I keep a bowl of bananas on the counter until they go almost black, and this is the recipe I make when that happens. Three of them, a half cup of dark cocoa, and a bag of chocolate chips, and you get a dozen muffins that taste like banana bread with the volume turned down and the chocolate turned up.
The thing that makes these work is the mash. If you leave big lumps of banana, the muffins bake uneven and you get wet pockets around the fruit. Get them almost smooth and the whole thing comes together in one bowl in about fifteen minutes.
You don't need a mixer for this. A fork, a whisk, and a spatula will do it, and the batter is forgiving enough that you can swap the milk, the yogurt, or the syrup without wrecking it.
Tips & Tricks
- Mash the bananas until almost no lumps are left. Big chunks bake into wet spots.
- Sift the cocoa powder if it's clumpy. Cocoa loves to form hard little balls that don't break up in the batter.
- Fill each cup about two thirds full. More than that and the tops spill over the tin.
- A toothpick from the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Wet batter means another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Let them sit in the tin for 10 minutes before you take them out. They're fragile while hot.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven
Set the oven to 350F (180C) and grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners.
2. Mash the bananas
Put the bananas in a large bowl and mash them with a fork until almost smooth. A few small lumps are fine.
3. Add the eggs and wet ingredients
Beat in the eggs until they're fully mixed, then stir in the Greek yogurt, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Keep going until the mixture looks even.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients
Add the whole wheat flour, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until you can't see dry flour anymore. Overmixing makes them tough.
5. Fold in the chocolate
Scrape the spatula down the bowl and fold in the chocolate chips with a few gentle turns.
6. Fill the tin
Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each about two thirds of the way up. It's a thick batter, so smooth the tops a little with the back of the spoon.
7. Bake
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick pushed into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Start checking at 30.
8. Cool
Leave the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes, then move them to a rack to finish cooling.
Variations
- Swap the maple syrup for honey at the same 1/2 cup, and the Greek yogurt for sour cream. Both work at a 1 to 1 swap.
- Use regular cocoa powder instead of dark if that's what's in the cupboard. The muffins come out milder and a little sweeter.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder to the dry ingredients. It doesn't taste like coffee, it just makes the chocolate taste more like chocolate.
- Fold in 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts with the chocolate chips for crunch.
How to Store Dark Chocolate Banana Bread Muffins
Refrigerator
Keep them in a sealed container on the counter for 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. The fridge dries them out a little, so warm them before eating.
Freezer
Freeze cooled muffins in a zip bag for up to 3 months. Squeeze the air out and freeze them individually first if you can, so they don't clump.
Reheating
Microwave one muffin for 20 to 30 seconds from the fridge, or 45 to 60 seconds from frozen. A toaster oven at 300F for 5 minutes brings the top back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes. Thaw them first and drain the extra liquid that collects in the bowl, or the batter gets too wet. Three medium frozen bananas equal the three fresh ones here.
Q: Why are my muffins dry?
Usually it's baking time. These are done at 30 to 35 minutes, and every extra minute past that dries them out. Check with a toothpick at 30 and pull them as soon as it comes out clean.
Q: Can I make this as a loaf instead?
You can, but the time changes a lot. A standard loaf pan at 350F usually needs 50 to 60 minutes. The muffin version is more reliable because the smaller size bakes evenly.
Q: Do I have to use whole wheat flour?
No. All-purpose flour works at the same 1 cup and gives a lighter, softer muffin. Whole wheat gives a heartier texture and a nuttier taste.
Q: How ripe do the bananas need to be?
Ripe enough that the skin is spotted or mostly brown. Yellow bananas will work but the muffins will be less sweet, since the banana is doing a lot of the sweetening here.
Dark Chocolate Banana Bread Muffins Recipe
Moist banana bread muffins with dark cocoa and chocolate chips. One bowl, 3 ripe bananas, and 30 minutes in the oven for a dozen.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Heat the oven — Set the oven to 350F (180C) and grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners.
- 2Mash the bananas — Put the bananas in a large bowl and mash them with a fork until almost smooth. A few small lumps are fine.
- 3Add the eggs and wet ingredients — Beat in the eggs until they're fully mixed, then stir in the Greek yogurt, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Keep going until the mixture looks even.
- 4Mix in the dry ingredients — Add the whole wheat flour, dark cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until you can't see dry flour anymore. Overmixing makes them tough.
- 5Fold in the chocolate — Scrape the spatula down the bowl and fold in the chocolate chips with a few gentle turns.
- 6Fill the tin — Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each about two thirds of the way up. It's a thick batter, so smooth the tops a little with the back of the spoon.
- 7Bake — Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick pushed into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Start checking at 30.
- 8Cool — Leave the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes, then move them to a rack to finish cooling.
Questions or cooking notes?
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