Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
These Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are a must for ripe bananas!
Vegan, most and delicious, these banana chocolate chip muffins are a must for snacks, meal prep, breakfast, or dessert.
I’ve been working on this healthy banana chocolate chip muffin recipe for weeks for you and they are finally perfect.
Lightly sweet, tender and so incredibly moist. Paired with a cup of coffee and these have become my favorite mid-morning snack.
Why I love this recipe
These vegan banana chocolate chip muffins check all the boxes that I’m looking for in a muffin: easy, perfect for meal prep, and just enough sweetness that they work for both dessert and breakfast.
My kids are banana monsters, which means I’ve always got ripe bananas on my counter. I usually peel and freeze them towards the end of the week for smoothies, but lately, I’ve been making a batch of these muffins or my vegan carrot cake banana bread for weekend mornings.
And did I mention that these healthy banana chocolate chip muffins are fairly healthy? They are similar to my vegan banana muffins, but these are sweetened with only ripe bananas and applesauce, which pairs perfectly with semisweet chocolate chips. It’s like one part breakfast, one part dessert but still wholesome enough to enjoy in the morning.
Ingredient Notes
- Ripe bananas: You’ll need about 3 ripe bananas for this to get 1 1/2 cups of ripe, mashed bananas
- Soy milk: When I bake for my kids, I use soy milk for extra protein, but you can use any unsweetened milk. I tested these muffins with soy and oat milk.
- Applesauce: The applesauce helps to create a more tender, moist muffin. I often buy the single cup servings of applesauce as they are exactly one cup!
- Coconut oil: For these vegan muffins, coconut oil acts like butter. You can substitute dairy-free butter in place of coconut oil if you’d like.
- Whole wheat pastry flour: I use whole-wheat pastry flour in these banana chocolate chip muffins for a little more fiber and overall nutrition. If you use all-whole-wheat flour, these will be denser, while all-purpose flour will be lighter and airier.
- Chocolate chips: For banana chocolate chip muffins, of course! I use semi-sweet as I almost always have them on hand, but dark chocolate also works.
Substitutions
Other plant-based milks, like almond milk, will work. Regular dairy milk can also be used if you don’t want these to be vegan. The overall texture will remain the same, though the flavor might change subtly depending on the milk used.
You can use all-purpose flour if you don’t have whole-wheat pastry flour.
These healthy banana chocolate chip muffins use 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, though you can swap them for other additions like chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans), different-flavored chips (butterscotch, white chocolate), dried fruit (raisins, cranberries), or a combination. Keep the total amount of mix-ins roughly around 1/2 to 3/4 cup so you don’t overwhelm the batter.
How to Make
Blend the Wet
Whisk together the ripe bananas, applesauce, soy milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. I use a blender to make things easier but you can also mash the banana very well in a bowl and then add in the milk, oil and vanilla.
Blend the Dry
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. To combine, make a well in the center and then add in the banana mixture and stir to combine, taking care not to overmix as overmixing creates dense muffins.
Bake
Stir in the chocolate chips, then spoon the muffin mixture into the prepared muffin tin about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 muffins or until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove and let cool for at least 10 minutes in the muffin pan, then remove and place on a cooling rack to enjoy.
Tips for Success
Don’t skip the chocolate chips! Since these healthy banana chocolate chip muffins don’t contain additional sweeteners, you’ll miss the chocolate if you omit it. You can boost them, though, with other add-ins, like chopped walnuts or dark chocolate chips.
The other non-negotiable is that your bananas need to be ripe enough to be soft. As bananas are the primary sweetness in these healthy banana chocolate chip muffins, using too-green bananas won’t work.
Trust me, I know how tempting it can be to try and will bananas to be ready for bread or muffins, but you’ll be sorry if you use ones that aren’t ripe. Even a day or two makes a big difference!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it matter if I blend the wet ingredients?
I use a blender for a smooth, uniform liquid mixture, resulting in a slightly finer texture in the finished muffins. Mashing the bananas well by hand will leave tiny bits of banana with a more rustic texture, though both methods work!
How can I tell when they are done?
I almost always use a toothpick to determine doneness. In addition to the toothpick test (inserting it into the center and having it come out clean or with dry crumbs), the tops of the muffins should look golden brown. You can gently press the top of a muffin with your fingertip – it should feel slightly firm and spring back. The edges of the muffins might also just be starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.
How much should I mix the batter after combining the wet and dry?
Stir until only just combined! This is the biggest mistake I see when making muffins and other quick breads; over-mixing the muffins will make the final muffins dense and tough. Mix until you don’t see any big streaks of dry flour.
Serving Size
This healthy banana chocolate chip muffin recipe makes 12 muffins, but the batter can be doubled to make 24 muffins.
The batter can also be used to make mini banana muffins in a mini muffin tin and baked for 10-12 minutes.
More Vegan Muffin & Bread Recipes
Strawberry Lemonade Scones
Orange Olive Oil Cake
Zucchini Chocolate Muffins
Carrot Cake Bread
Cranberry Orange Bread
Pumpkin Muffins with Pecan Glaze
If you like these healthy banana chocolate chip muffins, come back and leave a comment and a rating! Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups ripe banana, from about 3 bananas
- 1/3 cup soy milk
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with muffin cups.
- Blend together the banana, applesauce, soy milk, coconut oil and vanilla in a blender. Alternately, you can mash the banana very well and then mix in the milk, oil and vanilla.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar and baking powder. Make a well in the center and add in the banana mixture and stir to combine. Add in the chocolate chips and stir to distribute.
- Spoon the muffin mixture into the prepared muffin tin about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 muffins or until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes then enjoy!