Chocolate Banana Crinkle Muffins

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Chocolate Banana Muffins — These chocolate banana muffins are moist and soft in the middle, with a slight chewiness around the edges of the muffin top. The best breakfast treat EVER!

Chocolate Banana Muffins — These chocolate banana muffins are moist and soft in the middle, with a slight chewiness around the edges of the muffin top. The best breakfast treat EVER!

Chocolate Banana Muffins Recipe

Best muffin tops ever. And I’m one to judge. I’ve pilfered oodles of muffin tops in my day, leaving behind only the stumpy muffin cores. No shame.

These chocolate chip banana muffins are moist and soft in the middle with a slight bit of chewiness around the edges of the muffin top. Throw in the texture from the sugar granules, and it’s a perfect bite.

The muffin tops remind me of snow-capped mountains. They’re are as close to snow as I prefer to come.

I hit the jackpot when I recently snagged a big bundle of discounted bananas. Beat up and tired, practically free, and perfect for banana muffins, banana bread, and banana smoothies. When I saw Nikki’s muffins, I knew I had to try a version of her recipe with my banana bounty.

This is an easy, no mixer recipe, with the perfect amount of chocolate to satisfy your chocolate cravings without being too intense for a breakfast muffin, and the chocolate dominates the banana flavor. No complaints there.

Chocolate-banana cake disguised as muffins. Definitely a keeper.

Chocolate Banana Muffins — These chocolate banana muffins are moist and soft in the middle, with a slight chewiness around the edges of the muffin top. The best breakfast treat EVER!

What’s in Chocolate Banana Muffins? 

To make the best banana muffin recipe, you’ll need:

  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Salt 
  • Egg
  • Canola oil
  • Sour cream
  • Vanilla extract
  • Mashed bananas
  • Mini chocolate chips

Chocolate Banana Crinkle Muffins - Have ripe bananas to use? Make these easy, no mixer chocolate beauties! Best.muffin.tops.EVER!!!

How to Make Chocolate Banana Muffins

Whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another, then combine the two. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips last, then divide the chocolate chip banana muffin batter between 13 or 14 greased muffin cups. 

Sprinkle the top of each muffin with granulated sugar — this is what gives these chocolate banana muffins that irresistible crackly topping. 

Bake the moist banana muffins until they’re set, domed, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a crack comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Be careful not to over bake these muffins! It’s easy to over bake them because the batter is already so dark, so start checking them at the 20-minute mark to be safe. 

Chocolate Banana Crinkle Muffins - Have ripe bananas to use? Make these easy, no mixer chocolate beauties! Best.muffin.tops.EVER!!!

Can I Use a Sour Cream Substitute? 

Yes, plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of the sour cream, if desired. 

Can I Freeze Chocolate Banana Muffins? 

Yes, once fully cooled I recommend sealing these chocolate chip banana muffins inside a freezer bag. They’ll stay fresh up to 6 months if frozen correctly. 

Chocolate Banana Muffins — These chocolate banana muffins are moist and soft in the middle, with a slight chewiness around the edges of the muffin top. The best breakfast treat EVER!

Tips for Making Chocolate Banana Muffins

I’m sure everyone knows this tip, but you can peel overripe bananas, break them into chunks, place in a Ziplock, and freeze. That way anytime you need ripe bananas for baking or smoothies, you’re set.

Although you can use regular-sized chocolate chips in the muffin batter, I love mini chips in muffins because they melt much more evenly and don’t sink to the bottom as easily.

Note that this moist banana muffins recipe makes 13 or 14 muffins, or 1 dozen plus a mini loaf. I love my mini loaf pans for that extra little bit of batter that I hate throwing out, but refuse to dirty another muffin pan for a couple muffins. The loaf pan fits perfectly next to the muffin pan on the same oven rack so everything bakes evenly.

Chocolate Banana Muffins — These chocolate banana muffins are moist and soft in the middle, with a slight chewiness around the edges of the muffin top. The best breakfast treat EVER!

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5 from 6 votes

Chocolate Banana Crinkle Muffins

By Averie Sunshine
These chocolate banana muffins are moist and soft in the middle, with a slight chewiness around the edges of the muffin top. The best breakfast treat EVER!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Cooling Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 14
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Ingredients  

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch salt, optional and to taste
  • 1 large egg
  • cup canola or vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup sour cream, lite is okay; Greek yogurt may be substituted
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas, from about 3 medium/large bananas
  • 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, strongly recommended but regular size may be substituted
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar for each muffin, for sprinkling

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a Non-Stick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan and one mini loaf pan (recipe yields 13 or 14 muffins, or one dozen plus one mini loaf; or simply discard excess batter if that’s easier) very well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan; set aside. (I don’t prefer the cosmetic look of muffin liners).
  • To a large bowl, add the first 6 ingredients, through optional salt, and whisk to combine; set aside.
  • To a medium bowl, add the egg, oil, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
  • Stir in the bananas.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until just combined. Batter is quite thick and is prone to having dry bits hiding at the bottom of the bowl. Make sure everything is incorporated without unnecessarily over-mixing or muffins will be tough.
  • Stir in the chocolate chips until just combined.
  • Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or spoon, turn batter out into prepared pans. Each muffin cavity should be filled to about 3/4 full, but not exceeding, or batter could overflow.
  • Sprinkle the top of each muffin generously with sugar, about 1 teaspoon each. It looks like a lot but I like the visual pop and contrast of the white and dark; noting some absorbs and some is lost to the pan.
  • Bake at 350F for about 22 to 25 minutes, or until muffins are set, domed, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a crack comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter, noting it’s not a perfect test and you may hit melted chocolate chips which shouldn’t be confused with raw better. Don’t overbake, which is very easy to do with dark-colored items and start watching them closely at 20 minutes.
  • Allow muffins to cool in pan for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until they’ve firmed up and are cool enough to handle.

Notes

  • Muffins will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. I find the muffins taste better on day 2 after the flavors have married.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 280kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 144mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 27g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Hi! I really liked it! Just made them on monday. The only thing i changed was the sugar on top, because for me was enough sugar inside. I wasn’t very sure about the cocoa powder but they turned out perfect! The banana taste is there and the chocolate flavor it’s not so strong. Delicious! I’m baking them again! 

  2. 5 stars
    Hi! I really liked it! Just made them on monday. The only thing i changed was the sugar on top, because for me was enough sugar inside. I wasn’t very sure about the cocoa powder but they turned out perfect! The banana taste is there and the chocolate flavor it’s not so strong. Delicious! I’m baking them again! 

  3. Maybe I didn’t use enough sugar but my “crinkle” doesn’t look so crinkly. The sugar gathered into a crust on top. They still taste yummy, but they’re not as pretty. Any suggestions?

    1. With baking, it’s really hard to troubleshoot something like why the tops didn’t crinkle as much, unless I was standing in the kitchen with you. As long as they taste great, I’m happy!