter in these and that they’re a really satisfying muffin, either on their own or topped with more peanut butter, cream cheese, or butter.
These are great for either breakfast or a snack, and sometimes we even use them as a main dish to build a lunch around.
Ingredients You Need
To make these muffins, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Flour: You can use whole wheat flour or buckwheat. Buckwheat flour is a great gluten-free alternative that’s incredibly nutritious.
- Cinnamon
- Ground flaxseed: This is optional, but is an easy way to add in more healthy fats and fiber.
- Sugar: I use a modest amount of sugar to round out the flavors in these muffins. You can trade in honey or maple syrup, or simply leave it out.
- Ripe bananas: These are key to the classic banana flavor, so do be sure to use very ripe bananas with a lot of brown spots.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These work together to help the muffins rise and cook through.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla enhances the flavor of the banana muffins.
- Milk: I bake with whole milk, but you can really use any type. Nondairy milk works too.
- Peanut butter: You can use creamy unsweetened peanut butter here, or trade in regular melted butter for a nut-free version.
- Eggs: I bake with large eggs and in this recipe, they help create structure and moistness.
- Chocolate chips: We usually top our muffins with a few chocolate chips, though you can also stir them right into the batter.
TIP: I did my best to make the majority of the ingredients ones you may already have in the house so you can get right to baking.
Step-by-Step Directions
Here’s a look at the easy process involved in making this recipe. Scroll down to the end of this recipe to see the full information.
- Peel the banana and mash until very smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl and stir to evenly distribute.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl. If your peanut butter was in the fridge and is cold and firm, warm it briefly in the microwave to ensure that it’s easy to stir.
- Stir together gently, but thoroughly with a spatula.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Add to a muffin tin, dividing the batter among greased cups, and bake.
TIP: This recipe is for standard size muffins, but you can make them as mini muffins if you reduce the baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll want to make sure that your bananas are very ripe with brown spots to ensure the best banana flavor and natural sweetness—which also enables us to use less added sugar in these. So they should look very brown!
Simply let them cool and store in a zip top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months. Warm from frozen in the microwave in 15 second increments or thaw at room temp or in the fridge.
I know that it can be hard to bake gluten-free baked goods that the entire family will want to eat, but these definitely fit the bill. They’re moist and sweet, and are so good when served alongside coffee or milk. Buckwheat flour, which is naturally gluten-free and also very nutritious with ample fiber and protein, works really well here. It has a mild flavor too and is widely available in the flour or natural foods section of most grocery stores.
Serving Suggestions
We like these both slightly warm and cold out of the fridge, and they are particularly yummy paired with a smear of nut butter and milk. (Or coffee, if that’s more your speed!) Pair them with a simple side of fruit, milk, and/or a smoothie to serve as a substantial meal or snack.
And they freeze well too, which makes them a nice make-ahead option for busier days ahead.
How to Store
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze fully cooled muffins store in a zip top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months. Warm from frozen in the microwave in 15 second increments or thaw at room temp or in the fridge.
Best Tips for Success
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor.
- To make these gluten-free, use buckwheat flour.
- To make these dairy-free, use nondairy milk.
- Serve cold or slightly warmed.
- Dice for younger kids if desired.
- You can leave out the chocolate chips if desired.
Related Recipes
I’d love to know your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment below to share!
Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup very ripe mashed banana (about 2 medium)
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup milk (dairy or plain unsweetened nondairy milk)
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter (or regular butter, melted and cooled)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (or buckwheat flour)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips (roughly chopped or use mini chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease a standard muffin tin. Set aside.
- Mash the banana very smooth with a potato masher or fork.
- Add the flour, sugar, flaxseed (if using), cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl. Stir together.
- Add the banana, eggs, milk, peanut butter, and vanilla and stir well.
- Add the chocolate chips.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, using about ¼ cup batter for each. Top with additional chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly and the edges are golden brown.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then run a paring knife around the edges to help remove the muffins. Cool on a wire rack.
Equipment
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor.
- Gluten-free: Use buckwheat flour.
- Dairy-free: Use nondairy milk.
- Find my Vegan Banana Muffins or my Sugar-Free Banana Muffins here egg-free banana muffins.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can freeze fully cooled muffins store in a zip top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months. Warm from frozen in the microwave in 15 second increments or thaw at room temp or in the fridge.
- Serve cold or slightly warmed.
- Dice for younger kids if desired.
- You can leave out the chocolate chips if desired.
Nutrition
This post was first published February 2018.
Can I add spinach to these?
These are so delicious! I’m always looking for recipes to use up ripe bananas. My 3 year old LOVES these, as do my husband and I. These go fast in our house!
Used a third banana instead of milk and honey instead of sugar because of food sensitivities. It was moist and spongy. Love the peanut butter instead of butter!
Made these to go along with breakfast for the week. Yum! And love how easy it was to just mix in a bowl with no mixer needed. The peanut butter added really good flavor!
I just made these for my very picky 4 year old. Used oat milk, sunflower butter and dairy free chocolate chips. They turned out great, and are delicious. She loves them, I love them, big win for lunch time today. Thank you! 🙂
Absolute perfection! I didn’t have any eggs on hand so I substituted with chia seeds and water. I made a double batch and after a day and a half I was down to just 4 muffins! My 2 year old and 6 year old ate 4 muffins each one night and 2 each the next morning! I had to make some again today (a triple batch) just to get my freezer stocked up!! Will be using this recipe often!
My muffins turned out kind of wet looking in the inside. Is that normal? Does that mean they’re undercooked?
If they seem raw, then you could bake them a few more minutes. The most likely explanation for that is the baking soda wasn’t working as it should have been.
Can you use yogurt instead of milk for more protein?
I haven’t tried that and while I bet you can, you may also need to add a little milk if the batter is very thick. Let me know how it goes!
Another quick easy muffin to whip up in the morning. I also like to snack on them when kids are in bed at night.
I love these! I added some chopped pecans and used flax eggs instead of regular eggs (so I left out the optional flax meal) and they’re so lovely and moist. They did collapse quite a bit as they cooled, even though I weighed my flour, tested my baking powder, and use an oven thermometer. Do you think it was the egg swap that caused this? Either way, they’re still delicious and love that they’re oil-free!
It’s possible it’s simply from the weight of the flax egg. Glad they’re good anyway!
Seriously my favorite ever muffin recipe! I buy extra bananas every week so they’ll ripen and I can make them! I use almond butter instead of peanut butter since we have an allergic kiddo, and they turn out so delicious every time!
Made this today. Absolutely delicious. Gobbled up by all the family even though they stuck their nose up at first at the thought of them being a little healthy ! 🙂
I am a newbie baker and came to this recipe looking for summer holidays snack ideas for my 7 year old! I will give it a try tomorrow – what is the best way to store them especially in the summer? Thanks!
They’d be okay at room temperature for up to 3 days, if not very hot in the house, then in the fridge. They can also go in the fridge right away once cooled.
Thanks! They have become a family favorite and I have been making a big batch and freezing them.
How long should I bake for in a mini muffin tray?
Typically mini muffins are 10-12 minutes. Enjoy
I meant to leave 5 stars with my review, whoops!