Moist Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Updated: Jan 8, 2026 by christina.marsigliese · 73 Comments

My Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins and Double Chocolate Chip Muffins are so popular, that I had to give you a banana recipe that is equally worthy of being in a pastry case at a bakery! These wonderful Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are so incredibly soft and moist with tall golden brown tops and lots of chocolate chips, because: chocolate makes everything better! I promise you've never had a banana muffin like this before. If you prefer your banana muffins without chocolate, you should try my super moist and fluffy Banana Oatmeal Muffins.

banana chocolate chip muffin on a cooling rack with bite and melting chocolate chips

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Moist banana muffins - these muffins are SO moist and light thanks to thoughtful proportions of wet and dry ingredients. They are best enjoyed warm but they're also nice and soft even while cool!
Soft and fluffy texture - they have a fluffy, bouncy texture with a crumb that's not too open, but not too fine. It's amazing how fluffy they are while still being so moist and that's a result of a good balance of mashed banana, egg and flour.
Easy to make - this recipe is super simple to make with a bowl and a whisk! No mixer required.
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.

banana chocolate chip muffins on a cooling rack

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 flavor changes during freezing.
Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps these muffins moist and helps develop the golden brown top. Adding it to the flour helps to prevent gluten formation for super soft muffins.
Brown sugar - I prefer light brown sugar to add a bit of caramel-like subtle molasses taste, but the banana flavor still shines.
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, and you can also use canola oil or vegetable oil.

banana chocolate chip muffins ingredients

banana chocolate chip muffin cut in half showing cross section

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 flavor. 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, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon (optional) and salt until evenly blended.
STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork until smooth. Stir in brown sugar, then add sour cream, eggs, oil and vanilla and whisk until combined.
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). Fold in chocolate chips. Add the chocolate chips and fold them in gently.
STEP 5). 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 6). 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 7). BAKE. Bake for 5 minutes. Then, with the oven door still closed, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 13-15 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.
Avoid using frozen bananas if possible. Once you freeze bananas, the starches become damaged and can't hold their water which is why you notice a lot of water leakage after you thaw frozen bananas. That means that they will not be able to perform their structure-building properties the same way anymore. You will get lighter, fluffier baked goods if you opt for fresh ripe bananas.
Mash the banana well. Ensuring the banana is mashed smoothly will extract the most sugars out of it and help it incorporate smoothly into the batter for an even crumb texture.
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.

banana chocolate chip muffin broken in half showing fluffy moist crumb texture

RECIPE FAQ

Can I add nuts to banana chocolate chip muffins?

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

What can I use as a substitute for sour cream?

If you don't have sour cream, you can make this cake with full fat Greek yogurt.

Can I use frozen bananas for muffins?

The short answer is yes, you can use frozen bananas to make these muffins. However, I always recommend very ripe, spotty, fresh bananas for baking to get the best results. Why? It's because once you freeze bananas, the starches become damaged and can't hold their water. That means that they will not be able to perform their structure-building properties the same way anymore. You will get lighter, fluffier baked goods if you opt for fresh ripe bananas.

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

Feel free to use your favorite 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, and you can even omit them if you want.

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.

STORING & FREEZING

How to store banana chocolate chip muffins?

Store these muffins in an airtight container at a cool room temperature for up to 2 days, then keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

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.

If you love muffins, check out these recipes!

Small Batch Double Chocolate Banana Muffins The BEST Blueberry Muffin Recipe Small Batch Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins Spiced Sweet Potato Pie Muffins Moist Chocolate Fudge Swirl Banana Muffins Banana Blueberry Oat Muffins BEST Banana Oat Muffins Whole Wheat Chocolate Banana Muffins Chai Spice Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Muffins

Looking for more muffin recipes like this? Try these:

Baking with banana

Here are more recipes that use up ripe spotty bananas:

Video

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Christina Marsigliese

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

5 from 22 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Resting Time 29

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups (250g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups (355ml/360g) mashed very ripe banana, from about 3 large bananas
½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
¼ cup (60ml) sunflower oil or canola oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
½ cup 3oz/85g mini dark chocolate chips, plus extra for topping
½ cup 3oz/85g regular dark chocolate chips, plus extra for topping

Instructions

Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spice (if you're using it) in a medium bowl and whisk until evenly blended.
Mash the banana well with a fork until very smooth and add it to a large bowl. Add brown sugar and eggs and whisk until glossy and smooth. Add sour cream or yogurt, oil and vanilla and whisk until combined.
Add the dry ingredients all at once to the banana mixture and fold them in gently with a wooden spoon or a spatula until just combined. Do not over-mix. A few small lumps are just fine. Add the chocolate chips and fold them through the batter.
Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425°F and line the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Here are parchment paper liners that I like to use for these muffins as they won't stick at all to these ones.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups using a 2 oz scoop, filling them to the rim. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 5 minutes, then with the oven door still closed, reduce temperature to 350°F and bake for another 13-15 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.