Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins Recipe with Melting Chunks

These Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins blend the best of banana bread and chocolate chip muffins. This easy, no-mixer recipe takes under an hour from start to finish and yields tender, chocolate-studded muffins that are perfect for breakfast, snacks, or brunch.

These muffins are moist, fluffy, and packed with banana flavor. They’re simple to make by hand and travel well, so they’re great for sharing. With ripe bananas and a bit of oil plus butter, they stay soft for days. You can also customize the mix-ins to your taste—chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, or even nuts and peanut butter chips work wonderfully.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It’s a delicious way to use overripe bananas—no waste, lots of flavor.
• Minimal equipment and no mixer required: you can make these by hand in a few simple steps.
• Muffins stay moist for days thanks to ripe bananas and oil in the batter.
• Easy to make ahead and perfect for grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ⅔ cup (146 g) packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 medium to large overripe bananas (about 280 g total, ~1¼ cups mashed)
• 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (dark, semisweet, or milk)

Substitutions & variations

• You can use only oil or only butter if you prefer.
• Swap granulated sugar for the brown sugar, or use a mix of both.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg for extra warmth.
• Use chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, or a mix of chocolate and peanut butter chips.
• Fold in ½–¾ cup toasted nuts instead of or in addition to chocolate.

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Melt the butter and let it cool to room temperature.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Step 3: Peel and mash the overripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Set aside.

Step 4: In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, cooled melted butter, and oil. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas until well combined.

Step 5: Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined—there should still be a few streaks of flour. Avoid overmixing.

Step 6: Fold in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate gently.

Step 7: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups and top with extra chocolate if desired.

Step 8: Bake at 425°F for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (do not open the oven door; just lower the temperature) and bake an additional 7–8 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Step 9: Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe FAQs

Expert tips

• Choose bananas that are heavily speckled or almost entirely brown for the best flavor.
• Mix the batter just until combined—overmixing yields tougher muffins.
• Measure flour accurately by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off, or weigh it for best results.