Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins

These Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins are so light, moist, and full of banana flavor, with a soft, tender crumb that holds up beautifully around the large chunks of chocolate. If you’re a fan of my Classic Blueberry Muffins, you’ll LOVE this banana muffin recipe too, because it has the same light, delicious texture.

For more banana-flavored treats, check out my Ultimate Banana Bread Recipe, Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe, Banana Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting, or this Banana Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chips.

Ingredients:

• Dark Chocolate Chips or Dark Chocolate Chunks: In the States, I prefer Nestle’s Dark Chocolate Morsel Chips because the flavor is rich, and the chips are larger than the semi-sweet variety, giving you more chocolate flavor. But I can’t get those here in France, so now I use Nestlé’s Noir Dessert Chocolate and chop it into large chunks.
• Overripe Bananas: These provide the sweetness, moisture, and signature banana flavor. The riper they are, the better the flavor, but don’t worry if yours aren’t ready yet – there’s an easy oven trick to ripen them quickly. See below, I’ll show you how!
• Eggs: Eggs provide structure and help create a light, tender crumb. Bringing them to room temperature helps everything mix together smoothly.
• Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and keeps the muffins light.
• Unsalted Butter: Butter adds richness and flavor to the banana muffins. Melting it helps it blend evenly into the batter.
• Vegetable Oil: Oil is key for moist muffins. Using oil alongside butter keeps the muffins soft without making them heavy.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and enhances the banana and chocolate flavors without overpowering them.
• All-purpose flour: Gives the muffins structure. In France, I use T55 flour; I’ve found this to be the closest to American “All-Purpose Flour”.
• Baking Powder: Helps the muffins rise and gives them a nice domed top. Make sure it’s fresh for the best results. If it’s over 6-months old, it’s time to replace it.
• Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances all flavors.

How to Ripen Bananas Fast in the Oven

• This is my go-to trick any time I want to make banana muffins and don’t have ripe bananas on hand. It takes about 30 minutes and works beautifully.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean-up.
• Place the bananas on top, peels on, and bake at 300°F (150°F) for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
• The skins will turn completely black, which is exactly what you want.
• Once they’re cool enough to handle, slice them open and scoop out the soft banana flesh. It will mash just like naturally ripened bananas, and they’ll be sweeter too!

Step #1: Prep the Oven and Wet Ingredients

• Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and line a jumbo muffin tin with parchment-style jumbo liners. Set aside. 
• Place the bananas in a large bowl and mash them with a fork until smooth. 
• Add the eggs, sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla, and mix until well combined.

Step #2: Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined. 
• Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears to keep the muffins light and tender. Over-mixing will produce a tough muffin.
• Stir in the chocolate chunks with a spatula.

Step #3: Fill the Muffin Tin

• I like to serve these as jumbos because I think it makes these banana muffins extra impressive, but you can also use a 12-cup standard-size tin if you prefer. There is enough batter.
• Scoop the batter into a jumbo muffin tin lined with parchment muffin papers, filling each cup about three-quarters full.
• If you don’t have a jumbo muffin tin, use sturdier muffin papers and place them directly on a baking sheet.

Step #4: Bake (but don’t over-bake!)

• Bake at 400°F (200 °C) for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and baked through, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Do not over-bake! Muffins can become dry if you overbake them or bake them in a tin without cupcake liners.
• The liners act as a barrier between the hot metal and the muffin, preventing it from baking too quickly.
• I prefer jumbo muffin papers in parchment because they blend into the muffins after baking, and the nonstick parchment surface makes the muffins release easily without sticking to the paper. 
• Let the muffins cool slightly before serving.

The Two Secrets to Making Moist Muffins

1. Using a combination of fats. My preference is melted butter and oil. The butter provides richness and flavor, while the oil is pure fat and contributes to the muffin’s moist texture. 
2. Water. That’s right, folks! Humble, plain water – not milk, buttermilk, or sour cream. No other liquid does the trick like water. Water is pure moisture, with no added solids or fat to weigh it down. If you want a moist muffin, don’t forget the water! Water is what makes my Strawberry Lemon Muffins melt in your mouth, makes my Cappuccino muffins light as air, and makes my Pumpkin and Banana bread recipes sing.

Substitutions and Variations

• Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter for a warmer, bakery-style flavor that pairs well with fall.
• Swap dark chocolate chunks for semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even raisins, depending on what you have on hand.
• Add chopped walnuts or pecans on top for a chocolate-chunk banana-nut muffin variation.
• Turn these into crumb-topped banana muffins by adding a generous crumb topping before baking for extra texture.