These Chocolate Banana Muffins are the moistest, softest, and easiest ever. You need only 10 ingredients and little hands-on preparation time. Detailed step-by-step instructions including photos and video. Perfect for breakfast and dessert.
Who else loves to start the day with a couple of soft and moist muffins? I think it’s easier to find out who doesn’t. Who else loves to end lunch or dinner that way? Haha, same question and answer here, right This recipe is perfectly suitable for breakfast and dessert.
They are awesome in taste and texture, and the intense chocolate flavor is combined with sweet banana taste.
Instructions
For this recipe, you need two bowls. In the first bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk mashed bananas and sugar to combine. You can mash the bananas with a fork or puree with an immersion blender.
Slowly mix in oil and stir to combine.
Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Then stir in the dry ingredients just until combined.
This is how the batter should look like at this step:
Then fold in banana chunks and chocolate chips.
Spoon the batter into 19-20 muffin liners. Use one or two 12 muffin pans. Fill the liners between 3/4 to almost full, as you can see in the picture below.
Then bake at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake additional 11-14 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Top tips
- Use a whisk rather than an electric mixer and stir at every step just until the ingredients are combined. Muffins tend to dry out, sink, or spill over if you overmix them. With mixing as little as possible, you make sure that they are super soft, moist, and beautifully high.
- The secret to high-doomed muffins is the high baking temperature in the beginning. Baking them for 5 minutes at high temperature lets them rise beautifully high right from the beginning.
This is how they look like after the first 5 minutes of baking time (please excuse the poor quality, but I couldn't figure out how to take a beautiful picture through the oven door):
Substitutions
If you are looking for healthy, gluten-free, or vegan options, I got you covered.
Replace
- canola/vegetable oil with applesauce 1:1
- canola/vegetable oil with healthier oil, like coconut 1:1 (choose a mild-flavored oil)
- 1/2 cup sugar with 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- all-purpose flour with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour 1:1
- eggs with flax eggs 1:1
Be aware that all substitutions affect the taste and consistency even if it is just lightly.
Variations
Mini muffins
Make the recipe as described. Then fill the batter into about 54-55 mini muffin liners until full. Adjust the baking time as follows: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°) and bake for 6-8 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Be careful. Mini muffins overbake quickly because of their small size. Because of the short baking time, the baking temperature stays constantly at 350°F from the beginning till the end. There is no high-temperature phase in the beginning. It would be too risky to overbake them, and then they dry out.
Small batch
Just divide the recipe in half and you will get about 9-10 muffins instead of 19-20. Dividing the recipe by half leads to about 27-28 mini muffins.
Storage
You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. If stored in the fridge, they stay fresh up to 1 week. However, they are best eaten at room temperature and in the first two days.
Freezing
If you plan to freeze them, let them cool completely. Then wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap, one by one, place in freezer bags and remove as much air as possible. They freeze well up to 3 months.
To thaw, unwrap, and place them on the kitchen counter. They need about 1-2 hours to come to room temperature.
Related recipes
You're still craving muffins? In this case, may also like white chocolate muffins, chocolate muffins, or blueberry muffins. I also dedicated a whole chapter to them in my cookbook.
Recipe
Soft and Moist Chocolate Banana Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10.5 oz ripe bananas, mashed
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (or 2 vanilla beans*)
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1 ripe banana, cut into small chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two 12 muffin pans with about 19-20 muffin liners. Set aside.
- Combine flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl stir mashed bananas and sugar just until combined. Slowly mix in vegetable oil just until combined. Add eggs and vanilla* and stir just until incorporated. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Don't overmix at any step.
- Fold in chocolate chips and banana chunks just until combined. Divide the batter into muffin liners and sprinkle a few additional chocolate chips on top (if desired). Fill liners 3/4 to almost full.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (220°C) then lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake additional 11-14 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake otherwise, they will end up dry. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
Top tips
- Use a whisk rather than an electric mixer and stir at every step just until the ingredients are combined. They tend to dry out, sink, or spill over if you overmix them. With mixing as little as possible, you make sure that they are super soft, moist, and beautifully high.
- The secret to high-doomed muffins is the high baking temperature in the beginning. Baking them for 5 minutes at high temperature lets them rise beautifully high right from the beginning.
Substitutions If you are looking for healthy, gluten-free, or vegan options, I got you covered. Replace
- canola/vegetable oil with applesauce 1:1
- canola/vegetable oil with healthier oil, like coconut 1:1 (choose a mild-flavored oil)
- 1/2 cup sugar with 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- all-purpose flour with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour 1:1
- eggs with flax eggs 1:1
Mini muffins Make the recipe as described. Then fill the batter into about 54-55 mini muffin liners until full. Adjust the baking time as follows: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°) and bake for 6-8 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Be careful. Mini muffins overbake quickly because of their small size. Because of the short baking time, the baking temperature stays constantly at 350°F from the beginning till the end. There is no high-temperature phase in the beginning. It would be too risky to overbake them, and then they dry out.
Small batch Just divide the recipe in half and you will get about 9-10 muffins instead of 19-20. Dividing the recipe by half leads to about 27-28 mini muffins.
I am so glad that I stumbled upon this recipe. The muffin definitely lives up to is name; 'soft and moist', I immediately had 3 right out of the oven.
HEAVENLY.
Thank you Sabine for sharing this recipe!
This is my second time baking this deliciously moist muffins. And when I say moist, it's moist with capital M fam. Don't think any other muffin recipe can top this. I don't usually comment on recipes, but this had me compelled to. Its perfect ratio of chocolate richness with the right blend of sweetness will have you munching on these for hours. It had my family convinced even though my parents don't prefer chocolate. You bet this should be your go to muffin recipe. I am so glad I came across this recipe.
Ps. For someone who doesn't prefer banana flavour in desserts can omit the banana chunks at the end. It'll turn out the same but might go easy with the banana after taste. Honestly still is the best muffin recipe out there.
JazakAllah khair for sharing your recipe 💕
Lovely recipe. Who ever ate this didn't believe this was home made and had banana in it. Thank you very much. My kid is a fan of this and he ate the most
The best muffins i ever baked!!
Thank you so much for your recipies! Everything you bake it.s amazing!!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Melania! I’m happy that you like it!
Can you substitute all purpose flour with a nut flour? Coconut or almond?
Baking with nut flour works differently because it requires a different ratio of wet/dry ingredients. I don't recommend it.
How many bananas equal to 10 oz or 300 g? I have like 6 medium size bananas really ripe and don’t have a measuring scale sadly. That’s a story for another day.
Hi Rashmi, it's 1 cup mashed bananas. It is about 3 bananas depending on the size. In the video, you see the required consistency. Hope that helps.
Hey! I just discovered your blog, and I am a hugeee fan, I just have tho, for this type recipe, is it the same batter/base for muffins and loaves? Or is there a difference between them, thanks!!! Can’t wait to do every single recipe!
Greetings from Mexico 🙂
Hi Ana, Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my blog! The batter of muffins, cupcakes, cakes, loaves differs a bit. But I have different banana cake and loaf recipes on my blog if you are not in the mood for muffins. Just search for banana and you will find something you like 🙂 Have a wonderful day, Sabine
My kids would love these! Super easy!!
I'm sure your kids would love these! They are easy to make, and almost everyone loves banana and chocolate, right? Happy Easter, Karly!
These look and sound amazing, such a great idea with the banana chunks...now I want to go to San Francisco!!! great post and recipe 🙂
Thank you so much, Albert! I lost my heart in San Francisco. The food is incredibly delicious and the city is just magical. Happy Easter!
Gotta love the moistness bananas add to cakes/muffins- and the fact that they're so easy to make too! These look amazing, I wish I had a batch of these ready for breakfast tomorrow morning! (Shame the banana I just bought are far fromrip!) Love the idea of banana chunks too- I bet these tasted amazing!
Thank you so much, Yvonne. They are a great way to start the day. You are true, the bananas add an extra moistness to the muffins. I love to have fresh banana chunks in cakes or muffins. Happy Easter.