Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins
These Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins are a marriage between my chocolate chip banana bread and a muffin, using over-ripe bananas, chopped chocolate chunks, and a touch of sour cream to keep them moist. Enjoy your banana chocolate chunk muffins warm with from oven for the biggest puddles of melted chocolate, or serve them the next day with a smear of butter.
Hit that Jump to Recipe button, or read on for all the tips and tricks for this chocolate banana muffin recipe and learn the difference between muffins and cupcakes. Hint: these chocolate chunk banana muffins are really just a socially acceptable way to eat cake for breakfast.
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Ingredients
Very ripe bananas are best for baking – whether you’re making simple mini banana muffins or an indulgent Nutella banana bread. The blacker the peel, the better, because bananas continue to get sweeter as they ripen.
The chocolate chunks are just as critical as the bananas. I still prefer regular chocolate chips in my chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, but there’s something about the irregular chunks of chocolate, chocolate shards and chocolate dust that makes these chocolate banana muffins a favorite.
Chop a bar of good semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate – I recommend either Ghirardelli or Callebaut – for irregular pieces that melt better and make the chocolate taste permeate through the banana muffins. Avoid milk chocolate here.
Sour cream keeps the muffins soft and tender. You’ll probably end up with leftover sour cream which you can then use in my Taco Meatloaf, Turkey Meatball Stroganoff, or my family’s favorite sumac sauce.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- For convenience, use store-bought chocolate chunks or use chocolate chips for banana chocolate chip muffins.
- Add one teaspoon of cinnamon or espresso powder to the dry ingredients.
- Top with a Nutella ganache frosting!
Recipe tips and tricks
This recipe uses the creaming method instead of the muffin method in a typical muffin baking ratio. First creaming butter and sugar together creates a slightly denser, more cake-like texture – exactly what I was going for with these chocolate chunk banana muffins, um, cupcakes.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about five to seven minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each. Then mix in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until no traces of dry ingredients remain – do not over mix. Then add the chocolate chunks.
Use a large cookie scoop or two spoons to fill the lined muffin tins about three-quarters of the way full. Then bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the muffin tops are light brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool for five minutes in the muffin tin and then remove the banana chocolate chunk muffins to cool completely on a baking rack.
Recipe FAQs
It’s not just about the frosting. Muffins made with the muffin method tend to have a denser texture, often with less sugar and butter than cupcakes. Cupcakes have a finer crumb.
Absolutely! These chocolate chunk banana muffins will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for two to three days. Or you can freeze them in a freezer bag for three months.
Yes! If I have ripe bananas and I’m not in the mood to make banana bread or a berry banana smoothie bowl, I peel the bananas and freeze them in a freezer bag.
Related muffin recipes
Check out other muffin and other breakfast recipes from the archives, like
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Recipe
Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup banana from two or three very ripe bananas
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 grams) sour cream
- 1 cup (120 grams) chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the muffin cups with butter.
- Mash the bananas in a small bowl and set aside.1 cup banana
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Beat the butter and sugar together using a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy, about five to seven minutes.8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Mix in the mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup (60 grams) sour cream
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently. Mix until just combined and no traces of the dry ingredients remain.
- Stir in the chocolate chunks by hand., then scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full.1 cup (120 grams) chocolate chunks
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the center of your oven, until the banana muffins are just lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Or eat one warm—no judgment!
Notes
Nutrition
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