These double chocolate banana muffins taste like a treat, but they’re made with coconut oil, whole wheat flour, honey, and naturally sweet mashed bananas. Enjoy all of the rich chocolate flavor and moist texture of chocolate cake, but in a slightly healthier whole wheat muffin.
For an extra special treat, you can even try them with a peanut butter swirl! See below.
Let’s go ahead and call these a healthier version of regular double chocolate muffins. Today’s recipe was originally published in 2016, and it remains on regular rotation. I’m bringing it back from the archives with new photos and clearer instructions… because no one should miss out on these!
This is a great recipe to make for kids’ lunch boxes or after-school snacks. Or maybe even a first-day-of-school special breakfast. They’ll think they’re getting a chocolate cupcake, but you’ll know the truth! They also
Reader Krithika says: “…Intensely chocolatey and amazingly moist, better than many cupcakes I’ve eaten…”
Here’s Why You’ll Love These Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Made from basic ingredients
- Super moist with rich chocolate flavor
- Quick and easy, just like regular banana muffins & pumpkin muffins
- A more wholesome version of these double chocolate muffins
- Uses whole wheat flour for a nutritional boost
- A delicious way to use up your spotty bananas
- Dairy free if using dairy-free chocolate chips
Reader Sydney commented: “These are amazing!! They don’t taste ‘healthy’ or even like whole wheat muffins— you’d never know they weren’t just your typical bakery style double chocolate muffins. I would say they weren’t super banana-heavy on the flavor either, which was actually a positive for us…★★★★★”
Ingredients You Need & Why:
- Bananas: Bananas naturally sweeten the muffins. Make sure you’re using super brown speckled bananas—the riper, the better. The chocolate flavor overpowers the banana, so you can expect a chocolate-forward taste with hints of sweet banana in the background.
- Honey: Honey finishes up the sweetening job. Feel free to swap maple syrup or agave in its place.
- Egg: An egg helps to bind the ingredients together.
- Coconut oil: You can always rely on oil to keep your baked goods moist, especially when they’re made with drying ingredients like whole wheat flour and cocoa powder.
- Vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, & baking soda: Flavor and rising essentials.
- Whole wheat flour: I like to use whole wheat flour when I can, particularly when I make healthier versions of my favorite treats, like this whole wheat banana bread.
- Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder takes the place of some of the flour in the recipe.
- Chocolate chips: Chocolate chips add some texture throughout. Plus, more chocolate!
Only 1 cup of flour in this recipe? Yes, that’s right! Cocoa powder acts as a dry ingredient too.
Using Whole Wheat Flour Instead of All-Purpose
Whole wheat flour has a big nutritional advantage over refined white flour—it’s richer in protein, fiber, and minerals. It’s also heavier and heartier than white flour, so it works especially well in muffin recipes, which naturally have a denser texture than cake—take these morning glory muffins, bran muffins, or these applesauce muffins, for example. Whole wheat flour absorbs a lot of liquid, so it can dry out your baked goods. But in this recipe we’re canceling that out with the super moist content of the mashed banana.
How to Mash Bananas
I started doing this a while ago and it’s been a total game changer whenever I make banana muffins, breakfast cookies, or banana bread. Just use your mixer to mash bananas! Peel and break the bananas into chunks, place in your mixer, and beat until mashed. Beat the rest of the wet ingredients right into this bowl, then beat in the dry ingredients. So easy.
If you’d rather not use the mixer (it really isn’t necessary for this recipe), just mash the bananas in a big bowl with a fork. You need 1 and 1/2 cups, which is about 345g, or 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas.
The process is really easy. Whisk the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together in separate bowls, then combine it all. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving some for the tops of the warm muffins.
Don’t forget about my high-temperature trick for sky-scraping muffin tops. Start baking the muffins in an extra-hot oven; the initial burst of high heat raises the muffin tops straight up. Then reduce the oven temperature to cook the centers of the muffins for the remaining bake time. It’s such a simple trick that produces beautiful, bakery-display-case-worthy muffins.
Expect a thick batter:
Peanut Butter Swirl Chocolate Banana Muffins!
If you love a chocolate-peanut-butter-banana combo like I do, you can add a peanut butter swirl to the tops of the muffins, and swap some of the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips.
Here’s how:
Melt 1/4 cup (about 62g) of creamy peanut butter (or use runny natural peanut butter) and spoon 1 teaspoon of it onto each muffin before baking. Using a knife or a toothpick, gently swirl it around into the batter. Top with a few peanut butter chips (optional).
These are a really fun treat! Kids and adults go nuts for that peanut butter swirl and no one ever realizes they’re whole wheat.
And if you can’t get enough of this flavor combination, try my peanut butter banana muffins next—with or without chocolate chips! Or if you’re heading into the fall season, these chocolate pumpkin muffins are always a favorite.
Are These Healthy?
I’d say these are a healthy-ish treat. Like banana chocolate chip breakfast cookies, blueberry banana muffins, and chocolate chip baked oatmeal cups, they are made with some alternatives to traditional baking ingredients like bananas and coconut oil instead of butter, honey instead of refined sugar, and whole wheat flour instead of white. However, they may be too sugary for someone who needs to watch their sugar intake.
When it comes to labeling recipes as healthy, use the best judgment for YOU. You can calculate the nutritional information for these with the exact products/brands you use with the help of an online recipe nutrition calculator.
For even more inspiration, see my 20+ favorite healthy dessert recipes.
Print
Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These double chocolate banana muffins taste like a treat, but they’re made with coconut oil, whole wheat flour, honey, and plenty of naturally sweet mashed bananas. See Note for peanut butter swirl version.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas)
- 1/3 cup (113g) honey (or maple syrup or agave)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (56g) coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil, olive oil, or melted butter)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (130g) whole wheat flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (41g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder (or dutch-process)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (save a few for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas up using a fork.* Try to mash up any large lumps. Once mashed, whisk in the honey, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla extract until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until everything is combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving some for the tops of the warm muffins.
- Spoon the batter evenly into each cup or liner, filling each all the way to the top.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C); then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce heat to 350°F (177°C) and continue baking for another 15–17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20–21 minutes, give or take. (For mini muffins, bake 11–13 minutes at 350°F (177°C) the whole time.)
- Press any remaining chocolate chips into the tops of the warm muffins. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling, or enjoy warm.
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days, then transfer to the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm up in the microwave if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Bananas: You can also mash the bananas in a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer. Not a fan of bananas? Try these healthier double chocolate chip muffins instead.
- Whole wheat flour: If you don’t have whole wheat flour, you can replace with the same amount of all-purpose flour.
- Can I skip the chocolate chips? Yes, feel free to leave them out or replace with chopped nuts.
- Peanut Butter Swirl Version: After step 4 and before step 5, melt 1/4 cup (about 62g) of creamy peanut butter (or use runny natural peanut butter) and spoon 1 teaspoon of it onto each muffin before baking. Using a knife or a toothpick, gently swirl it around into the batter. Top with a few peanut butter chips, if desired. Proceed with step 5.
- Why the initial high oven temperature? Like I do for most muffin recipes, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at a very hot temperature. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, switch to a lower temperature for the remaining bake time. This initial high temperature will quickly lift the muffin tops so they’re extra high, then the centers will bake during the lower temperature bake time. This trick makes beautiful bakery-style muffins every time.
- 2012 Version: An earlier version of this recipe published in 2012 was practically the same, only swapping 1/2 of the flour for all-purpose flour, applesauce instead of coconut oil, and 2/3 cup (about 130g) granulated sugar instead of honey. Today’s version yields a heartier, richer, moister muffin.
These came out delicious!! I made them for a toddler birthday party and everyone commented that you wouldn’t be able to taste that these are “healthy”
I used 2 small eggs instead of 1 large and I added white choc chips as that was all I had. Will definitely be making these again!
We make these muffins weekly for our kids’ lunch – they are delicious! One note – the recipe says to add the reserved chocolate chips to the top of the cooked/warm muffins, which we found to be messy in both application and when releasing the muffins onto the cooling rack. We add the chocolate chips to the tops before baking which is much easier.
Hi can I replace whole wheat flour with buckwheat flour ?
Hi Tia, we haven’t tested that substitution, so we’re unsure of the exact results. It may not be a 1:1 swap, so we recommend sticking with whole wheat flour for best results.
These muffins are great! I made them vegan using ground flax to replace the egg and maple syrup instead of honey, and they turned out amazing. My picky (and non vegan) husband loves them and asked me if I could “make a million more”. Safe to say that this recipe is about to become a staple in my house.
My family and I love this recipe; great way to use up those ripe bananas!
Question: Can you provide oven temperature and time adjustments for baking these as mini muffins rather than standard-size muffins?
Hi J, For mini muffins, bake 11–13 minutes at 350°F (177°C) the whole time. So glad these are a favorite for your family!
I love love these muffins and have made them countless times!!! I found that for some reason when the muffins aren’t hot or reheated they tend to be a little dry. I still loved the recipe and clean ingredients so I started adding some apple sauce to the batter. And I must say it takes these muffins above and beyond. I defiantly suggest making these and making that addition.
I was craving chocolate muffins following the onslaught of olympic chocolate muffin dupe recipes, but couldn’t bring myself to make any of them because of the large quantities of butter, sugar, cream, and eggs. Had some overripe bananas and came across this – thought why not, and gave it a go. I didn’t have enough bananas so added greek yoghurt to make up the difference in weight. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly using only a whisk and a spatula, and the muffins were phenomenal. My husband and I can’t stop eating them, and he’s not a big fan of desserts. This hit every chocolate craving I had. Nothing about the finished result tastes anything less than decadent. Will be making this over and over again in the future!
Thank you so much for posting this. I stared the recipe And realized I didn’t have as much banana as I thought….but I did have some greek yogurt.
They came out delicious!!
I’m always slightly skeptical of “healthy” baked goods, but these muffins are really delicious! We used vegetable oil since we didn’t have coconut oil on hand.
I may have made these muffins ten time now so it’s about time I left a review. I always make them vegan and they always come out wonderfully. When I veganize other nonvegan baking recipes I am often disappointed by squat, soggy muffins and cakes, but these are fluffy, craggy, bouncy bundles of joy.
I have used flax eggs, Just Egg, or extra banana for an egg substitute, and refined coconut oil, canola oil, or a mix for the fat. The chocolate chips are essential. Almonds, pecans, or pistachios are wonderful additions.
Usually I slightly reduce the maple syrup (by 10% or so) since the flavor and texture are still fantastic that way. One time I forgot the maple syrup entirely, which didn’t taste so good until I spread a teaspoon of cookie butter on top of each muffin. Then even those mistake-muffins were delicious! All in all, an exalted (and adaptable) muffin recipe.
I see an error. Your website lists 1/3 cup honey as 57g (rounded up) and 2/3 cup honey as 113g. Which one do I use? Thank you
The measurement as written “1/3 cup (113g) honey” is correct. Hope this helps!
This recipe is THE BEST. It do 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Also I use grapeseed oil and maple syrup. My 3 year old had these and his reaction was “WOW.” Oh I also reduce the amount of chocolate chips a little so kiddo has less chocolate coursing through his veins, but maybe something like 2/3 cup of chocolate chips. Thank you for this great treat!
I have always liked to have the the chocolate muffins from Costco up in my freezer for a special breakfast treat. Unfortunately, my doctor is not as fond of the idea as I am. Hahahaha I’ve tried a couple of different recipes searching for a healthier alternative.
I just pulled a batch of Sally’s muffins out of the oven, and this recipe is my favorite one so far. These muffins don’t have that weird “healthy” flavor. They actually taste like a regular muffin. The texture is great, too. They are light and fluffy, not heavy, dense, and dry like so many other muffins.
I will definitely be keeping a supply of these in my freezer so I can pull one out every one in a while for a “fresh baked” breakfast treat.
Favorite dairy free chocolate muffins I have ever made or had. Thank you so so so much. Daughter is dairy free too recently and has missed out on so many treats. So was so happy I made these.
Loved this recipe! So moist, I used butter instead of coconut oil (I’ll try it next time) and I used half whole wheat/half white flour. Honestly the only reason I did half/half flour, the last banana muffin recipe I tried was terrible with full whole wheat flour, but I don’t think it was the flour, I think I didn’t like the combo of banana and cinnamon, and they were heavy muffins.
Not these! They are awesome, a printable recipe!! Thank you, I’ll deep dive for more of your recipes!
This recipe is the one recipe I keep making over an over again! I love how pronounced the chocolate flavor is and how the banana keeps the muffins moist! I like things a little less sweet so I reduce the amount of honey I put in, and they still are still great with the natural sweetness of the bananas!
Beautiful recipe. Fluffy, moist, not super sweet and so chocolatey. Great to whip up fast for school lunch boxes. I used half coconut oil and half butter. Maple instead of honey and a small pinch of salt. Delish!
Omg I just tried this recipe and I think I just found my favorite. Thank you so much for sharing! We went camping and of course I forgot the bananas that then over-ripened days later when we came home. Figured I’d make the usual banana bread but I wanted it to be different. This recipe is exactly that! Lightly sweet, not heavy with chocolate and soo fluffy! I also added mine with the Pb swirl for my little guy. Huge hit!
Hi, I only have 3 medium bananas (260g). Should I reduce the other ingredients or do you think it will be ok?
Hi Kelly! Reducing the other ingredients would be tricky. Do you have applesauce, pumpkin puree, yogurt or sour cream? You can add one of those to your banana to get to the needed amount.