Moist Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

My Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins and Double Chocolate Chip Muffins are so popular, that I had to give you a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins that are equally worthy of being in a pastry case at a bakery! These wonderful muffins are so soft and moist with tall golden brown tops and lots of chocolate chips, because: chocolate makes everything better! Full stop.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Moist banana muffins - these muffins are so moist with a fluffy open texture. They are best enjoyed warm but they're also nice and soft even while cool!

• Easy to make - this recipe is super simple to make with a bowl and a whisk! No mixer required.

• Mini dark chocolate chips - I use mini chocolate chips because they will distribute more evenly throughout the batter so that you get lots of bits of chocolate in every single bite.

• Bakery style quality - these muffins bake up with a high muffin top just like a bakery-style muffin. Be sure to read the tips below to learn how to achieve that peaked muffin top.

INGREDIENTS FOR BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

• Ripe banana - bananas that you should use for making muffins should be really spotty and very ripe. That means they are at their sweetest and will make moist muffins. I know that many people like to make muffins with frozen bananas, but I do not recommend it. Frozen bananas lose a lot of moisture and their cell structure breaks down during the freezing process so that they can't lend as much structure to the batter. This can lead to a gummy layer forming in the muffins or loaf. I also find that the flavour changes during freezing.

• Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps these muffins moist and helps develop the golden brown top.

• Sunflower oil - oil will give these muffins a very soft texture and help them to rise tall. I prefer sunflower oil for its clean taste.

• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for open-textured muffins. If you have bleached cake flour, then you can replace half of the unbleached all-purpose flour with cake flour and it will actually give you an even more exaggerated muffin top. That's because bleached flour absorbs moisture more readily and sets more quickly.

• Sour cream or yogurt - sour cream or full fat yogurt lends acidity to react with the baking soda and also pleasant tanginess to balance the sweetness. As the acid reacts with the baking soda, it also creates the nice open crumb structure that muffins should have.

• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will round out the banana flavour. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.

• Dark chocolate chips - I love using mini dark chocolate chips in my muffins, but you can use regular if that's all you can find. Semi-sweet works great.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

This recipe is simple to prepare and you can make it with a regular wire whisk!

• STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon and salt until evenly blended. Stir through chocolate chips and set aside.

• STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork until smooth. Stir in sugar, then add sour cream and oil and whisk until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time until smooth.

• STEP 3). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients all at once and stir together gently with a wooden spoon until just combined. Do not over-mix. A few small lumps are just fine.

• STEP 4). Scoop the batter. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide the batter evenly among lined muffin cups, filling them right to the top.

• STEP 5). Sprinkle! Top each muffin with a few mini dark chocolate chips. Don’t be shy with those chocolate chips because they will spread out as the muffins rise in the oven.

• STEP 6). BAKE. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes. Then, with the oven door still closed, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 8-10 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean despite any melted chocolate chips. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer muffins to a cooling rack. They’re best served warm!

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Use very ripe bananas. ones that are well spotted. These bananas will have the most sweetness as the carbohydrates have converted into simple sugars.

• Mash the banana well with the sugar. This will help dissolve the sugar for the most moist muffins.

• Do not over-mix. Just fold in the flour gently until well combined, but no need to mix vigorously. Just mix until no streaks of dry flour remain. Any lumps will continue to get worked out as you scoop the batter into the muffin pan.

• Sift the dry ingredients. Sifting the flour will eliminate any lumps and separate all of the flour particles which means it will incorporated into the wet ingredients more easily and more quickly. This will minimize the amount of mixing required so that you ensure the muffins are soft.

• Do not reduce the sugar. the right amount of sugar will make these muffins moist because it binds water so that it doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.

• Do not over-bake. Over-baking will most definitely lead to dry muffins. Make sure you check with a skewer for doneness or press the tops - they should spring back.

RECIPE FAQ

Can I freeze banana chocolate chip muffins?

Yes! These muffins freeze very well. Just place them in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Can I add any other inclusions to this muffin recipe?

Yes! You can add up to ½ cup of chopped nuts or dried fruit. I'd recommend walnuts or pecans.

Can I use any kind of chocolate chips in the batter?

Feel free to use your favourite kind of chocolate in this recipe since it doesn't rely on cocoa solids to add structure directly in the batter. You can use milk chocolate chips if you prefer.

How do I get tall muffin tops?

The key steps to getting tall bakery-style muffin tops is to fill the muffin cups all the way to the top, and then to bake initially at a very high temperature to activate the baking powder and cause a fast rise.

Why did my muffins turn out dry?

Over-mixing, over-baking or over-measuring the flour are the key reasons why muffins can turn out dry. Be sure to measure your flour correctly. Adding too much flour is the most common mistake and leads to dry and crumbly cakes and muffins. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off.

How to make moist banana chocolate chip muffins?

These muffins have a soft moist texture. To ensure you get this texture, do not reduce the sugar and use very ripe spotty bananas that have much of the starches converted to sugars. Sugar is important to hold moisture in. Also, be careful not to over-mix the batter. Over-mixing will initiate gluten formation which can lead to a tough crumb texture. Just mix until combined and a few small lumps are fine as they will mix through as you portion out the batter.

Is there a substitution for sour cream?

Yes! You can use full fat plain yogurt in the same proportion.

Can I use any kind of chocolate chips in the batter?

Feel free to use your favourite kind of chocolate in this recipe since it doesn't rely on cocoa solids to add structure directly in the batter. You can use milk chocolate or even white chocolate chips if you prefer. You can also leave them out if you want.

If you love muffins, check out these recipes!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Christina Marsigliese

Soft and moist Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with tall domed tops that look like they've come straight from your favourite bakery! It's an easy and quick recipe that you can make at home anytime.

4.80 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups 284g all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup 6oz/170g mini dark chocolate chips plus extra for topping
• 3 large ripe bananas about 1 ½ cups mashed
• ⅔ cup 135g granulated sugar
• ½ cup 120ml full fat sour cream
• ¼ cup 60ml sunflower oil
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 425°F and line the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until evenly blended. Stir through chocolate chips and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork until smooth with maybe just a few small chunks left. Whisk in sugar until glossy and smooth, then add sour cream and oil and whisk until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
• Add dry ingredients all at once and stir together gently with a wooden spoon or a spatula until just combined. Do not over-mix. A few small lumps are just fine.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, filling them to the rim. Sprinkle a few extra dark chocolate chips on top. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 350°F and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let muffins cool for 5 minutes before transferring individually to the rack to finish cooling.