These banana and chocolate muffins have an intensely chocolatey crumb thanks to dark chocolate, while the bananas bring sweetness and a gorgeous softness to the texture.
They're quick and simple to make, great fun to whip up with kids and an excellent way to use up overripe bananas.
Here's how to make them.
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate (bittersweet)
- 115 g (4.1 oz) slightly salted butter
- 100 g (3.5 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 ripe bananas 175g (6.2 oz) peeled weight
- 2 medium free range eggs
- 200 g (7.1 oz) self-raising white flour (self rising flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
Equipment
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F (180C/355F fan).
Put the chocolate, butter and sugar together in a large, microwave safe bowl.
Microwave the bowl in 30 second bursts, stirring between bursts until the butter and chocolate has melted.
Add the mashed bananas.
Whisk well. This also helps to cool the mixture down a little.
Add the eggs.
Whisk.
Add the flour and baking powder.
Fold through.
Line a muffin tray with muffin cases and spoon the mixture in evenly.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes until well risen and a rich chocolate brown.
Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Are you tempted to bake these at home?
Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect banana and chocolate muffins
Are banana and chocolate muffins easy to make?
Yes, these banana and chocolate muffins are a breeze to make!
As with any baking, it’s important to measure everything out accurately, and get the oven to the correct temperature before putting your muffins in, but this is a simple and speedy recipe with a delicious result.
Will I need any special equipment to make banana and chocolate muffins?
No, you won’t need any special kit to make these banana chocolate muffins, just weighing scales and measuring spoons, a mixing bowl, wooden spoon, fork and electric whisk, a 12-hole muffin tray, cupcake cases and a wire cooling rack. .
Do I need a microwave to make this recipe?
I recommend using a microwave to melt the chocolate, butter and sugar together, but if you don’t have access to a microwave, you can melt the butter and chocolate mixture using the bain marie method.
To do this, set a saucepan of boiling water on the stove over a medium heat. Place a heatproof bowl over the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Place the chocolate, sugar and butter in the bowl and stir regularly until the chocolate is melted.
Don’t let the bowl get too hot or let the saucepan boil dry. Err on the side of caution and remove the bowl the moment you think it is getting too hot. Chocolate burns fast, and if it burns, it has a very unpleasant taste and texture and must be discarded.
What do the bananas do in this recipe?
As well as adding flavour, the chemicals in bananas help keep the texture of the muffins soft and moist.
Bananas are also very healthy! They’re packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, potassium and magnesium. They also are a great source of healthy energy, and can help lower blood pressure and prevent strokes.
In addition, bananas may help us stay happy, since they have high levels of tryptophan, which our bodies need in order to make serotonin, the hormone that can reduce depression.
How can I tell if my bananas are unripe/ripe/have gone off?
Unripe bananas have green or very pale yellow skins, have a vegetable smell, and are hard to peel.
If your banana is a bright, warm yellow (perhaps with some brown spots), peels easily, and smells like a banana, it’s good to go.
Brown, overripe bananas are fine in baking, and actually help with creating a moist texture and intense banana flavour in your bake.
Just watch out for mould, seeping liquid, or a musty, mouldy smell (or fruit flies around your fruit bowl). These are signs your bananas are too old and need to be discarded.
Are banana and chocolate muffins suitable for vegetarians?
Yes, these banana and chocolate muffins are suitable for vegetarians as they contain no meat, poultry or fish.
The vitamins and minerals in bananas and dark chocolate are actually very helpful in promoting a balanced vegetarian diet.
Are banana and chocolate muffins suitable for vegans?
These muffins are not vegan as they contain dairy and eggs. However, they can be made vegan using the following alterations:
- Replace the butter with a vegan spread.
- Check your dark chocolate is certified vegan.
- Replace the egg with 100 ml vanilla or plain soy yoghurt.
- Add ¼ teaspoon baking soda when you add the flour and baking powder.
Are banana and chocolate muffins gluten-free?
This recipe isn’t gluten free as it contains wheat-flour and there may also be gluten present in some of the other ingredients.
To make these banana and chocolate muffins safe for a gluten-free diet, check the labels on your chocolate and baking powder to ensure they’re gluten free. You’ll also need to use a gluten-free self raising flour.
If your brand of self raising flour does not include xanthan gum, you may wish to add a teaspoon into your flour and combine well before adding to the mix. This is not essential, but can help keep gluten-free bakes fluffy and help avoid an overly crumbly bake.
Are banana and chocolate muffins keto-friendly?
Bananas are not ideal for a keto diet as they are high in carbs. There’s also flour and sugar in this recipe.
I haven’t tried making a keto-friendly version of this recipe, but you could try a replacing the flour with almond flour, the sugar with coconut sugar, and adding one extra egg. If you like, you could add some chopped nuts or shaved coconut to the mix.
The texture won’t be as fluffy as a regular muffin, but it should give you a keto-friendly sweet treat. Let me know if you try it!
Are banana and chocolate muffins healthy?
Bananas and chocolate both have health benefits, and they both can help boost our serotonin levels to keep us happy.
However, these muffins do have quite a lot of sugar and fat, so it’s best to enjoy them as a treat.
Are banana and chocolate muffins safe to eat while pregnant?
There is nothing in this pizza cake recipe that should present a risk to pregnant people if the ingredients are in good condition and have been stored correctly, and the recipe is cooked hygienically and safely.
As with all baked goods, just make absolutely sure they are cooked through.
Egg safety varies from country to country and you should always seek country-specific advice. The NHS has a great resource that will help review the latest advice regarding foods that are safe to eat while pregnant in the UK.
You should always seek advice from your health professional. The NHS also has a well-maintained resource on foods to avoid during pregnancy.
Are banana and chocolate muffins suitable for babies and toddlers?
These cakes are a high-sugar treat. The NHS recommends avoiding giving sugar to babies and young children.
This website does not offer medical advice: always consult your health professional if you have any concerns.
What goes well with banana and chocolate muffins?
These muffins are delicious as they are, perhaps with a cup of tea.
However, for a special occasion, you could serve the muffins warm with whipped cream, plain Greek yoghurt, or ice cream.
These muffins could also work well as the cake element in a chocolate and banana ice cream sundae: layer torn pieces of muffin, banana slices, chocolate buttons, and vanilla and chocolate ice cream, and top with warm chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a chocolate flake, for a decadent treat.
Can I make this recipe without chocolate?
You could make these muffins without chocolate, yes. Cream the butter with the sugar, whisk in the banana, and add 150ml (5 fl oz) buttermilk or full fat plain yoghurt (100ml milk would also work, but the texture of the finished muffin will be a little more cake-like). Add the eggs and flour as per the original recipe.
Pecans or walnuts would be nice in this bake, as would ground cinnamon. Add these when you add the flour.
Note: I haven’t tested the exact combination of alternatives, so if you try it, let me know how you get on.
I haven’t got bananas, can I use something else?
To make this recipe without bananas, whisk in 150ml (5 fl oz) buttermilk or full fat plain yoghurt along with the eggs.
Bananas are an unusually good fruit to use in baking, because their low water content means they don’t hugely affect the liquid in the batter. Fresh berries, stone fruits, apples, pears etc are usually too wet to use fresh in muffins like these.
If you want to use a different fruit, either cook it down to a thick puree / coulis and use 175g in the bake in place of the banana, or use freeze dried fruit powder or dried fruit chopped into small pieces.
You could make a chocolate orange muffin by replacing half the buttermilk/yoghurt with freshly squeezed orange juice, and stirring the finely grated zest of 1 orange into the batter.
Can I add extra chocolate to this recipe?
You could add chocolate chips to the batter, or sprinkle them on top of the batter before you put them in to bake. White chocolate chips would be really striking with the dark muffin.
How should I store banana and chocolate muffins?
It is best to store these muffins in an airtight container to keep them fresher for longer. Allow the muffins to cool completely before sealing them in the container and placing somewhere dark, dry and cool such as a kitchen cupboard or pantry.
How long do banana and chocolate muffins keep?
These muffins will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.
Can I leave banana and chocolate muffins out on the counter?
These muffins are fine on the counter for a few hours, but will start to dry out if left out uncovered for long periods of time, so it’s best to get them into a sealed container and place somewhere dark, dry and cool such as a kitchen cupboard or pantry, as soon as possible.
Can I keep banana and chocolate muffins in the refrigerator?
If you keep them in an airtight container you do not need to refrigerate.
You can keep these muffins in the fridge if you prefer, but let them get up to room temperature before serving, as the flavour and texture will be better at room temperature.
Can I freeze banana and chocolate muffins?
Yes. Make sure they are thoroughly cooled after baking, then place in an airtight container or ziplock bag for freezing. Aim to leave as little empty space in the container as possible as this will reduce the likelihood of freezer burn.
Properly stored, they should keep for about three months.
How should I defrost banana and chocolate muffins?
Ideally, you should defrost the muffins slowly overnight. You could also defrost in the microwave but make sure you use short bursts, at a low/defrost setting, to avoid drying them out.
Can I make this recipe in a different quantity?
If you'd like to make more or fewer muffins, no problem! Just click the portion number on the recipe card below (it will say '12' by default) and a slider should appear.
Move the slider up and down to alter the quantity. The measurements for all the ingredients will automatically change to suit the quantity chosen.
You can bake up to two trays of muffins at a time in a standard sized oven, on two shelves.
Can I make this recipe in a different tin/tray?
You could make this recipe in a loaf tin, if you prefer. Grease a standard 900g/2lb loaf tin (17 x 9 x 9cm / 6½ x 3½ x 3½in) and preheat your oven to 200C (180C fan).
Bake for about 1 hour, until a skewer into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a cooling rack and allow to cool before slicing.
Can I make banana and chocolate muffins in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?
Yes, you absolutely can use a stand mixer for the butter/chocolate/banana mixture, and to whisk in the eggs - it's a speedy way to get a fluffy batter mix!
Be careful not to overbeat the batter, though, as this can lead to tough muffins that may not rise well. For the same reason, fold the flour in by hand or use a very short burst with the paddle attachment.
How can I make sure my muffins are perfectly cooked?
When you think your muffins are cooked, insert a metal skewer or small sharp knife into a muffin. If the skewer or knife comes out dry and clean, the muffins are ready to come out of the oven. If the skewer or knife is wet or claggy, pop them back in for five minutes and then test again.
Why did my banana and chocolate muffins turn out dry or burned?
Dry muffins could mean that not enough liquid was added to your bake. Assuming that you measured everything accurately, it could be that your bananas were dry. When baking with fruit, pay attention to the texture of the batter, as fruit moisture levels vary. This batter should hold its shape on a spoon but drop easily. If it looks too dry, loosen with a little milk or buttermilk.
If your muffins burned, it could be that your oven temperature is hotter than the dial suggests. This is really common with home ovens and I’d recommend investing in an oven thermometer. Try keeping it in view for the whole bake as some ovens preheat accurately but then continue to rise past the required temperature as they bake.
It’s also common for ovens to be hotter on one side, so you might find that half of your tray cooks a little more slowly than the other side. There’s not an awful lot you can do about this, but
You may have positioned your tray too high in the oven. These muffins are best baked on a shelf in the centre of your oven, so that they don’t cook on top before they’re set in the centre.
Poor circulation in your oven can also cause uneven cooking, so don’t put more than two trays of muffins in at a time.
Why did my banana and chocolate muffins turn out wet or undercooked?
If you muffin won’t set, it probably has too much liquid. If you’re sure you measured all of the ingredients accurately, it could be down to the bananas.
The variable moisture in fruit means that the timings for any baking involving baking with fruit are a guide only. The weather can also affect baking, as humidity can affect your batter.
If, after the cook time has elapsed, your knife or skewer still comes out of your muffins wet or claggy, put them back in the oven and test at ten minute intervals. Have faith, they will bake eventually!
If your muffins were cooked on top but soggy underneath, it’s likely either your oven was running too hot or your tray was placed too high in the oven. If you realise this too late, try covering the tops loosely with foil to give the centres a chance to catch up.
Why didn’t my banana and chocolate muffins rise?
Baking powder goes off in time and loses its potency. If your muffins are not rising, check the sell-by date on your baking powder to see if it is out of date. Baking powder left without its lid on will usually lose its potency faster, so always replace the lid immediately after taking what you need and store somewhere cool and dry.
A common mistake is to think baking powder and bicarbonate of soda are interchangeable. They are both raising agents but they work in very different ways. Baking powder contains both an acidic substance (cream of tartar) and an alkaline substance (bicarbonate of soda), which react together when moisture is introduced to release bubbles of carbon dioxide. Bicarbonate of soda is alkaline only and so without the right level of acid in the batter, it will not work. You definitely need to use baking powder in this recipe.
Why did my banana and chocolate muffins sink in the middle?
If your baking powder is within its sell by date, a possibility is that you have worked your mixture too hard, especially when adding the dry ingredients. These need to be folded in very lightly: it is important that they are fully combined in the batter, but if you attempt to save time by dumping the whole bowl of dry ingredients into the wet ones and then using an electric whisk or stand mixer, you may work the gluten too hard and adversely affect the texture of the finished muffin.
If you folded your ingredients in gently, it could be that your oven is too hot. This can cause the rising reaction to happen very quickly while the inside of the muffins are still wet. If this happens, you’ll see the muffins quickly rise and then collapse in on themselves.
Finally, it could be that you opened the oven door before your muffins were ready, or even removed them from the oven before they were cooked through. Again, this would mean that the wet insides are unable to support the gas bubbles and simple collapse as they cool.
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How can I add/change the flavours in these muffins?
These banana and chocolate muffins are a great base to add all sorts of additions.
Try stirring chocolate chips tossed in a little of the flour (this helps them to stay suspended in the batter rather than sinking).
You could also try adding crushed dried banana slices to intensify the banana flavour. Small pieces of fudge or caramel would complement the chocolate and banana.
As mentioned above, stiff fruit purees, chopped dried fruit and fruit rind (freshly grated zest or crystallised peel) work well in muffins, as do raisins and chopped nuts. If you are replacing the banana or chocolate with a dry ingredient (e.g, raisins), you will need to raise the moisture in the muffin batter by whisking in 150ml (5 fl oz) buttermilk or full fat plain yoghurt along with the eggs.
You could also experiment with adding flavour extracts to boost your muffins’ flavour - add abo1/4-1 teaspoon of extract along with the eggs.
The exact amount needed can vary. For example, peppermint extract is typically quite intense and requires just a few drops, whereas vanilla extract can be used more liberally.
Extracts are a little more expensive than products sold as ‘flavouring’ or ‘essence’, but they are worth it. They are the pure, concentrated extract of the item’s flavour, whereas ‘flavouring’ / ’essence’ is usually a synthetic product, which contains little or none of the actual ingredient, and can taste chemical and unpleasant.
Extracts are great in baking as they pack intense flavour into a small amount of liquid, so they do not affect the liquid content of your batter very much.
Print these banana and chocolate muffins
Here's the recipe for those easy banana and dark chocolate muffins again in a printable format.
Banana and Chocolate Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate (bittersweet)
- 115 g (4.1 oz) slightly salted butter
- 100 g (3.5 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 ripe bananas 175g (6.2 oz) peeled weight
- 2 medium free range eggs
- 200 g (7.1 oz) self-raising white flour (self rising flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/390F (180C/355F fan).
- Put the chocolate, butter and sugar together in a large, microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave the bowl in 30 second bursts, stirring between bursts until the butter and chocolate has melted.
- Add the mashed bananas. Whisk well. This also helps to cool the mixture down a little.
- Whisk in the eggs.
- Add the flour and baking powder. Fold through.
- Line a muffin tray with muffin cases and spoon the mixture in evenly.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes until well risen and a rich chocolate brown.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Get Your Kids to Eat Anything is an achievable 'how to' for parents in the battle to overcome picky eating and 'make new the norm'. Emily Leary's unique 5-phase programme looks at the issue of 'fussy eating' in a holistic way that links imagination with food, and which situates parents alongside - not in opposition to - their children.
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Linda (Meal Planning Maven) says
Hi Emily! Your muffins look so yummy! I think my grandkids will have a blast making these with me!
Joanne T Ferguson says
These look absolutely delicious and could go for one right now with my coffee!
Ewelina says
The word: MEGA chocolatey definitely caught my attention! These look super yummy :)
Ewelina
http://www.patternoftaste.com
Jen says
Chocolate and banana muffins are the best :)
Florian @ContentednessCooking says
Looks absolutely delicious, love it!
Jan Bennett says
They look gorgeous Emily!
Michelle Utterlyscrummy says
I've bookmarked this recipe and will give it a go when we inevitably end up with leftover bananas languishing in the fruit bowl :)
kellie@foodtoglow says
I just made some chocolate banana bread for a nutrition group this week, but your little muffins look way cuter than the loaf way. :-)
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says
These look amazing Emily. I love a chocolate and banana combination.
Matt @ Plating Pixels says
Ooh I love this combo! It's like having your breakfast and dessert at the same time. However if it's in a muffin it's healthy. I use that excuse for myself every time I make a decadent muffin as well. Gorgeous photo and glad I saw your recipe just in time for a Mother's Day Brunch roundup.