Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins
These Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins are soft, fluffy, and full of wholesome goodness—ideal for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, or a quick grab-and-go bite. They’re absolutely loaded with banana for that naturally sweet flavor and moist texture, with just the right amount of dark chocolate chunks to keep everyone coming back for more.
What Makes These Muffins SO Good!
- Kid-approved – Described as “the BEST muffins ever” by my own kids
- Perfect for lunchboxes – Nut-free, mess-free, and easy to pack
- Freezer-friendly – Great for batch baking and stocking up
Ingredients You Will Need
Ingredient Notes, Substitutes, & Allergy Swaps
- Flour – This recipe works with plain white flour, wholewheat, or wholemeal flour. Wholegrain flours will make the batter thicker, so you may need to add extra milk—up to ½ cup—to loosen it slightly.
- Milk – Any milk works here, including dairy-free alternatives like oat or almond milk.
- Chocolate – Use dark, milk, or dairy-free chocolate chunks or chips. Chop a block of chocolate for big melty pockets or use chips for less mess.
- No baking soda? – You can substitute with 2½ teaspoons of baking powder. Sift it into the flour to evenly distribute it.
- Gluten-free option – A gluten-free baking mix works well. If your mix doesn’t include xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon to help with texture and structure.
Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins Illustrated Step-By-Step Guide
Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffin recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.
Step one: Mash and mix the wet ingredients
Start by mashing your bananas right in the mixing bowl—it saves on dishes and works just as well as using a separate one. Once they’re nice and smooth, add the eggs, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Give it all a good whisk until everything's well combined.
Step two: Activate the baking soda
Warm your milk in the microwave for about 20–30 seconds—just enough to take the chill off—then stir in the baking soda. You’ll see it foam up a little. Pour this into your wet mixture and stir again.
This step helps spread the baking soda evenly, which means you’re far less likely to get those unpleasant little aftertastes in the final muffins
Step three: Add the dry ingredients
Next, add your flour, cinnamon, and salt. I usually just sprinkle them straight in rather than sifting—since the baking soda is already mixed into the wet ingredients, it all comes together nicely without that extra step.
Step four: Gently mix the batter
Using a spatula, fold the wet and dry ingredients together. You want everything just combined—don’t overmix or your muffins can end up a little dense.
Step five: Add the chocolate chunks
Now for the best part—chocolate! Stir through the chunks, but feel free to keep a few aside for sprinkling on top.
Step six: Portion into muffin tray
Scoop the batter into your lined muffin tray. An ice cream scoop makes this super easy and helps get even portions so they bake up the same size.
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Step seven: Add extra chocolate (if you like!)
Sprinkle a few of those reserved chocolate chunks on top of each muffin. It gives a lovely gooey finish and makes them look bakery-worthy.
Step eight: Bake and cool
Pop the tray in the oven and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 18–22 minutes. They’re done when golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
Bonus: the melted chocolate on top will stay gooey if you sneak one warm!
Top Tips
Here is how you can make these Banana Choc Chunk Muffins perfectly every time!
- Use very ripe bananas for the best natural sweetness and rich banana flavor. The spottier, the better!
- Activate your baking soda by stirring it into warm milk before adding it to the batter. This helps it dissolve evenly and prevents that metallic aftertaste some muffins can get.
- Avoid overmixing once the dry ingredients go in—just stir until combined to keep your muffins soft and fluffy.
- Double the batch and freeze for up to 2 months. Great for lunchboxes or quick snacks on busy days.xx
- Make chocolate chip mini muffins use mini muffin tins and smaller chocolate chips, just reduce the baking time to around 10–12 minutes and check early.
How to Make This Recipe Suitable For Baby Led Weaning
While the texture of these muffins is soft and moist enough for babies, I’d recommend trying muffins specifically developed for baby-led weaning to better suit little ones’ nutritional needs and reduce added sugars.
If you’d still like to adapt this recipe:
- Omit the maple syrup (and never use honey) for babies under 1 year
- Swap chocolate chunks for finely chopped soft fruit
- Bake as mini muffins for smaller hands—just reduce the baking time accordingly
For baby-friendly options, try one of these recipes designed with little eaters in mind:
Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins
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Ingredients
- 2 large bananas (ripe) (about 1 cup mashed)
- 2 eggs
- 0.33 cup oil (neutral) one third cup lite olive oil
- ¼ cup milk (non-dairy is ok)
- 0.33 cup maple syrup one third cup (or honey)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup chocolate chunks (or chips)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
- Mash & Mix Wet: In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add eggs, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
- Activate the baking soda: Heat the milk for 20-30 seconds in the microwave until warm, stir in the baking soda. Add this to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift in flour, cinnamon, and salt. Gently fold to combine—don’t overmix.
- Add Chocolate: Stir through the chocolate chunks, reserving a few for the tops if desired.
- Bake: Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups. Top with extra chocolate chunks. Bake for 18–22 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool: Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas for the best natural sweetness and rich banana flavor. The spottier, the better!
- Activate your baking soda by stirring it into warm milk before adding it to the batter. This helps it dissolve evenly and prevents that metallic aftertaste some muffins can get.
- Avoid overmixing once the dry ingredients go in—just stir until combined to keep your muffins soft and fluffy.
- Double the batch and freeze for up to 2 months. Great for lunchboxes or quick snacks on busy days.xx
- Make chocolate chip mini muffins use mini muffin tins and smaller chocolate chips, just reduce the baking time to around 10–12 minutes and check early.
- Flour – This recipe works with plain white flour, wholewheat, or wholemeal flour. Wholegrain flours will make the batter thicker, so you may need to add extra milk—up to ½ cup—to loosen it slightly.
- Milk – Any milk works here, including dairy-free alternatives like oat or almond milk.
- Chocolate – Use dark, milk, or dairy-free chocolate chunks or chips. Chop a block of chocolate for big melty pockets or use chips for less mess.
- No baking soda? – You can substitute with 2½ teaspoons of baking powder. Sift it into the flour to evenly distribute it.
- Gluten-free option – A gluten-free baking mix works well. If your mix doesn’t include xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon to help with texture and structure.
Quick Start Guide To BLW
Baby led weaning doesn’t need to be complicated, grab my quick start guide to begin your little ones food journey.