Banana Chocolate Muffins
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Banana chocolate muffins—moist, a little crumbly, not too sweet. Mashed ripe bananas with hints of cinnamon cut with vegetable oil for lightness. Uses baking powder and soda for rise; sugar mix includes light brown for a touch of molasses. Chocolate chips folded in twice: batter and tops. Bakes till golden, toothpick test a must; watch texture. Eighteen muffins, each bite rich with banana aroma and pockets of melted chocolate. No fuss. Ingredients swapped—olive oil instead of veg oil for earthiness, less sugar to avoid sickly sweetness. Baking time tweaked upward slightly for denser but tender crumb. Great midweek fix or brunch companion.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
25 min
Total:
40 min
Servings:
18 servings
#baking
#muffins
#banana
#chocolate
#olive oil
#cinnamon
#dessert
Banana chocolate muffins always a gamble if you rush or mess the mix. Learned that flipping between wet and dry steps—that gentle fold, not a furious stir—makes all difference. Ol’ veg oil always turns bitter on me so olive oil now, smooth earth tones add subtle background note. Light brown sugar had to halve from original to keep it from tasting like candy bar. And cinnamon? Essential; bites without it suddenly dull. Chocolate chips? Better sprinkled on top at the end, melts just right, little pockets you bite and get that heat burst. Baking times vary—watch color, springs-back touch. Patience makes crumb springy, moist not gluey. Eighteen muffins, great number for share or freezer stash. Perfectly imperfect little loafs bursting banana scent in the kitchen.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
About the ingredients
Flour requirement standard but sift if you like airier crumb. Sub olive oil for vegetal oils for better flavor and moisture; avoids greasy feel. Sugar split between granulated and brown keeps balance—brown gives caramel notes, granulated keeps sweetness clear. Baking soda and powder combo needed—powder for lift, soda to cut acidity from bananas. Bananas must be very ripe; not too mushy or your batter gets runny and won’t hold shape. Can switch eggs for flax eggs if vegan; texture slightly different, more delicate. Semisweet chips best but dark ones add richness if you prefer. Cinnamon optional but recommended; try nutmeg or cardamom for spin. Salt enhances sweetness, don’t skip. Vanilla a must, no substitute.
Method
- Preheat oven to 355F. Line two standard muffin tins with 18 paper liners—skip grease; liners good here.
- In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. Whisk to combine evenly. Set aside.
- In small bowl, mash bananas with fork till mostly smooth but a few lumps don't hurt the texture.
- Add olive oil, vanilla, eggs, light brown sugar to bananas. Stir just till blended. Don’t overwork; batter gets tough otherwise.
- Add wet mixture to dry ingredients. Fold gently with sturdy spatula till just combined—still some dry streaks better than overmixed batter. Fold in ¾ cup chocolate chips carefully.
- Divide batter evenly among liners. Fill ¾ full is key for good dome rise without overflow.
- Scatter remaining chocolate chips on tops, press slightly to set them in place.
- Bake 23-27 minutes. Watch for golden edges; tops spring back lightly when touched. Toothpick test essential—should come out clean or with few moist crumbs.
- Let cool completely in pan before unwrapping muffins. Warmer muffins—too soft inside, fall apart.
- Store leftovers airtight; they keep moist 2 days. Freeze for longer.
Cooking tips
Preheat early. Always use paper liners—clean, no stick fuss. Dry ingredients mixed well first ensure uniform leavening. Mash bananas but leave slight texture; texture makes muffins less dense. Blend wet ingredients gently, less stirring means tender crumb. Combine wet/dry with care; overmixing pulls out gluten—tough muffins, no joy. Chocolate chips folded carefully so they don’t stain batter waves but distribute nicely. Filling liners ¾ prevents overflow and uneven bake. Chocolate chips on top add bursts of melty goodness and visual appeal. Bake until golden edges, tester clean with moist crumbs fine. Cooling in pan firm ups muffins; handling warm invites disaster. Store airtight to prevent drying out; freeze wrapped to hold freshness longer. Watch kitchen smells—banana and cinnamon rise enticing before timer goes.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Dry ingredients mixed first. Coarser cinnamon works fine; whisk well to spread evenly. Baking powder and soda combo needed—powder lifts, soda tames banana acidity. Avoid overmixing at wet/dry stage; better slight streaks than glue. Fold chocolate chips in two stages for even pockets and top melt bursts. Filling liners ¾ full avoids overflow that ruins muffin shape. Olive oil swap for veg oil adds earthiness, cuts bitterness I hit before. Bananas must be very ripe but not soupy; texture helps crumb hold. Slight lumps in mashed banana give crumb body, not toughness.
- 💡 Batter texture key. Stir just to blend wet ingredients; too much and muffin crumb gets rubbery. Watch for color changes during baking—edges golden mean set crumb. Tops spring back lightly when poked, toothpick test with moist crumb okay. Cooling inside pan firms structure; unwrap warm muffins invite crumbling disaster. Avoid grease with paper liners—they keep edges clean without stuck bits. I skip grease, liners hold moisture but avoid soggy bottom risk. Scatter extra chocolate chips on top right before bake; pressing slightly sets them in place, looks rustic but works.
- 💡 Modify sugar for less sweet. Brown sugar adds caramel notes while granulated keeps sweetness clean. Halving brown sugar avoids overwhelming candy-like taste I noticed before. Cinnamon important but tweak or try nutmeg, cardamom for variations—skip salt and sweetness dulls. Vanilla extract non-negotiable; adds depth no substitute nails. Swap eggs for flax for vegan, but crumb gets more fragile, needs gentler fold. Don’t overwork; gluten develops toughies. Oven temp 355F for right rise, tweak timing up a few minutes if you use denser bananas or oil changes.
- 💡 Texture and timing dance. Baked too short means gummy center, too long dries crumb out hard. Watch muffin edge color, smell cinnamon and distinct banana aroma peaking. Muffin tops should feel springy not mushy when touched. Toothpick test fail means bake longer but check often. Cooling on rack after pan cooling sometimes helps but pan cool first to firm up crumb. Store airtight at room temp for 2 days; fridge dries quick. Freeze wrapped for longer keeping but expect slight texture shift after thaw. Reheat gently to regain softness—microwave short bursts only.
- 💡 Paper liners mandatory. No oil or butter greasing needed with them, cuts fat mess and keeps muffin base intact. Filling batter ¾ full keys dome rise; overfilling spills melt chocolate wild and ruins tops. If using dark chocolate chips, they add richness but melt slower—adjust bake time slightly if needed. Bananas must have good ripeness balance—too mushy batter runs, too firm means dry crumb. Texture cues over timer alone. Patience on fold; vigorous mixing pulls gluten, makes dense muffins. Chocolate chips folded gently prevent streak marks and uneven distribution.
Common questions
Can I substitute vegetable oil?
Olive oil works well, adds earthier note. Butter possible but changes texture, denser crumb. Coconut oil too, but flavors banana differently. Avoid strong oils that overpower. Olive oil tempers bitterness veg oils sometimes bring.
How ripe should bananas be?
Really ripe, heavily spotted or almost brown. Not black mush; mushy causes runny batter, no rise. Slight lumps in mash good for texture, too smooth yields flat muffins. Too firm bananas dry out crumb, less aroma. Find balance by feel and look.
Why do muffins turn dense or tough?
Overmixing batter pulls gluten, tough crumb. Stir wet ingredients gently only, fold dry in carefully. Watch timing; overbaking dries texture too. Too much flour also culprit; measure carefully. Too little baking powder/soda messes rise.
What's best storage?
Airtight container at room temp up to 2 days keeps moist crumb. Fridge dries muffins fast, avoid unless hot kitchen. Freeze wrapped well for longer; thaw slowly, maybe microwave short bursts to refresh softness. Avoid unwrapped storage; crumbs dry fast.
