Oh Hey, Let Me Tell You About These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
You know those times when you buy a big bunch of bananas, swear you’ll eat them all, then… there’s those sad, speckled ones staring at you a week later? That’s me, almost every time. This recipe came from one of those days—the ones when the bananas are practically begging you to do something useful, but you’d rather just snack. Honestly, I started making these on rainy Saturdays, often with my little nephew “helping” (read: eating most of the chocolate chips before they hit the bowl). Anyway, these muffins are now the official family solution for banana surplus.
Why You’ll Probably Make These Again (And Again)
I make this recipe when I need breakfast and a treat at the same time, or when someone texts “I’m coming over in 20!” and I haven’t got a single biscuit in sight. My family goes mad for these, especially when they’re still a bit warm and the chocolate chips are melty (not exactly fancy-pants, but who cares?). Also, if you’ve ever ruined a muffin by making it too dry—uh, been there—this one’s almost foolproof. Not that I haven’t gotten distracted and overbaked them once or twice… but they were still good.
Here’s What You’ll Need (And What I Sub Sometimes)
- 3 ripe bananas (the riper, the better; I actually prefer them nearly black)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (sometimes I use coconut oil if I’m out of butter, and it’s actually not bad)
- 3/4 cup sugar (I’ve used brown sugar when that’s all I had, and the muffins turn out a tad more caramel-ly—they’re lush)
- 1 large egg (room temp if you can remember, but honestly cold eggs work)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Grandma swore by the fancy stuff, but supermarket own-brand works just fine for me)
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I once mixed in a little bit of whole wheat flour—didn’t notice a big difference)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Dash of salt (like, a good pinch; not too dramatic)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (any kind; use more or less, depending on your mood—sometimes I just chop up a big old choccy bar)
How I Actually Make These Muffins (Plus The Occasional Detour)
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Grab a 12-cup muffin tin and line with papers (sometimes I just grease the tin if I run out—no tragedy).
- Mash the bananas in a big bowl—get out some stress! Leave them a bit lumpy.
- Stir in the melted butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. This is the gloopy stage I usually sneak a taste. Don’t freak out if it looks weird—it always looks odd until you add the flour.
- In a smaller bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. I’ve been known to do this right on top of the wet ingredients with only minor chaos.
- Gently mix the dry stuff into the wet. Don’t over-mix! It should be combined but not smooth; lumps are your friend here.
- Fold in chocolate chips. I use a spoon but sometimes my hands when the chips clump up from the cold banana.
- Spoon batter into muffin cups. Fill ’em about two-thirds—if you go up to the top, sometimes they overflow and, well, it’s muffin chaos.
- Bake ~18-22 mins until golden and a toothpick (or a bit of spaghetti, let’s be honest) comes out mostly clean—chocolate smears don’t count.
- Cool in the pan 5ish minutes (if you can wait) before transferring to a wire rack. Good luck not eating one immediately.
Some Things I Learned The Hard Way
- If you use bananas that aren’t super ripe, your muffins will be bland. Wait ’til they look basically gone-off.
- Over-mixing gives you rubbery muffins. I did that once—bounced one off the floor and the dog chased it under the sofa. Lesson learned.
- Forgot baking soda once; muffins didn’t rise. Still tasty, but….flat.
More Ways I’ve Tried (Or Failed) With This Recipe
- Swapped chocolate chips for chopped walnuts once. Turns out my niece is allergic; stick with the basics unless you know your audience!
- I’ve tossed in a spoon of peanut butter—makes things richer.
- Cinnamon works well too, just a pinch, especially in winter
- Once tried adding blueberries: delicious, but they made the muffins a bit soggy. Maybe stick to chocolate (for these, anyway).
Don’t Stress About Equipment
I use a wooden spoon and a beat-up bowl. If you’ve got a stand mixer, go wild; if not, a regular spoon’s all you need. No muffin tin? I did these in a square cake tray once and just called it banana bread. Who’s gonna judge?
Keeping Them Fresh (Not That They Last Long)
Store in a container at room temp. They stay soft for a couple days. You could freeze ‘em, but honestly, they’re always gone before I get a chance. Sometimes I hide a couple to see if muffins taste better the next day (they kinda do)…
When To Serve—And How I Love To Eat Them
Perfect for breakfast with a cuppa, or my brother swears by them as a midnight snack (he dunks them straight into milk, which I find a bit odd, but hey). Oh, sometimes we split them and add a smear of peanut butter—heaven.
Things I Learned The Hard Way: My Pro Muffin Wisdom
- I once tried to rush the cooling. The result? Scalded fingers and melted chocolate smeared everywhere. Just wait the five minutes, trust me.
- Leaving the batter out too long before baking makes the muffins a bit dense (I got distracted by a phone call once, and… yeah, just bake right away).
FAQs—You Actually Asked, I Actually Answered
- Can I make these muffins without eggs?
- Yep, you can sub in a flax egg or even a bit of extra banana. Texture changes a smidge, but it works in a pinch.
- What if I only have frozen bananas?
- No worries! Just let them thaw and use all the liquid. Kinda gross-looking, but works great.
- Do I have to use muffin liners?
- Honestly, nah. Grease the pan well; cleanup might be trickier, but not impossible. I’ve done it loads of times!
- Can I double this recipe?
- Sure, if you actually have that many bananas lying about. Only thing—don’t overmix or the muffins get tough (experience talking…)
Anyway, hope you give these a whirl. They’re simple, adaptable, and probably the best excuse you’ll find for letting bananas go brown. Let me know if you invent a muffin twist that works better than my blueberry misadventure—I’d love to hear it, even if it’s just so I can say, “Told you so.”
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas (mashed)
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
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1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
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2In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas. Stir in the melted butter until well combined.
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3Mix in sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
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4In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
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5Gently fold in the chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
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6Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
CLICK FOR NUTRITION INFO
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Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size:
1 serving
Calories:
190 caloriescal
Protein:
3 gg
Fat:
7 gg
Saturated Fat:
0g
Trans Fat:
0g
Cholesterol:
0mg
Sodium:
0mg
Potassium:
0mg
Total Carbs:
30 gg
Fiber:
0g
Sugar:
0g
Net Carbs:
0g
Vitamin A:
0
Vitamin C:
0mg
Calcium:
0mg
Iron:
0mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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