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These Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins are the next bake you need to make when you have overripe bananas. Baked in cute muffin cases, they make the softest, most delicious banana muffins, laced with rich dark chocolate that melts into them, creating little pockets of melty dark chocolate.
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I love a muffin of any form; they are the perfect bite-sized sweet treat and transport well. They also always end up very moist and rarely dry out, which I find extremely comforting. Like these Chocolate Chip Muffins, they are squidgy with a great depth of flavor from the brown butter base. For a more classic banana bread, try my Brown Butter Choc Chip Banana Loaf (and if you use chocolate chunks, it’ll become Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread!)
Why you will love this recipe
- It’s the perfect banana muffin recipe, simply because it’s so tender and fudgy, with great depth of flavor from the brown butter.
- These muffins are a great way to use up any bananas that are going bad in your fruit bowl – we’ve all been there! Or if you have any lurking in the freezer that you said you’d use one day but haven’t quite got there.
- They are super moist thanks to the brown butter and Greek yogurt. They are really just pillowy and soft, so good.
Ingredients
- Light soft brown sugar – This contains molasses, so using it results in softer and fudgier muffins as it retains moisture.
- Superfine sugar (caster sugar) – Golden caster sugar would also work.
- Bananas – You will need around four very ripe bananas. When I have bananas going brown in my kitchen, and I know they are past the point of being eaten as a snack, I throw them straight in the freezer. Just defrost when you want to bake, and you have the ripe bananas you always need for a recipe like this!
- Flour – Use all-purpose (plain) flour rather than self-rising flour in this recipe.
Substitutions and variations
Chocolate chunks: Obviously, the key part of this recipe (along with the banana) is the chocolate chunks. However, if you want to mix it up, I also love to mix in nuts instead of chocolate chunks (or alongside). Try with chopped almonds, pistachios, walnuts, or peanuts. You could also use milk or white chocolate here instead of dark, if you prefer.
Greek yogurt: You need a soured dairy product here; yogurt is ideal, and it is something people tend to have lying around. However, you could use sour cream, buttermilk, or crème fraîche if you have those instead.
How to make the brown butter
ONE: Melt the butter and keep over medium-high heat.
TWO: The butter will start foaming and bubbling. Keep stirring every so often, as the milk solids will start to separate and you don’t want them to burn on the bottom of the pan.
THREE: After a short while, the milk solids will be brown and toasty. It will smell nutty too.
FOUR: Keep stirring until the milk solids (the flecks) are dark brown but definitely not black. If they are black, you’ve burnt it, and the banana bread will be bitter. Cool slightly before stirring in the butter.
How to make banana chocolate chunk muffins
Once you’ve browned the butter, here is how to make the banana muffins. The full recipe is at the bottom of the page in the recipe card.
ONE: Preheat your oven to 410°F (210°C/190°C fan) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners or folded parchment paper. Mash the ripe bananas together.
TWO: Chop up your dark chocolate into chunks.
THREE: Whisk together the brown butter and sugars.
FOUR: Add in your mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla.
FIVE: Add the yogurt and mix.
SIX: Once all of your wet ingredients are mixed together, gently stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
SEVEN: Then, fold in the chocolate chunks, reserving around 24 chunks (a handful!) to push on top of each muffin.
EIGHT: Divide the batter into 12 muffins. Press 2 chocolate chunks into the top of each. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- Brown Bananas: For these Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins, you will need around four very ripe bananas. When I have bananas going brown in my kitchen, and I know they are past the point of being eaten as a snack, I throw them straight in the freezer. Just defrost when you want to bake, and you have the ripe bananas you always need for a recipe like this! If you freeze them in their skins, the skin will turn totally black, but don’t panic. They are still fine to use. Otherwise, you can peel the bananas, chop them up, and add them to a freezer bag. Then defrost when ready to use.
- Brown Butter: Don’t be put off by this or think it’s hard. It’s super easy, and the guide above has all the helpful tips and tricks to make sure you get it just right.
- Don’t Overmix: Fold the dry and wet ingredients together just enough to combine, but don’t beat vigorously. Overmixing will make the batter tough. This is why I like to make the muffins by hand.
Frequently asked questions
Brown butter is melted butter that has been taken just past the point of melted to “brown it.” When you melt butter, you tend to get a separation of the milk solids (the white specks) and the yellow liquid, the butterfat. When you brown the butter, you toast the milk solids so they turn a golden brown, which gives the whole thing a nutty flavor. You also see this method in cooking, like in crispy brown butter gnocchi with sage.
Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C/130°C fan). Lay bananas on a baking sheet in their skins, and place in the oven. Bake for 10–30 minutes, depending on how ripe the bananas are. Keep checking them until totally brown. Once done, remove from the oven, cool slightly, and then peel the bananas, mash them, and add to the recipe as stated. This mimics ripe bananas as best as possible, although a proper ripe banana is best.
You could also bake this in a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan for around 1h15 minutes at 355°F (180°C/160°C fan). Or an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) square pan for around 35-40 minutes at 355°F (180°C/160°C fan). Make sure you check with a skewer; it should come out nearly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
I also love to mix in nuts instead of chocolate chunks (or alongside). Try with chopped almonds, pistachios, walnuts, or peanuts. You could also use milk or white chocolate here instead of dark, if you prefer
Yes, if you froze brown bananas when they went past the point of eating and want to use them now, just defrost them and continue with the recipe, adding in where instructed below. This also goes for if you froze whole bananas (just remove the skins) or if you froze peeled chopped bananas.
Yes, they freeze well. Pop the muffins in an airtight container and freeze for around 2 months. Defrost them at room temp when ready to serve, for at least a few hours. I like to reheat them in the oven at 355°F (180°C/160°C fan) for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
Other recipes you might enjoy
I love this Brown Butter Banana Loaf; it’s fudgy, soft, and easy. These Chocolate Chip Muffins are amazing, just like my Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins. For something a little different, this Creamy Coffee Tiramisu Cake is a great one, or for nostalgia, my Sprinkle Sponge Cake is so good. Finally, if banana is your thing, Banana Tiramisu is one you have to try!
Easy Baking Recipes
Banana Bread Bars
Easy Baking Recipes
Chocolate Chunk Muffins
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Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate Brownies
Easy Baking Recipes
Tiramisu Cookies
If you tried this Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a comment and let us know how it went!
Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz very ripe, mashed banana, about 3-4 medium bananas; or about 1 2/3 cups mashed
- 4 oz unsalted butter, 1 stick
- 3.5 oz light brown sugar, packed, scant 1/2 cup
- 3.5 oz superfine sugar (caster sugar), about 1/2 cup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4.6 oz thick Greek yogurt, about 1/2 cup
- 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 6.3 oz all-purpose flour (plain flour), 1 1/2 cups
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8.8 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks; about 1 1/2 cups, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 410°F (210°C/190°C fan) and line a 12-hole muffin pan with liners/folded parchment paper.
- Begin by browning your butter by melting the butter in a pan over medium heat. It will go from melted to then bubbling loudly before going quiet and foamy. Keep stirring until it turns a light amber color overall, but the flecks are dark brown, and you can smell chestnuts.
- Once browned, pour into a bowl to cool down.
- In a bowl, whisk together the melted brown butter and sugars for a minute until thick.
- Add in your mashed bananas, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla.
- Once all of your wet ingredients are mixed together, gently stir in the flour, baking soda (bicarb), and salt. Then, fold in the chocolate chunks, reserving around 24 chunks (a handful!) to push on top of each muffin.
- Divide the batter into 12 muffins. Into the top of each, press 2 chocolate chunks.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Storage
To store: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days. These will get better the next day. But still delicious as they are – especially from the oven and melty. So good. To heat: Serving at room temperature is delicious, but I sometimes like to pop a muffin in the microwave for 20-second bursts to warm it through and melt the chocolate chunks. To freeze: Cool the muffins completely, pop them in an airtight tupperware or container and freeze for around 2 months. Defrost them at room temp when ready to serve, for at least a few hours. I like to reheat them in the oven at 355°F (180°C/160°C fan) for 5-10 minutes before serving.More quick tips
Yogurt: If you don’t have Greek yogurt, sour cream, crème fraîche, or buttermilk will work too. Frozen bananas: If you froze brown bananas when they went past the point of eating and want to use them now, just defrost them and continue with the recipe, adding in where instructed above. This goes for if you froze whole bananas (just remove the skins) or if you froze peeled, chopped bananas.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Have made these several times now and love! Super moist and taste great even after a couple of days. I sometimes add a little shredded coconut and swap some of the chocolate for white chocolate, but either way, they are always a hit!
These banana chocolate chunk muffins are my go-to recipe when I have overripe bananas. They are soft, sweet and full of chocolate.
Tastes really good but they flattened after they cooled and the texture is not the same as in the photo. I used 150gr of sugar and it could have been reduced a bit more, but that’s a personal preference. Also topped them with pecans which gave it a nice added texture
Hi May! Ooh it sounds like yours could have done with a few more minutes in the oven. Hope you might try again – we make these most weekends in our house xx
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