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Home / Recipes / Breakfast / Muffins / Healthier Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Healthier Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

30 mins
| 3 Comments |
5 from 8 votes
Jump to Recipe 02/22/21 | Updated: 02/22/21 | by Nora
These healthier double chocolate banana muffins are loaded with extra mashed bananas, dark chocolate chips and whole wheat for healthy goodness. A short ingredient list and easy instructions make them quick and simple to assemble. Sneak them into a lunch box or make them for a special breakfast or weekend brunch. Thanks to all the banana they are incredibly moist. If you want to prep them ahead, they can easily go into the freezer! | #healthy #healthybreakfast #muffins

These healthier double chocolate banana muffins are loaded with mashed bananas and dark chocolate chips for a whole bunch of delicious goodness. A short ingredient list and easy instructions make them quick and simple to assemble.

overhead view of chocolate banana muffins on white plate

I love, love, LOVE chocolate and banana together. You don’t want to know how many times in my life I’ve made this One Bowl Chocolate Banana Bread.

Sneak them into a lunch box as a surprise or make them for a special breakfast or weekend brunch. Thanks to all the banana in them they are incredibly moist and keep well for a few days. If you want to make them ahead, they can easily go into the freezer to save them for later.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for chocolate banana muffins with text labels
Ingredients for Chocolate Banana Muffins: Flour (whole wheat, white whole wheat or regular all work!), cocoa powder, granulate sugar, bananas, oil, egg, milk, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chunks.

Ingredient notes

  • Bananas: Please use overripe bananas for these muffins! A lot of the flavor and sweetness comes from this very soft and sweet fruit, so the muffins will not taste the same if your bananas aren’t overripe.
  • Flour: All-purpose, whole wheat or white whole wheat flour all work here. If using whole wheat or white whole wheat, add 1-2 extra tablespoons of milk.
  • Oil: I used canola oil, feel free to use any neutral vegetable oil suitable for cooking and baking you have. Melted coconut oil also works great, and so does melted butter!
  • Milk: Any milk you like can work here. Cow’s milk or plant-based doesn’t matter. This is a great recipe to make dairy-free with something like almond milk and dairy-free dark chocolate chunks.
  • Chocolate: I love using dark chocolate chunks (I just chop up a bar), but feel free to use milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips instead!

How to make Chocolate Banana Muffins

Start by lining your muffin pan and preheating your oven!

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. I use a whisk to make sure the baking powder and baking soda are evenly distributed.

photo collage to show how to combine dry ingredients for chocolate banana muffins

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Then add the remaining wet ingredients and mix well.

photo collage to show how to combine wet ingredients for chocolate banana muffins

3. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Now you’ll want to fold the two together, but only just until combined.

You mustn’t overmix this batter, and please use a spatula or wooden spoon for this step. Do not combine the wet and dry ingredients using a whisk!

photo collage to show how to combine batter for chocolate banana muffins

4. Now just fold in the chocolate chunks, divide the batter between the lined muffin cups and bake!

photo collage to show how to assemble chocolate banana muffins into muffin pan

I added some extra chocolate chunks and banana slices on top of the muffins, but that’s just for looks 😉 I also sprinkle some flaky sea salt on top of the muffins once they cooled down, and that wasn’t just for looks – it’s really tasty, too!

chocolate banana muffins on cooling rack

Recipe tips

Do not overmix

The most important part of any muffin recipe is to not overmix the wet and dry ingredients.

If you overmix them, the gluten in the flour develops into long strands, which gives baked goods a chewy texture. That’s great in pizza dough, but not so great in muffins!

So if you want a nicely domed, light muffin – mix the wet and dry ingredients until you JUST can’t make out dry flour patches anymore.

Banana ripeness

It’s OK if they’re not all the way black (bananas NEVER last that long in our house), but don’t use ones that are just ripe/still green, because they won’t sweeten the muffins enough.

Cooling

Leave them in the pan for the first 5 minutes after baking, so they can cool down a bit and firm up before you touch them.

But then get them out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. Why? Because the heat will collect at the bottom of the muffin pan cavities, and make the muffins “sweat”.

That moisture will give your muffins the elusive “soggy bottom” – something you definitely want to avoid!

overhead view of chocolate banana muffin on marble surface

Storage tips

Counter: The muffins keep well for a few of days if you store them in an airtight container. They will get dry over time, but thanks to initially being very moist they are still very delicious even after three or four days.

Freezer: You can easily freeze them for up to three months, too. I would advice to freeze them in freezer containers, making sure they don’t touch so you can just grab however many you need to defrost at a time.

close up photo of halved chocolate banana muffin on plate

More baking ideas

  • Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
  • Whole Wheat Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread
  • Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
  • Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!

Printable Recipe Card
overhead view of chocolate banana muffins on white plate
Save Recipe Saved!

Healthier Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

These healthier double chocolate banana muffins are loaded with extra mashed bananas, dark chocolate chips and whole wheat for a whole bunch of healthy goodness.
Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
5 from 8 votes
Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 10 mins
Cook 20 mins
Total 30 mins
Servings 12 muffins
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 1 cup mashed bananas about 3 medium
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 ounces dark chocolate chunks or chips

Instructions
 

  • Line a 12 cavity muffin tin with muffin liners (or spray with non stick spray). Preheat the oven to 360°F.
  • Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
  • In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the oil, mashed bananas, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla extract. Pour these wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour mix and fold together with a spatula until just combined. A few lumps are OKI!
  • Fold in the chocolate chips. Evenly distribute the batter between the prepared muffin cups. (There are about 3 tablespoons of batter per muffin.)
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
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Notes

Ingredient notes

  • Bananas: Please use overripe bananas for these muffins! A lot of the flavor and sweetness comes from this very soft and sweet fruit, so the muffins will not taste the same if your bananas aren’t overripe.
  • Flour: All-purpose, whole wheat or white whole wheat flour all work here. If using whole wheat or white whole wheat, add 1-2 extra tablespoons of milk.
  • Oil: I used canola oil, feel free to use any neutral vegetable oil suitable for cooking and baking you have. Melted coconut oil also works great, and so does melted butter!
  • Milk: Any milk you like can work here. Cow’s milk or plant-based doesn’t matter. This is a great recipe to make dairy-free with something like almond milk and dairy-free dark chocolate chunks.
  • Chocolate: I love using dark chocolate chunks (I just chop up a bar), but feel free to use milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips instead!

Recipe tips

  • Make sure you do not overmix the batter, otherwise the muffins will come out dense and gummy.
  • Leave the muffins to cool in the pan for the first 5 minutes after baking, so they can cool down a bit and firm up before you remove them to a cooling rack.

Storage tips

Counter: The muffins keep well for a few of days if you store them in an airtight container. They will get dry over time, but thanks to initially being very moist they are still very delicious even after three or four days.
Freezer: You can easily freeze them for up to three months, too. I would advice to freeze them in freezer containers, making sure they don’t touch so you can just grab however many you need to defrost at a time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffinCalories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 57mgPotassium: 191mgFiber: 3gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 28IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Suitable for: Vegetarian
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine: American

Recipe first published on 03/14/2017. Republished with new photos, video and better text on 02/22/2021.

Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
About Nora 
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

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Comments

  1. Sandy says

    September 17, 2020 at 1:47 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! I added one half cup blueberries and it was fine

    Reply
  2. Amanda says

    January 08, 2019 at 7:12 pm

    5 stars
    Hi,
    Any estimation on the amount of protein in a muffin? I substituted plain Greek yogurt for the oil and they were delicious!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      January 10, 2019 at 8:39 pm

      Hi Amanda, glad the muffins were delicious! You can easily calculate the protein content and all nutrition by entering the ingredients into MyFitnessPal. I’m working on adding nutrition information to all the recipes, but it’s a slow process 🙈

      Reply

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Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings

Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

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