Soft and moist Banana Muffins with melty chocolate chips are the ultimate treat and are a great way to use overripe bananas. These banana chocolate chip muffins take less than 30 minutes to whip up, so they are perfect for meal prep, sharing with neighbors and coworkers, and a quick recipe to bake with kids.
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Helpful Reader Review
“My kiddos loved how these turned out. I loved making these for us all. The easiest most delicious and moist muffins. I’ve made this 4 times already and came here to make it for the 5th time. I can tell this is going to be a repeat recipe for me so I better memorize now.“ – Fayeza ★★★★★
Banana Muffins Video
Watch me turn those brown, overripe bananas into the best banana bread muffins with chocolate chips. See how easy this recipe truly is, and then let’s get baking!
Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you’re staring at a few browning, speckled bananas on the counter, please don’t toss them! Those ripe bananas add the perfect natural sweetness to this banana muffin recipe. The browner the better, in fact! Once they are smashed up and baked into muffins, you’ll never see how brown they started anyway.
We’ve had so many questions about turning our chocolate chip banana bread into muffins so here you go – your guide to the best banana muffins! While we love classic banana bread, these muffins bake fast (25 minutes), and are irresistible with melted chocolate morsels.
Banana Muffin Ingredients
Whip up these banana muffins with just a few pantry staples, like flour and sugar. You’ll need 30 minutes and a muffin pan for the single-serving-sized treats.
- Dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar
- Wet ingredients – unsalted butter (to control the sodium level), eggs, and vanilla
- Ripe Bananas – 3 medium-sized bananas (about 1 cup) mashed up. Browned bananas work best since they have the most natural sugar. If they aren’t quite ripe, see my tips below on how to ripen them quickly.
- Chocolate Chips – we prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use any kind you prefer. You can omit if you’d prefer, or also substitute the chocolate chips with an equal amount of toasted chopped pecans or walnuts to make banana nut muffins, or replace them with raisins for banana raisin muffins.
Pro Tip:
To ripen bananas in 24 hours, place the bunch into a brown bag, close it, and store it on the counter for 24 hours. You can also bake almost-ripe bananas in the oven at 250°F for 15-20 minutes.
Can I use Frozen Bananas in Banana Bread Muffins?
If you have overripe bananas and aren’t ready to use them, toss them in a ziploc (peel on) and freeze them for later. Before adding frozen ripe bananas to the recipe, thaw completely at room temperature, or in the refrigerator overnight. Frozen bananas tend to release more moisture, so peel and lightly pat dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid.
How to Make Banana Muffins
Our easy Banana Muffins recipe comes together in just a few minutes and has that irresistible banana flavor and a moist, spongy crumb.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and place liners in a 12-count muffin tin.
- Cream together butter and sugar, then mix in lightly beaten eggs.
- Add mashed bananas and vanilla.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt, then mix into the batter. Fold in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
- Scoop batter into your lined muffin tin (a trigger-release ice cream scoop makes it easy), sprinkle with chocolate chips, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Natasha’s Tips for The Best Banana Muffins
There are 3 “secrets” or key points for achieving tender and moist muffins:
- Use very ripe or overripe bananas. Underripe bananas will be difficult to mash and won’t incorporate into the batter well.
- Do not skimp on the butter. Since there is no other ‘liquid’ in this recipe, softened butter is needed for a soft and moist crumb. Watch our video on how to soften butter in 5 minutes.
- Don’t over-bake. If you’re wondering how long to bake banana muffins, test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center after 25 minutes and continue baking only if you see wet batter on the toothpick.
Please DO NOT throw away your overripe bananas because they are the secret ingredient for these moist and delicious banana muffins. The browner and spottier the peel, the better!
What is YOUR favorite way to use overripe bananas?
Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (8 Tbsp), softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp, lightly beaten
- 3 bananas, very ripe, coarsely mashed with a fork
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚ F and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together 8 Tbsp softened butter with 2/3 cup sugar. Add 2 lightly beaten eggs.
- Add 3 mashed bananas and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix until blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until incorporated.
- Fold in 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly into your 12-count muffin tin and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips evenly over the tops. Bake at 350˚F on the center rack for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a baking rack to cool to room temperature.
Notes
- Room Temperature: Cooled muffins keep well on the counter in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Place cooled muffins in an airtight freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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This recipe was fast to make and absolutely delicious! I made the muffins without the chocolate chips because I did not have any on hand. Also, I did not have baking soda, so I used baking powder in lieu of that. However, they were very tasty and super moist. Perfect use of leftover bananas!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Ivey!
Hey Natasha can you use self rising flour instead of all purpose flour.
Hi Cassidy, I haven’t tested here to advise for this recipe. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I trend towards healthy banana muffin recipes with unrefined sugars and alternative flours, to up the nutrition density, but today I was craving a quintessential banana chocolate chip muffin made with simple, traditional ingredients. This is it! They’re insanely delicious- hot from the oven or room temp- and baked to perfection in 25 minutes. Moist, flavorful & perfectly sweetened. This will be my go-to decadent banana chocolate chip muffin recipe for times when I want a splurge!
I’m so glad these were a hit, RB! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I have made these many times and I even made them today! The great thing is you can choose what you want to put in them…either choc. chips, nuts, raisins or make them just plain.
They taste wonderful whatever way you like it. We love them!
Yes that’s right, the recipe is so versatile. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Looks awesome! Can Almond flour be substituted for all purpose flour?
Hi Christina, I honestly haven’t tested that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Very moist and love the combination of bananas and chocolate chips! Super easy to make and loved by all!
Thank you for your great review!
So easy and so delicious!! I shared this recipe with friends on Instagram and everyone who made them absolutely loved them!!
Aren’t they great! I’m so glad you all loved this recipe!
Hi Natasha, may I know the estimate weight of one banana used in the recipe? Does the size of the banana matters? The sizes of banana varies a lot locally from where I come from. Thanks in advance!
Hi Amanda, we use medium-sized bananas but it is about 2 cups mashed bananas.
Thank you so much for the reply, my bananas will be ready today! Can’t wait to try!
Hi Natasha! I had a quick question. I only have 2 bananas on hand. I’m assuming I have to adjust the other ingredients.
I absolutely love all of your recipes! They never last in my house!
Thank you
Hi Tracy, I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes. If you go to the recipe card and click Servings, it will adjust the ingredients too. Hope that helps!
I made this today and it’s so good!! I only added 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips, I figure it’s sweet already and it was perfect! Also, I did not have muffin liners, so I just sprayed my muffin pan with baking spray. Thank you for your recipe, Natasha! I want you to know that your blueberry lemon cake is my eldest son’s fave cake, we make it often. This will be my banana muffin go-to recipe from now on.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed the muffins and your son loves the blueberry lemon cake, it’s one of my favs too!
This is such an easy and fantastic recipe! I have made this multiple times and they are just perfect.
So glad to hear that, this is a recipe that you can def count on!
Recipe made twelve perfect muffins! Every so often, I find myself with more than one overripe bananas on the counter and go browsing for a banana bread recipe. Happened upon yours that adds chocolate chips and decided to give it a go. Not only was the recipe easy to follow, didn’t have to venture out shopping for anything-huge plus for me on a Sun morn. They are delicious, the house smells great and am lookin forward to checking out some of the other recipes here. Can’t believe I have never tried with choc chips!!
They are also awesome with choco chips, hope you can try them next time. Glad you loved this recipe, thanks for your review!
I just made them for the 2nd time and they are sooooo good!
Thanks for the recipe……
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mary!
My 13 year old nephew loves banana/chocolate combo and has started baking with me this past year. This is his favorite recipe so far, we also like to add about 3/4 cup or toasted walnuts in the batter. I love all your recipes and thank you for the endless inspiration!
I bet this is so good with walnuts! Thank you for that wonderful review, Sita!
Hi, Just wondering how well these will freeze?
Hi Rebecca, I haven’t tried that, but I bet that will work! If you happen to try it out, I’d love to know how you like that.
I have almost the same recipe only I add Cinnamon Chips instead of chocolate chips. They literally disappear in one day. Nothing better than a hot banana muffin with butter on it.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jessie! These totally go fast! I’m glad you all loved them!
These are great! I substituted same amount of chocolate chips with a mixture of raisins and glacé cherries (I’ve had these in my fridge for years!) and these came out so moist and fluffy. Recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Hi Joanne, that’s great! Thank you for sharing your experience trying out this recipe, glad you loved it!
These are the best! They are moist, fluffy, flavoursome, and not gummy at all. Your trick for this recipe is not to overmix the dry and wet ingredients together, plus using only butter makes it cleaner tasting. Thank you for inspiring us with your fabulous techniques and recipes.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Prudence!
These are great, but made 24!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Susan!
I got eighteen.
Wow! These muffins are fabulous. I moved and could’ve find my loaf pan so I used the silicone muffin cups. Just used choc chips and no nuts. Sooo yummy!
Hi Sandy, so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing that with us.