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Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are the easy, ultra moist treat I whip up whenever the bananas on the counter go spotty, and the girls came running the first time the chocolatey smell filled the kitchen on a rainy morning. Made with a chocolate cake mix shortcut, mashed bananas, and a handful of chocolate chips, they come together in one bowl and bake up bakery tall. If you love an easy muffin, our banana cream cheese muffins are another must try.
One bowl, six ingredients, and twenty minutes is all it takes for these rich, moist Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 17 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 27 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 15 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 246kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, moist, and chocolatey with sweet banana and gooey chocolate chips
- ✋ Difficulty: Very easy, a cake mix shortcut like our apple banana oat muffins
Quick Answer
To make Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, oil, and vanilla, then stir in a box of chocolate cake mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips, scoop the batter into a lined muffin pan, and top with more chips. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, drop the heat to 350 degrees, and bake about 12 more minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Jump to:
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins FAQs
- Other Recommended Muffin Recipes
- Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A cake mix shortcut keeps it foolproof. Starting with a chocolate cake mix means perfectly tender Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with almost no measuring.
- Mashed bananas add moisture and sweetness. Ripe bananas keep the muffins soft and moist for days while adding natural banana flavor.
- The high then low bake gives tall tops. Starting at 400 degrees gives the muffins a quick rise, then 350 degrees finishes baking them through without burning.
- Oil makes them extra moist. Vegetable oil keeps these muffins tender and moist longer than butter would.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stirring just until combined keeps the muffins light and fluffy instead of dense and tough.
- Chocolate chips in and on top. Folding chips into the batter and sprinkling more on top gives gooey chocolate in every bite and a bakery look.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One bowl and six ingredients. These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are about as easy as baking gets.
- Ridiculously moist. Banana and oil keep them soft and tender for days.
- A great way to use ripe bananas. Just like our banana cream cheese muffins, they rescue those spotty bananas.
Key Ingredients
These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins use just six simple ingredients. Here are the key players.
- Ripe bananas: The riper and spottier the better, for the most moisture and natural sweetness.
- Chocolate cake mix: The shortcut that makes these muffins rich, chocolatey, and foolproof.
- Chocolate chips: Semi sweet chips folded in and sprinkled on top for gooey chocolate in every bite.
- Eggs and oil: Eggs give structure while vegetable oil keeps the muffins ultra moist.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor and enhances both the banana and chocolate.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are easy to customize. Try these ideas.
- Different cake mix: Use a yellow or banana cake mix for a lighter, classic banana muffin.
- Add nuts: Fold in chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
- Peanut butter chips: Swap or mix in peanut butter chips for a banana split vibe.
- Mini muffins: Bake in a mini muffin pan and reduce the time for bite sized treats.
- Extra chocolate: Stir in cocoa or chocolate chunks for an even richer muffin.
- Make it a loaf: Pour into a loaf pan and bake longer for banana chocolate chip bread.
How to Make Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Add the chocolate cake mix to the wet ingredients.
- Stir until just blended, being careful not to overmix the batter.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Scoop about a quarter cup of batter into each lined muffin cup and sprinkle more chocolate chips on top.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, lower to 350 degrees, and bake about 12 more minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use very ripe bananas. Spotty, soft bananas mash easily and give the most flavor and moisture.
- Do not overmix. Stir just until the cake mix disappears to keep the muffins tender.
- Start hot, then lower. The 400 degree blast gives tall tops before the 350 degree finish bakes them through.
- Fill cups evenly. A quarter cup scoop per liner makes 15 even, bakery style muffins.
- Top with extra chips. A few chips pressed on top before baking make them look bakery perfect.
- Cool before storing. Let the muffins cool fully so they do not steam and turn gummy in the container.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are perfect warm from the oven with a smear of butter or a drizzle of peanut butter. They make an easy grab and go breakfast or after school snack the whole family loves.
Serve them as part of a brunch spread next to our apple banana oat muffins and a batch of pistachio muffins for a gorgeous muffin basket.
For dessert, warm a muffin and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee makes the perfect pairing for all that chocolate and banana.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins FAQs
Yes, but the cake mix is what makes these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins so quick and foolproof. If you prefer scratch, use your favorite chocolate muffin base and fold in the mashed banana and chocolate chips.
The riper the better. Soft, spotty, even blackened bananas mash smoothly and give Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins the most moisture and natural sweetness.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Let them cool completely first so they do not get gummy.
Yes. Freeze the cooled muffins in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm a frozen muffin in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Dense Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are usually from overmixing the batter. Stir just until the cake mix is combined, and do not pack the batter down in the liners.
Absolutely. For mini muffins, reduce the bake time and watch closely. For a loaf, pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake longer until a toothpick comes out clean.
Want more easy banana bakes? Try our banana cream cheese muffins next.
Love an easy muffin recipe? These blueberry muffins are moist, tender, and filled with cream cheese.
Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas about 3 medium bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a muffin pan with muffin liners and set aside.
- Whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.1 1/2 cups mashed bananas, 2 large eggs, 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients: cake mix. Mix the muffin batter until evenly blended, but do not overmix.1 box chocolate cake mix
- Fold in the chocolate chips.3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Add ¼ cup of batter to each cupcake liner.
- Add more chocolate chips on top for garnish if desired.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F, turn the oven down to 350°F, and continue to bake for an additional 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Place the muffin tin on a wire rack and cool slightly. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use overripe bananas for the best flavor—brown and spotty is perfect!
- Don’t overmix the batter—this keeps the muffins soft and fluffy.
- Add a few extra chocolate chips to the tops of the muffins before baking.
- Use a measuring cup or cookie scoop to evenly fill your muffin cups.
- Start baking at a high temperature (400°F) to get nice muffin tops.
- Want a smaller treat? Turn them into mini muffins—just shorten the bake time.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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These were so much fun to make and tasted delicious.