Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin Recipe

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Banana bread with chocolate chips is a non-negotiable in my house, so I built this one straight from two trusted recipes. My banana bread muffins hold a 4.58 star rating from 259 people, paired with the crumb topping readers keep coming back to. Plus, mini chocolate chips mean every bite gets some.

This is without a doubt the best recipe for banana and chocolate muffins! It is perfect, moist, chocolatey but above all easy. Will repeat soon!
-Marian

a pile of banana chocolate chip muffins on a white plate, some sitting upright, and two of them with their muffin liners open missing a bite or slice of the muffin

You’ll Love These Easy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana bread with chocolate chips is what I grew up with. It is a classic in my house, almost a non-negotiable, so when I built this muffin recipe there was never really a question of whether chocolate chips were going in. Sorry to anyone who prefers a plain banana muffin, this one is not for you.

My audience knows me as the muffin expert around here, and that reputation came from testing muffin techniques for six months straight before I ever published a recipe. The rest period, the every-other-well method, starting the bake hot and dropping the temperature, those are not tricks I found once and repeated blindly, they are the same four techniques behind every muffin I publish, applied here to a banana chocolate chip batter specifically.

I use mini chocolate chips here on purpose, not because they are trendy, but because I genuinely love how they distribute through a batter. Regular sized chips tend to clump, so you get one or two big bites of chocolate and a lot of plain muffin in between. Mini chips scatter through every single bite instead, so the chocolate is actually studded throughout the whole muffin, not just sitting in a few lucky spots.

The crumb topping is pulled straight from my crumb topping recipe, the same streusel I have been perfecting over years of making muffins. That recipe already taught me the exact butter to flour ratio that keeps a topping from melting flat or turning dry and crumbly, so bringing it into a muffin recipe was not a guess, it was applying a formula my own muffin testing had already proven.

two white plates with banana chocolate chip muffins on them, more muffins surrounding the plates and chocolate chips sprinkled around

Bowls of mashed banana, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, mini chocolate chips, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt are arranged on a white surface—perfect for banana chocolate chip muffins.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe Ingredients

These moist banana muffins are made from basic pantry ingredients and are the perfect way to use up overripe bananas. Get the full recipe with measurements and easy step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below. Here’s what you’ll need to make the best banana muffins:

Bananas
Vegetable oil
Eggs
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Baking soda
Baking powder
Ground cinnamon
Salt
Mini chocolate chips

A clear mixing bowl contains flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon—perfect ingredients for banana chocolate chip muffins. In the background are bowls of flour and brown sugar, with two cinnamon sticks beside the bowl.

Melted butter is being poured from a glass measuring cup into a mixing bowl filled with flour mixture, ready to make delicious banana chocolate chip muffins on a wooden table.

Crumb Topping (optional)

All-purpose flour
Brown sugar
Ground cinnamon
Salt
Unsalted butter: melted

How to Make Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins

Chocolate chip banana muffin recipes don’t have to be complicated! These easy-to-follow steps not only make incredibly delicious muffins, but they make gorgeous bakery-style muffins with domed tops that will impress all your friends and family! Get the full recipe in the recipe card below. Here are the easy step-by-step instructions:

five bananas that look like they were just removed from the freezer laying on a dark grey plate

a clear glass bowl full of mashed banana beside a measuring cup full of mashed banana and two whole bananas

Prepare bananas. Mash 4-6 bananas, enough for 2 cups. It’s important to measure the banana since the size of bananas can vary so much.
Mix wet ingredients, then dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl combine the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine, set aside. In a separate bowl combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

A hand holds a glass bowl with two raw eggs over a larger bowl containing mashed bananas and other ingredients, ready to be combined for banana chocolate chip muffins, on a blue surface.

A hand holds a white spatula, mixing a thick, yellow batter for banana chocolate chip muffins in a clear glass bowl on a dark blue surface.

A glass bowl filled with eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract, ready to be mixed for banana chocolate chip muffins, sits on a teal surface.

A hand adds flour from a spoon into a glass bowl filled with yellow banana chocolate chip muffin batter, set on a teal surface.

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Gradually mix the dry ingredients and chocolate chips into the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. The batter will be thick.

A glass bowl filled with banana bread batter for banana chocolate chip muffins, topped with chocolate chips and a white spatula resting inside, set on a teal surface.

A glass bowl filled with banana chocolate chip muffin batter sits on a teal surface, with a white spatula resting in the mixture.

Rest batter and prep oven. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 425ºF / 220ºC and make the crumb topping.
Make crumb topping. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter. Use your hands to squeeze the mixture together. Set the crumb aside until ready to use.

banana chocolate chip muffin batter filled in every other hole of a muffin pan

Fill pan with muffin batter. For bakery style muffins, line a 12 count muffin pan with 6 muffin liners, meaning you’ll only fill every other muffin well with batter. Fill the liners with 6-8 heaping tablespoons of batter. Take the topping and crumble it into fine crumbs over each muffin, pressing it on slightly. Top the muffins with additional chocolate chips and sanding sugar.
Bake and cool. Place one pan in the center of the oven and bake for 7 minutes at 425ºF / 220ºC, then keep the muffins in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350ºF / 180ºC and bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan. Repeat with the remaining batter, bumping the temperature back up to 425ºF / 220ºC.

banana chocolate chip muffins with domed tops in every other hole of a muffin pan

How to Create Bakery Style Muffins

Bakery style muffins are known for their domed tops. Plus who doesn’t love them? I used a few techniques to help “lift” these muffins so they would have large, domed tops!

1. The Rest Period

Let the batter rest for 15 minutes after it’s mixed and before you scoop it into the muffin pan. During the resting period, starch molecules in the flour are absorbing the liquid in the batter, causing them to swell and giving the batter a thicker consistency (ref the kitchen whisper). Our 15 minute rest is just a quick rest.

2. Fill Every Other Muffin Cup

This tip has been a game changer! For bakery style muffin tops, line a 12 count muffin pan with 6 muffin liners, meaning you’ll only fill every other muffin well with batter. Filling every other cup allows the muffins to spread and dome without running into each other. This technique also encourages the muffins to brown, creating a golden muffin top.

3. Fill Them To The Top

Fill your muffin liners to the top with batter. Yes, this goes against everything you’re heard but it’s important in helping the muffin gain that height.

4. Bake at High Temperature Initially

Bake the muffins at a high temperature (425ºF) initially, then lower to 350ºF. Starting the muffins off at a higher temperature causes the batter to rise rapidly, setting the outer surface of the muffin, producing a dome shape.

banana chocolate chip muffins arranged on a wire rack, some whole, some sliced in half, some missing a bite, with more muffins, muffin pieces and chocolate chips sprinkled around

Variations for Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips

These muffins are perfect as-is, but here are some ideas for ways you can edit this recipe or add to it:

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins: To make these gluten-free, just swap the flour. I recommend King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. Use it as a one for one substitute for regular flour.
Add-Ins: Add in your favorite nuts (chopped) or a tablespoon of peanut butter to give these some nutty flavor.
Omit the crumb topping: The crumb topping is optional in this recipe. I recommend it, but the muffins are still delicious on their own!

Tips for the Best Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Measure the mashed banana, don’t eyeball it. Banana sizes vary too much to trust “4 to 6 bananas” on its own. Mash first, then measure out your 2 cups in a dry measuring cup for the right ratio every time.
Don’t skip the 15 minute rest. This is what gives you that tall, domed bakery style top instead of a flat one. Skipping it to save time will cost you the height.
Don’t overmix once you add the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined, the batter should still look thick and a little shaggy. Overmixing builds gluten and gives you dense, tough muffins instead of soft ones.
Watch the bake time, not the clock in your head. Pull the muffins the second a toothpick comes out clean. A minute or two too long in the oven is the most common reason banana muffins turn out dry.

a banana chocolate chip muffin sitting on a light teal surface with its muffin liner peeled partially open, a bite taken out of the muffin, surrounded by muffin crumbs and mini chocolate chips

How to Serve This Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

There are so many ways to serve these muffins! Here are a few ideas:

For breakfast: Serve these up warmed or at room temperature for a quick and easy breakfast, or take your time and savor one with a cup of hot coffee.
On the go: Muffins make the perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack because they are easy to throw in a container or plastic bag and take along in a rush.
For dessert: Warm the muffin in the microwave if it’s not fresh out of the oven, cut it in half, and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream. You could even sprinkle the top of the ice cream with chopped nuts and/or a drizzle of chocolate to make it extra indulgent.

banana chocolate chip muffins on a white plate sitting on a light teal surface with chocolate chips sprinkled around

Storing Banana Muffins with Chocolate

Muffin Storage

If you’ll be eating the muffins within 24 hours of baking, you can leave them uncovered on the counter. The muffins will not dry out while left at room temperature for 1 day.

In fact, muffins are so moist they can become soggy and those crunchy, sugary tops can disappear when stored in an airtight container.

But I have a trick to help that – paper towels.

For longer storage, 2-4 days, line the bottom of an airtight container with paper towels. Place the muffins in a single layer in the container then cover the muffins with any additional layer of paper towels. The paper towels will act like a sponge, absorbing the moisture they release while they are stored.

If the paper towels become too moist around day 2 or day 3, replace them with fresh paper towels.

How To Freeze Muffins

Individually wrap each muffin in plastic wrap. Then place them in a ziploc bag or airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To thaw, leave them at room temperature until defrosted, about 1 hour. Or unwrap them and microwave at 20 second intervals until defrosted.

a banana chocolate chip muffin with its muffin liner pulled open and a bite missing, sitting on top of a muffin pan full of more muffins

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin Recipe FAQs

Why are my banana muffins dry?

Over-baking can make banana muffins come out try. Be sure to turn down the temperature after 7 minutes, and only bake for the recommended time or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Why are my banana muffins mushy?

If you use too much fresh banana, it can lead to excess moisture in your muffins. Since the size of every banana varies, I recommend measuring your mashed bananas to ensure you use the right amount.

Can bananas be too ripe for banana muffins?

Over-ripe bananas are best for banana bread, but if your bananas themselves are black on the inside, they are likely rotten and not good to eat or bake with. Bananas can have dark spots or even black peels and still be okay on the inside. A little bit of brown spots on the bananas themselves is okay, but if they are black on the inside and too mushy, they are rotten. You also want to be sure there is no mold present on any bananas you eat or bake with.

How can I speed up the ripening process for my bananas?

When you need mashed bananas immediately: Preheat oven to 300°F. Place unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet. Bake 15–25 minutes, until peels turn black and glossy. Let cool, then use as normal.

Can I use frozen bananas?

Yes, you can use frozen bananas — just thaw them on the counter or in the microwave until soft. Don’t drain the liquid after thawing; mash everything together and measure the mashed banana for best results.

Can You Freeze Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Batter?

Yes, this batter freezes well using the same method I use for my zucchini bread batter. Scoop it into a freezer safe bag, press out as much air as you can, and freeze it flat so it thaws faster. When you’re ready to bake, thaw it overnight in the fridge, never on the counter, give it a gentle stir, and bake as directed.
One thing to expect, banana releases moisture as it sits, so thawed batter may look slightly thinner than fresh. That’s normal and it still bakes up just fine, it just won’t dome quite as dramatically as a fresh batch made same day.