These super easy bakery style dark chocolate banana muffins are a sweet and indulgent breakfast treat, require just one bowl to make, and turn over-ripe bananas into chocolate-y bliss! Dairy free and vegan friendly.
One bowl chocolate banana muffins
I can be a bit of a tornado in the kitchen. Okay, almost always. I have a habit of using every spoon in the drawer. Every spatula and whisk. Teetering piles of dirty dishes and measuring cups sit, precariously stacked, in the sink and on counter edges, left in my wake as I cook and bake and generally wreak havoc on our kitchen. I know I should tidy up as I go, but rarely do, distracted by the whole wonderful process of stirring and measuring and tasting.
So the fact that these chocolate banana muffins require only one mixing bowl to whip up means that I have no excuse; Even I have a hard time creating an enormous mess with this recipe. The dishwasher gets a brief reprieve.
And these muffins! These aren’t really breakfast muffins in the traditional sense, although who am I, really, to preach about appropriate early morning choices after this post?
These chocolate banana muffins are more indulgent than an everyday breakfast though. I call them muffins, but they could easily be considered cupcakes. I think of them as special-occasion muffins. Welcome-home-you-had-a-long-day muffins. Sweet-afternoon-moment muffins. I-love-you-just-because muffins.
Or, simply, Valentine’s-Day-is-coming-up-and-I’ve-got-chocolate-on-my-mind muffins.
At any rate, all it takes is one bowl (and a smattering of measuring spoons) and you’re on your way to dark chocolate banana bliss… A messy kitchen not included.
Chocolate Banana Muffins FAQs
These muffins will keep covered in an airtight storage container for 2-3 days at room-temperature. The muffins will get sweeter, spicier, and more moist over time. After that, it’s best to keep in the fridge or freezer for up to a week.
Yes! Like most quick breads, these banana muffins freeze well, too. Once completely cooled, I wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil. They’ll keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Simply thaw at room temperature or in the microwave (for about 30 seconds at half power) when ready to eat. Enjoy!!
For vegan chocolate banana muffins, simply replace the egg with a flax egg (see recipe notes below). Be sure to use almond milk (or other favorite plant based milk), and organic sugar produced without the use of animal products.
Other easy and delicious muffin recipes you’ll love
- Easy chocolate greek yogurt banana muffins
- Maple pumpkin gingerbread muffins
- Bakery style lemon blueberry muffins
- Cinnamon streusel apple muffins
- Chocolate pumpkin muffins (vegan)
If you make these chocolate banana muffins, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked them! ★★★★★ Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura
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One Bowl Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Prep Time: 18 mins
- Cook Time: 17 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 12 Muffins 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These super easy bakery style dark chocolate banana muffins are a sweet and indulgent breakfast treat, require just one bowl to make, and turn over-ripe bananas into chocolate-y bliss!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (about 2 medium) bananas, over-ripe
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg ¹
- 1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk ²
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp (packed) light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (look for dutch-processed)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1–1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1–2/3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips (bittersweet or semisweet)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use the back of a fork to mash the banana until only very small lumps remain.
- Add the vanilla and the egg and use the fork to whisk the mixture together until completely combined.
- Add the oil and milk and stir to combine. Add the white and brown sugars and stir again.
- Switching to a spatula, stir in the cocoa powder, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix until the cocoa is completely incorporated.
- Stir in the salt and baking soda, then gently fold in the flour, until just combined.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the muffin tops are gently domed, and a cake-tester inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, before removing and cooling completely on a baking rack. Enjoy!!
Notes
¹ You can replace the egg with a flax egg for vegan gingerbread muffins. Simply stir together 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed with 2.5 Tbsp water in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes while you’re getting the rest of the ingredients together (it will thicken up), and add to the batter in place of the egg.
² If you’d prefer not to use almond milk, substitute your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk instead.
- Category: Baking, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chocolate banana muffins, one bowl, easy, banana, dairy free, banana muffins, chocolate chip
Baked it for breakfast this morning. Followed your recipe but had to use olive oil as I dont have canola oils. Moist texture. Thanks.
Loved this recipe. I made them today, I did add the chips to the batter. Do you have the calorie count and nutritional info?
★★★★★
I’ve made these muffins about seven or eight times over the last year and they are AMAZING. They never last long with my kids!
★★★★★
Hi, I was wondering before I try to make these, do they actually taste like bananas or does it just add to texture ? Thanks
★★★★
Hi, Karen! They definitely taste like banana. And for the most intense banana flavor, I’d recommend using super ripe bananas. Enjoy!!
For the first time did I get baking with bananas so right !! I just replaced the almond milk with normal milk since that’s what I had on hand . But the result was still gorgeous super moist muffins .
★★★★
Thanks, Ankita! These banana muffins are one of my favorite recipes 🙂
Can I use water in place of milk?
The muffins look amazing!
Hi Kat! I haven’t tried it and I wouldn’t recommend it. I’m worried you’ll lose the flavor that milk provides. You can use almond or another non-dairy milk though if you prefer. Enjoy!!
I have made this recipe twice and the muffins turned out amazing! I used coconut sugar, 1 cup plain flour, 2/3 cup spelt flour, olive oil and an egg replacer to make them vegan. The texture is so soft and fluffy! And not sickly sweet like a lot of other muffins, which is great. Thank you so much for the recipe!
That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks, Lauren! ☺️
Thank you for the recipe!! I made them today and everyone loved them! 🙂
Great website. Plenty of useful info here. I am sending it to
a few pals ans additionally sharing in delicious.
And certainly, thanks for your effort!
Could you use Coconut milk over almond or regular milk
I get too excited about these muffins… They’re SO GOOD. I can barely leave any for school the next day!
★★★★★
P.S. I make them VEGAN!
★★★★★
Thanks, so much J! I’m so happy to hear that!
How do you pin this recipe? I don’t see any pinterest icons .
Could I double the recipe with four bananas? Would I have to double the rest of the ingredients too?
Hi Julie! Yes you can definitely double this recipe – if you use four bananas you would want to also double the rest of the ingredients. Enjoy!
Yum! I love a good chocolate muffin and I love finding black bananas in my freezer for baking. The fact that this is a one bowl recipe…. 😍 Perfect for this busy mum.
These look perfect! Just one quick question though, if I want to make these without the bananas, do I need to make any adjustments to the other ingredients?
Just made these and got 43 (!) mini muffins from the batter! They are beautiful and have a nice dome. I only had skim milk so I added Greek yogurt for the extra tablespoon (just because it made me feel better). Added chips to the batter and sprinkled a few on top as well. My mini muffin pans are dark, so I baked at 350° and they took 13 minutes. Just popped one in my mouth and holy moly: how divine to taste both the chocolate AND the banana! Hope they freeze well because these babies are going into the freezer until Mother’s Day brunch on Sunday. Thank you, thank you for such a simple and foolproof delicious recipe. I’m a “tornado” baker as well. This one-bowl recipe helped immensely!
Hi Karen! Thanks so much for letting me know! I’ve never made mini muffins with this recipe, but I’ll have to try it! LOVE that chocolate and banana combo 🙂
I adore one bowl recipes! I added some espresso powder with the cocoa powder too 🙂
Awesome! Really great. Here are some of the switches I made, in case the substitutions help anyone else out: I always use coconut oil instead of canola (same proportions), used half all-purpose/half whole wheat flour, used 2/3 cup coconut sugar instead of white (much lower glycemic index), and left out the chocolate chips altogether. I also made 24 mini muffins instead of 12 regular. Same baking temp and time. The texture of these is so good. My kiddos are going to love them.
★★★★★
Your muffins are delish! Soft, moist and yummy. Thank you for the recipe, definitely a keeper!
Love these! Have made them twice. My kids love them for breakfast or a snack. I even use whole wheat white flour in place of AP flour and have had great results.
★★★★★
Hi Laura
I just wanted to let you know that I featured this recipe on my blog yesterday. I recently used it to make a big batch of mini-muffins for a family reunion – and everyone loved them! THanks! I hope you will stop by to my blog and see the link I posted there.
Every single time I havr ever made these, they were a sure hit. I always have overripe bananas on hand, and the recipe is so easy, it’s basically a staple in my kitchen right now. Thank you!
★★★★★
I had to make substitutions for what I did not have on hand including using 2% milk for the almond milk , coconut oil for the canola oil, mixed in the chocolate chips and cooked 3 minutes longer. Great recipe, delicious, thank you!!!
Great recipe! Glad I stumbled upon your site!
I didn’t have any eggs so I substituted with a flax ‘egg’. I also used Greek yogurt and avocado oil in place of the canola oil (filled the half cup measuring cup with mostly Greek yogurt and a bit of oil). Turned out great! Only thing I would do differently next time is mix the chocolate chips in as well as sprinkling on top. And there will definitely be a next time as this is going in my recipe keeper! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Oh, I should note that I had to adjust my cooking time and add a few minutes in case anyone else tries these substitutions. I took an extra 3 minutes.
Thanks again for the recipe!
Hi Stacey! I’m so glad the recipe worked for you, even with the substitutions. I’m curious to try these with the flax egg… Thanks for reading!
These are awesome. Just made them and we are eating (scoffing) them now 🙂 Sooo good hot from the oven!
★★★★★
So glad you’re enjoying them!
It was great to find this recipe as I had 2 ripe bananas and longed to try a choc/banana muffin! I have not made muffins in ages, and this was easy to follow. I adjusted as follows: I added less vanilla extra and sugar, as my almond milk already contains both. I also incorporate the chocolate chips into the batter, not a fan of chips on top of my muffins.
At the end batter stage I was a little worried that the muffins might be dry as the batter was quite thick. However the muffins are completely moist! I was also surprised that it *seems* like regular sized and mini muffins have the same cooking time, learn something new every day!
This recipe is super yum and I will definitely be using this as a stand by when I want a muffin this is a little indulgent, a great side to my latte in the morning! Thanks so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Great muffins. Will make again. Moist and just the right amount of chocolate and flavor. Great recipe for my daughter to make, love the one bowl!!
★★★★★
Great muffins. Will make again. Moist and just the right amount of chocolate and flavor. Great recipe for me daughter to make, love the one bowl!!
★★★★★
Discovered your website via Pinterest. I was intrigued by your beautiful photography. Anyhow, I’ve made this recipe 3 times in the last 3 weeks. I tell myself they are a snack, not a dessert.. They are a hit. Can’t wait to try more recipes!
Iris
★★★★★
They are very good muffins. My family liked them as well. I used a lighter chocolate and they were wonderful. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Do soooo want to make these! Is the sea salt crucial, or can I sub regular table salt?
(oops – sorry about the repeat)
Hi, Lorr! The sea salt is not crucial – I simply cook with either kosher salt or sea salt these days. Traditional table/iodized salt has a finer grain than sea salt, and thus has the potential to taste “saltier” per the same volume (less air between the grains). I find it’s not always an exact substitution, but in this recipe, it’s such a small amount of salt, relatively, that I don’t think it will matter very much at all. So go for it! And let me know how your muffins turn out!
You sound just like me, utensils, bowls, flour EVERYWHERE, and I rarely clean up as I go, leaving a giant overwhelming disaster by the time I’m done. Glad to hear I’m not the only one. 🙂 And I’d totally classify these as muffins — one fabulous muffin. 🙂
Haha love it. Sometimes I get to a moment, making multiple recipes on a shooting day, where I literally HAVE to stop and clean up if I want to keep cooking because we are out of clean bowls or spoons etc. Disaster is right!
I went with “muffin”, because they’ve got dark chocolate in them…which is an antioxidant right? So, WAY healthier than a cupcake… 🙂
These muffins look positively decadent! Definitely something I’m going to have to make for my sister sometime soon. (She sighs every time I bake something that doesn’t include chocolate.)
Pinning!
Thanks, Abbie, I hope you and your sister love them! 🙂
I seriously love these photos! What a delicious combo!
Thank you, Jaclyn! I loooove chocolate and banana 🙂
Your muffins look delicious! Great recipe and pics!
Thank you so much, Cheri!
Wow such beautiful photos! And these muffins sound so good!!! Totally my kind of breakfast! And that fact that you only dirty up one bowl… huge bonus 🙂
Thank you, Chris! I’m definitely a sweet breakfast fan too 🙂
Oh me too! I make such a mess in the kitchen! No matter how many times I tell myself to clean up as I go, it never happens!
Your photos are absolutely stunning!
Isn’t it impossible? And it’s even worse when I’m shooting a recipe…
These muffins are simple gorgeous!
Thank you, Betsy!!
These sound so good!! Love this recipe!
Thank you, Katrina!! They are so darn yummy, and suuuuper easy to make.