These moist and flavorful Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins are incredibly delicious, easy, and filled with chunks of ripe bananas. They're perfect for breakfast, brunch, of if you're in the mood for a delicious snack!
Move over banana bread, these Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins are the new favorite around here! They're moist, fluffy, and filled with flavor! These chocolate chip banana muffins are easy to make, take very little time, and a quick treat to have on hand. They're perfect for any holiday gathering, or just have for a quick delicious snack. Make them for breakfast meal-prep and you're good to go all week.
The secret to these banana muffins are the addition of the espresso powder. A whole teaspoon is added to the batter to create a more delicious flavor that complements the chocolate and bananas so well. If you're an espresso lover, try my Brown Butter Banana Cake that features an espresso cream cheese frosting.
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Moist & Flavorful - These banana muffins are incredibly moist from the bananas, as well as the oil and sour cream!
Chocolate - The added chocolate chunks in these muffins go incredibly well with the bananas, just like my Chocolate Chip Banana Bundt Cake.
Quick and Easy - If you want an easy muffin recipe, but low on time, these are perfect. They whip up quickly and they're so easy to put together.
Secret Ingredient - The espresso powder is my secret ingredient. It adds a layer of flavor that you won't get from regular banana muffins, and it works SO well with the chocolate. You could skip it, but I REALLY recommend that you don't.
Brunch - These are PERFECT for brunch, breakfast, or a holiday gathering. Whip them in a few a minutes, and you'll have muffins ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Banana: Use very ripe bananas. For this recipe I used three large ripe banana, which is around 1 ½ cups of mashed bananas. If you don't have ripe bananas but would like to make this cake, see notes below for how to ripen bananas quickly.
- Flour: All purpose flour gives this cake the best crumb. Use a scale when measuring to get the best results.
- Leaveners: Both baking powder and baking soda are used to help the muffins rise.
- Espresso powder: The secret to these delicious muffins is the espresso powder. It gives it hints of flavor, without it being overpowering. It also complements the chocolate and bananas very well.
- Salt: Always needed in cake.
- Sugar: I use both brown sugar as well as granulated sugar.
- Oil: Vegetable or any neutral oil.
- Eggs: Room temperature, large eggs.
- Sour cream: Just a little sour cream for extra moisture in these muffins.
- Chocolate: I like to use chopped chocolate, but you could use chocolate chips as well. I would suggest using mini chocolate chips.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Cupcake pan: You'll need cupcake/muffin pan.
Mixing bowls: I love using glass Mixing Bowls when making batters and doughs.
⇄ Substitutions
Neutral oil - You can use any type of neutral oil, from vegetable, canola, avocado, or even a light olive oil.
Yogurt - if you don't have any sour cream on hand, you can substitute it for full fat greek yogurt
Chocolate - Instead of chocolate chunks, swap it for mini chocolate chips.
✨ Variations
Nuts - Add some walnuts or pecans for an extra crunch and more texture.
Spices - Add a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg, or any other spices you like to add to your banana muffins, like my Spiced Banana Cake.
Streusel - You could jazz it up with a streusel on top before popping it into the oven.
Turbinado sugar - Sprinkle some turbinado sugar on top before baking for an extra crunch and sweetness.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, espresso powder, and chocolate chunks and whisk until completely combined.
💡 Hint: If you don't have any ripe bananas but want to make this recipe, bake bananas on a lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F. for about 15 minutes until the peels are black. Let them cool, then peel and scoop out the bananas.
Step 2
In a large bowl, add ripe bananas, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract, and whisk until all is completely incorporated.
Step 3
Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and mix using a spatula until just combined (don't over mix).
Step 4
What batter should look like once it's all combined.
🎩Trick: Baking muffins at high temperature for 5-7 minutes promotes a quicker rise, yielding in slightly higher muffins, with crispier edges and delicious centers.
Step 5
Scoop batter into each cupcake liner, filling to the top of the liner (see image). Top with chocolate chunks.
Bake for 7 minutes at 425℉ / 218℃, then reduce the heat to 350℉ / 180℃ and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean, with a few moist crumbs.
💬 FAQ
If you don't have any ripe bananas but want to make this recipe, bake bananas on a lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F. for about 15 minutes until the peels are black.
Baking the muffins at a high temperature for the first 7 minutes will promote a quicker rise, which yields slightly higher muffins, with crispier edges and delicious centers.
Yes, swap out the sour cream for a dairy-free version, or use applesauce in its place.
This chocolate chip banana muffin recipe calls for both oil and sour cream, which both help create moisture in the muffins.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Don't over mix: Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing.
High temperature - Don't skip this step! Bake for 7 minutes at high temperature to get taller muffins, with tender and moist centers.
Lower the temperature - Don't forget to lower the temperature after the initial 7 minutes. Otherwise, your muffins could burn.
Fill the liners - Make sure to fill the liners (as shown in the picture). This batter is enough for 12 muffins, and it doesn't create any issues or messes to fill them up to the top of the liner.
Ripe bananas - If you don't have any ripe bananas but want to make this recipe, bake bananas on a lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F. for about 15 minutes until the peels are black. Let them cool, then peel and scoop out the bananas.
❄ Storage
Room Temperature - Store these Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins in an airtight container for about 3 days.
Freezer - You can wrap them individually, then store them in the freezer for about 2-3 months.
📖 Recipe Card
Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins
Equipment
- 1 12-cup muffin or cupcake pan
- cupcake liners
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (180 g) (180g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional, but highly recommended
- ½ cup (100 g) chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips I use 70% cocoa dark chocolate bar, cut into small chunks (reserve some to add to the top)
- 1½ cups (350 g) overripe bananas, mashed (around 3 large bananas)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 2 tablespoon (30 g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ / 218℃. Line a 12 cup muffin/cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, espresso powder, and chocolate chunks and whisk until completely combined.1½ cups (180g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, ½ cup chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips
- In a large bowl, add ripe bananas, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract, and whisk until all is completely incorporated.1½ cups overripe bananas, mashed (around 3 large bananas), ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, packed, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 2 tablespoon sour cream, ¼ cup neutral oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and mix using a spatula until just combined (don't over mix).
- Scoop batter into each cupcake liner, filling to the top of the liner (see image). Top with chocolate chunks.
- Bake for 7 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350℉ / 180℃ and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean, with a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes in the pan before removing.
- Once cooled completely, the chocolate will harden. I suggest warming it for 10 seconds when you want to eat them.
I made this, this is so so good. Can't wait to try other recipes. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for the review! So glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Moist banana muffins that are easy to make. I added some chopped toasted pecans. Wonderful. Thank you.
Oooh toasted pecans sounds amazing! Thanks for the review, Ruth! 🙂
I made these in one bowl and they were easy and quick. Results were great. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you so much for the review, Lexi! Appreciate it. 🙂
Super moist and easy to make. I love one bowl recipes. Thanks!
yay! Thanks for the review, Holly!
Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
I've never had banana muffins with espresso, but it was delicious. Thanks for the tip on ripening bananas since mine weren't ready. Great recipe.