Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Sometimes the best recipes are born by accident! This one definitely was. I had ripe bananas and decided to make my tried and true Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Squares when all of a sudden I realized I was short on sugar! Uh-Oh! Not a panic, just some adjustments.

Coconut sugar and light brown sugar replaced most of the granulated sugar, and then I thought, “Let’s make this an all-chocolate banana bread—and turn it into muffins!” Baking is a science, but experimenting is how you learn what works. I’ve had my fair share of baking experiments that didn’t work, but these muffins turned out even better than I expected. I’m so excited to share them with you!

These muffins are moist and sweet without being overwhelming. A finishing touch of flaky sea salt makes them extra special. Perfect as a snack, a treat on the go, or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, you’ll find yourself wanting to make them on repeat.

How to Make Chocolate Banana Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Let’s start by mixing all the wet ingredients together: 

Mash the bananas in the larger bowl until smooth, with no large chunks remaining.

Tip! If you prefer larger pieces of banana in your muffins, leave a few chunks when mashing.

Add the oil, water, eggs, and vanilla to the mashed bananas. Mix well.

Add all three sugars.

Tip! Each sugar contributes something different. All three add sweetness, while the light brown sugar and coconut sugar create a slightly chewier texture. The molasses in the brown sugar also adds depth of flavor.

Mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

In the smaller bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and cocoa powder.

Add 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients. Set the remaining 1/4 cup aside for sprinkling on top before baking.

Tip! Tossing the chocolate chips with the dry ingredients helps keep them from sinking to the bottoms of the muffins.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.

Tip! Overmixing can make muffins tough, so mix only until the ingredients are combined for soft, moist muffins.

Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and lightly coat each liner with nonstick cooking spray.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin liners.

Tip! I like using a large ice cream scoop to distribute the batter evenly and make the process less messy.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the muffins, about 4–6 chips per muffin.

Bake the muffins for 26–28 minutes.

Remove the muffin pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack.

Tip! Cooling baked goods on a wire rack allows air to circulate beneath the hot pan so they cool more evenly.

While the muffins are still warm, sprinkle each one with a small pinch of good-quality flaky sea salt.

Tip! The flaky sea salt gives the muffins a beautiful finished look and enhances the chocolate flavor, making them taste even more chocolatey.

If you can resist, let the muffins rest for a few minutes before enjoying them. This may be difficult because your entire house will smell wonderfully chocolatey!

Share these with your loved ones and enjoy!

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