These Double Chocolate Banana Muffins are so moist and decadent that you will never guess they’re also good for you. Oil-free and without refined flour, these healthy chocolate muffins are packed with banana flavors and fibers. Perfect for breakfast, as a snack or as a guilt-free treat.
Over the past months I've made tons of recipes with bananas. Protein banana bread, flourless cake, strawberry bread all the way to banana bread cookies, it seems that my inventory of banana recipes is complete.
Well...it wasn't. Until now, because we were still missing some banana muffins. But we had no muffin mold, and my girlfriend was against buying a new one. She said that her parents had a spare one, and getting a second would have been unnecessary. Agree. The thing is that they live on the other sides of the world, so we had to wait until their next visit. A visit which came sooner than expected. Last week her parents arrived, and with them the long-awaited muffin pan.
After no more than a day, our kitchen was full of chocolate muffins. Or better, the BEST chocolate banana muffins ever!
Why you will love this recipe
If usually my desserts don’t last more than 2 days, now that two more people were at home things were faster. But I didn’t expect that fast! I barely had the time to shot the pictures that these chocolate banana muffins were already gone.
We all loved them. Even my girlfriend’s dad, who always say that our "healthy stuffs are not sweet enough”. And I’m pretty sure you will love them too, because these are the best banana and chocolate muffins ever.
- They are chocolatey, moist and naturally sweetened with bananas. Loaded with banana flavor and gooey melted chocolate chips!
- This recipe is healthy and nutritious. High in fibers, with no oil, no butter, no refined flours and no refined sugar. They are also gluten-free and dairy-free.
- Making healthy chocolate banana muffins is so easy that they come together in a bowl, in under 10 minutes.
- Chocolate banana cupcakes are a great way to use up some ripe bananas. A cheap, budget-friendly recipe to reduce food waste!
- They're versatile and customizable. Make them high protein, sugar-free or with walnuts inside, they come in very handy for healthy breakfasts, grab-and-go snacks and guilt-free desserts.
- Kid friendly recipe, everyone will love them.
The ingredients
Here are all ingredients you need to make healthy chocolate muffins with bananas. As always, you can find the complete ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card down below.
- Bananas. The riper they are, the sweeter your muffins. Look for brown-ish bananas, with dark spots all over their skin. If your bananas are still yellow, let them ripe before making this recipe. Or quickly bake the banana (with skin) in hot oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10 - 15 minutes until soft.
- Eggs. For a better taste and more nutrients, use free-range fresh eggs. I do not recommend making this recipe with egg whites only.
- Nut butter. I recommend almond butter and cashew butter, but also peanut butter is great.
- Oat flour. Both store-bought and homemade oat flours work, gluten-free if it is necessary. As an alternative, replace with whole wheat flour, spelt flour or all purpose flour.
- Cocoa powder. This recipe uses unsweetened cocoa powder, but also cacao powder or Dutch cocoa powder are suitable.
- Coconut sugar. This ingredient is a healthier alternative to sugar because it is less processed and contains more nutrients. You can replace it with brown sugar, cane sugar, white sugar or with any granular sweetener.
- Baking powder: This will make your muffins rise.
- Vanilla extract and salt. Vanilla extract gives the muffins a rich flavor flavor. A pinch of salt balances sweetness and enhances all flavors.
- Chocolate chips: This recipe uses extra dark chocolate chips without added sugars. Feel free to substitute with any chocolate chips, such as extra dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
How to substitute the main ingredients
- You can replace oat flour with your favorite wholegrain flour such as wholewheat flour, spelt flour, or all purpose flour. You can also make oat flour at home by grinding rolled oats in a blender.
- Substitute eggs with 2 flaxseed eggs, if you follow a vegan diet or can't eat eggs. I haven't tested this recipe with chia seed eggs yet, but they should also work.
- You can make sugar-free chocolate banana muffins by swapping out coconut sugar for keto sweeteners, such as monk fruit sweetener, erythritol, xylitol or allulose.
- If you are allergic or intolerant to gluten, make these cocoa banana muffins with gluten-free flour, such as certified gluten-free oat flour or almond flour.
Protein chocolate banana muffins
If you want to add some protein to this recipe, substitute part of the flour with protein powder. But don’t exaggerate. Replace at most 30 grams (or ⅓ cup) of flour with one scoop of protein, or the muffins will come out dry. Or try my Greek yogurt protein muffins recipe.
I suggest using vegan protein powder or casein, avoid whey. If you opt for vegan powder and casein, your chocolate banana muffins will stay moist and fluffy. With whey instead, they may get dry and rubbery. I like chocolate vegan protein powder.
How to make chocolate banana muffins without oil
Step 1: Combine the wet ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, mash three ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the nut butter, the eggs and the vanilla extract into the mashed bananas. Add in the coconut sugar and the salt. Then stir the wet mixture with a whisk or fork for about two minutes, or until all is well combined.
How to mash bananas?
To mash bananas, start by peeling and placing them in a large bowl. Use a fork or a potato masher to press down on the bananas, breaking them into smaller pieces. Keep on mashing, until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency free of lumps. The riper the bananas, the easier it will be mashing them.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients
Stir into the batter the oat flour (or your preferred flour), the cocoa powder and the baking powder. Give it a good mix until smooth, then fold through some chocolate chips.
Step 3: Bake the muffins
Fill ⅔ of each muffin mold with batter, sprinkle with chocolate chips and bake in hot oven for 20 to 30 minutes - mine took 23 minutes.
Storage instructions
To store: Before storing, let the banana muffins cool completely, over a baking rack or over a plate. Once cooled, place in an airtight container and at room temperature they will stay fresh for up to 3 days. In the fridge, they will last for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Let the cocoa banana muffins cool first, then transfer to zipper bags and freeze. Frozen, they will last for up to 3 months. To serve, remove muffins from the freezer and pop them in hot oven for a couple of minutes. Enjoy warm, for breakfast or as a snack.
Recipe variation
What I love about these banana chocolate muffins is that they are so versatile. The roads to customization are literally endless. Be creative and personalize this recipe to your likings, or keep on reading for some ideas.
- Strawberry chocolate muffins: Stir about half a cup of diced strawberry into the batter.
- Blueberry chocolate muffins: Fold though some juicy blueberries.
- Walnut chocolate muffins with banana: Mix a handful of crushed walnuts or pecans into the muffin batter.
- Peanut butter swirl chocolate banana muffins: Use peanut butter as your nut butter of choice and use it to drizzle the muffin tops.
Success tips
- Use spotty bananas that are very ripe with a soft texture; they'll add natural sweetness and moisture to your muffins. Additionally, they will also replace oil and part of the sugar.
- For a delicious twist, make chocolate banana muffins with almond butter or cashew butter. Unlike peanut butter which has a stronger flavor, these two nut butters offer a more delicate taste that perfectly complements the bananas and chocolate.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this can make the muffins dry. Mix just until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
- Similarly, avoid over-baking the banana muffins to prevent them from drying out. You'll know they're ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Mine took 23 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
BONUS TIP. Refrigerate your muffins overnight before eating, and enjoy on day two. As for all banana recipes, they will taste much better after sitting in the fridge for some hours. At least for me.
FAQ - Frequently asked questions
Yes, these chocolate muffins with banana are a healthier alternative to the original. They are free from oil, butter, and refined ingredients. Additionally, they are loaded with fibers and nutrients from the bananas and oats. Bananas provide essential vitamins and minerals such as potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, contributing to overall health and well-being.
Definitely, this recipe is perfect for making healthy chocolate banana bread. Instead of the muffin mold, pour the batter into a 20 cm (8 inches) loaf pan and you’re set to bake!
More healthy desserts with banana
- Flourless chocolate cake
- Cottage cheese banana bread
- Banana bread cookies
- Healthy chocolate banana bread
- 3 ingredient brownies
- Banana waffles
- High protein banana bread
- Healthy banana cake
Chocolate Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas ripe
- 2 eggs
- 60 g (¼ cup) nut butter almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter
- 70 g (⅓ cup) coconut sugar sub with brown sugar or granulated sweetener of choice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅙ tsp sea salt
- 150 g (1 ½ cup) oat flour sub with wholewheat flour or all purpose flour
- 50 g (½ cup) cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 50 g (½ cup) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a muffin mold with cupcake liners. Make sure you grease the liners to prevent muffins from sticking.
- In a large mixing bowl mash three ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir nut butter, eggs and vanilla extract into the banana mixture.
- Add coconut sugar and salt. Stir the wet mixture with a whisk or fork for around two minutes, or until all is well combined.
- Stir in oat flour (or preferred flour), cocoa powder and baking powder. Mix just until the batter reaches a smooth texture and is free of lumps, but do not overmix. Then fold through chocolate chips.
- Fill ⅔ of each muffin liner with the batter, sprinkle with more chocolate chips and bake in hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Make sure you do not overbake the muffins; they are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove chocolate banana muffins from the oven and let cool over a baking rack for about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are based on third-party calculations and should be considered approximations. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. We do not overtake any responsibility.
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Liza Ho
I love it??yummy yummy!!!
Matteo
Hey my dear Liza ?,
Thank you very much for your comment, I am so happy you liked this recipe.
All the best,
Matteo