Egg-Free Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Where do you go once you’ve perfected your recipe for banana bread or chocolate chip muffins? We recommend combining them for your next challenge. Once you combine those flavors, you’ll have a soft and moist muffin that stands out as an afternoon snack or quick breakfast option.

You’ll also see these referred to as double chocolate banana muffins since melted chocolate chips blend with the cocoa base. They’re egg-free muffins too. The ripe banana gives the muffin mix the density it needs. Whatever you call them, you’ll be making them again. They’re too good to try just once.

Ingredients for Chocolate Banana Muffins

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make the muffin mix. The cocoa powder will add volume and substance too, so you don’t need too much.
• Sugar: Choose brown sugar for its caramel notes and moist texture. It’s essential to balance the bitterness in the cocoa.
• Baking cocoa: You’ll get the chocolate muffin color and deep, rich flavor from unsweetened cocoa, like Dutch-process cocoa.
• Baking powder: This will allow the muffins to rise in the relatively short baking time.
• Baking soda: You also need baking soda (it’s not a substitute for powder) to keep the muffins moist and balance the acidity in the yogurt.
• Bananas: You must use ripe brown or spotted bananas for this recipe to get the sticky texture and assertive sweetness.
• Yogurt: Plain yogurt won’t make the muffins sour, it will help bind the mix in the absence of milk.
• Oil: Choose a neutral tasting oil like canola to emulsify the cocoa and create the batter.
• Vanilla extract: The tropical scent of vanilla pairs so well with ripe banana and chocolate. You can also add cinnamon powder.
• Chocolate chips: These can be semisweet or milk chocolate and will give a pleasant pop of melted chocolate in each bite.

Directions

Step 1: Mash and mix the muffin batter

Preheat the oven to 350°F and whisk the first five (dry) ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas and mix with the yogurt, oil and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry flour mixture, stirring until it’s sticky and moist. Fold in the chocolate chips so that they’re distributed evenly.

Step 2: Bake in the oven

Fill 12 greased or foil-lined muffin cups 3/4 of the way full with the muffin mix. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the surface is hard but a toothpick comes out clean from the center when inserted. Allow to cool on a wire rack for five minutes and dust with baking cocoa while they’re still warm to serve.

Editor’s Tip: To get muffins that rise majestically from their cup, start them at a fierce heat (up to 425°) for the first five minutes, then reduce to 350° for the remainder. You’ll get a fuller, fluffier muffin than you would with a consistent, lower temperature.

Recipe Variations

• Bulk your muffin: Switch to whole wheat flour and you’ll have a heavier, heartier and healthier muffin that’s significantly more substantial.
• Add a swirl: There’s room for yet another satisfying flavor in these chocolate banana muffins. You can add a dollop of peanut butter (thinner is better) to your muffin batter before baking. Besides the extra taste, it gives them some extra visual appeal.
• Drop in some nuts: You can include chopped nuts, like walnuts and pecans, either as a substitute for the chocolate chip or as a worthy complement. They provide a texture boost too.

How to Store Chocolate Banana Muffins

Let the chocolate banana muffins cool and you can keep them for several days in the refrigerator, in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.

Can you freeze chocolate banana muffins?

There’s nothing stopping you from freezing your leftover muffins either. Once cooled, wrap each one in aluminum foil and store in an airtight container. They’ll be good for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven for a few minutes to melt the chocolate chips again.

Chocolate Banana Muffins Tips

What if my bananas aren’t fully ripe?

Bananas are great for ripening other fruit faster (just put them together in a paper bag). But if your bananas are still too firm and yellow, bake them still in their skins in an oven on a medium heat for 10 mins to soften them.

Why are my muffins flat instead of fluffy?

A muffin that doesn’t rise as hoped is usually missing air, which should have come from the leavening agents. If you overwork your batter, the tiny bubbles produced as the baking soda and powder get to work are broken down too early. The solution? Mix your batter just enough to combine the flour.

What goes best with a chocolate banana muffin?

Keep championing the chocolate flavors by serving these muffins with a mug of hot chocolate as an afternoon treat. They’re a filling way to start the day too, so grab one for breakfast and chase it with a glass of milk.