Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Why You'll Love These Banana Muffins

It's no secret that I love banana muffins, and one of my favorite variations is banana chocolate chunk muffins because they are just walloped with chocolate. These muffins are amazing when eaten warm - the chocolate pools into the soft muffin surrounding it - but they're also delicious straight from the fridge when the chocolate is cold and crunchy. You'll love these no matter what!

• So easy. One bowl is all you need to make banana chocolate chunk muffins!
• Anyone can make them. Did I mention the one-bowl thing? Yep, you need just one bowl and a spoon and/or whisk, which means basically anyone can whip up the batter in no time.
• The best ever banana muffins. This recipe is simple, but it delivers big on flavor, from the ripe, sweet bananas, a touch of cinnamon, and glorious chocolate chunks in every bite.

What You'll Need

• All-purpose flour - Use the spoon and level method for the best accuracy in measuring your flour!
• Rising agents - Baking powder and baking soda.
• Salt - I use fine sea salt and table salt will also work.
• Cinnamon
• Granulated sugar - For a slightly different flavor, substitute light or dark brown sugar, or try coconut sugar.
• Vegetable oil - You can substitute any type of oil you like here, including olive oil.
• Eggs - Large eggs brought to room temperature will easily blend into the batter.
• Bananas - Use ripe bananas for these muffins (I've included a few notes below on how ripe they should be!) for the most flavorful, sweet results. You'll need about 2 large or 3 medium bananas for this recipe.
• Chocolate - I used a dark chocolate bar and chopped it into chunks, but you can use any chocolate bar you like! Semisweet, milk chocolate, or even chocolate chips work great.

Scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

A Few Variations ...

Banana chocolate chunk muffins are, well, banana-y and chocolatey. I don't like to mess with a good thing, but you can totally make a few changes to the base recipe if you like (hint: add nuts or coconut!).

• Nuts - We always love nuts in our banana muffins! My favorite nut to add is chopped walnuts; chopped almonds or pecans are also very nice.
• Chocolate chips - Keep things easy and use 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips instead of the chopped chocolate.
• Whole wheat flour - Substitute ½ cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour, or use all whole wheat flour in place of the all-purpose flour for whole grain goodness.
• Coconut - Coconut flakes or shredded coconut add natural sweetness and texture. Try 1 cup stirred into the batter.
• Ginger - Add ½ teaspoon of ground ginger or 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger to the batter for a little kick.

Baking Tip: Use Ripe Bananas

What are the best bananas for baking? They tend to be the ones left on the counter that everyone avoids: very yellow with brown spots and streaks. Despite their appearance, this means the bananas are very ripe and perfect to tuck into a batter! In fact, the darker the banana, the better, because as the fruit ripens, it becomes sweeter and more flavorful.

Substitution Suggestions & Tips

• Fill the muffin cups ⅔ full for this recipe - While some muffin recipes advise filling the muffin cups to the brim, I've found that about ⅔ full is the sweet spot so that they rise nicely but don't overflow the cups.
• Adjust the sweetness - Bananas are very sweet on their own, and the riper they are, the sweeter they'll be. You can reduce the sugar if you like to ½ cup.
• Refined sugar-free - Add honey to the batter instead of the sugar, or use coconut sugar (the muffins will be a bit darker if you use coconut sugar).
• Add poppy seeds - For a little crunch, stir in 3 tablespoons of poppy seeds to the batter.
• Make 'em into applesauce muffins - Swap 1 cup of applesauce for the mashed bananas.
• Egg-free - Omit the egg to make these muffins vegan. They will be denser, but the bananas will work as a nice binder even without eggs.

Serving Options

Serve banana chocolate chunk muffins warm or at room temperature. I like a muffin spread with

• salted or unsalted butter
• a little Nutella
• peanut butter
• almond butter
• softened cream cheese

Proper Storage

• Counter - Place the cooled banana chocolate chunk muffins in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Fridge - Transfer the muffins in their container to the fridge, store them for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Add the muffins to a freezer-safe bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the muffins in the fridge before eating.