Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Name: Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder; ½ tsp (3 g) baking soda; ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt; ½ tsp (1½ g) ground cinnamon (optional); 3 large (320 g) very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed with a fork until mostly smooth (about 1⅓ cups); ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed, lumps broken up; 2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes; ½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature; 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract; ¾ cup (130 g) semisweet chocolate chips; ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate chips, reserved for sprinkling on top; 1 tbsp (12 g) coarse sugar or turbinado sugar (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tall, tender bakery-style muffins packed with ripe banana and melty chocolate chips. A brief blast of high heat gives them domed tops, and brown sugar and yogurt keep the crumb soft for days.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 5 min
Makes: 12 standard muffins

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the muffins
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
½ tsp (3 g) baking soda
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
½ tsp (1.5 g) ground cinnamon (optional)
3 large (320 g) very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed with a fork until mostly smooth (about 1⅓ cups)
¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed, lumps broken up
2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes
½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (130 g) semisweet chocolate chips
For the topping
¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate chips, reserved for sprinkling on top
1 tbsp (12 g) coarse sugar or turbinado sugar (optional)

Equipment (10)

12-cup standard muffin tin (each cup about ½ cup / 120 ml)
12 paper muffin liners
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Fork or potato masher
Measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale
Ice cream scoop or large spoon (about ¼ cup / 60 ml capacity)
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Use bananas with heavily speckled or mostly brown peels; they are sweeter and mash more smoothly. You need about 1⅓ cups (320 g) mashed.
Take the eggs and yogurt out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so the batter mixes evenly and the melted butter doesn't clump.
Melt the butter and let it cool for about 5 minutes so it won't scramble the eggs.
Position an oven rack in the center and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Plan on a 10-minute batter rest before baking; it is what gives the muffins their domed tops.

1
Preheat and line panOven 400°F / 205°C
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F (200°C).
- Line all 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
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Ready when: Oven reads 400°F (200°C) on an oven thermometer or the preheat signal sounds.
Tip: Start the batter while the oven heats, but don't put the muffins in until it is fully hot.
2
Mash the bananas
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with a few small lumps.
- You should have about 1⅓ cups (320 g).
- Add the brown sugar and whisk for 30 seconds until the mixture looks like a thick, glossy puree.
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Ready when: No large banana chunks remain and the sugar looks mostly dissolved into the puree.
Tip: Weigh the mashed banana. Too much banana makes gummy, dense muffins.
3
Whisk the dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon (if using) for 20 seconds until evenly combined with no streaks of baking soda.
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Ready when: The mixture is a uniform color with no clumps of leavener.
4
Add the wet ingredients
- Add the eggs to the banana mixture and whisk for 30 seconds until smooth.
- Pour in the cooled melted butter, then add the yogurt and vanilla.
- Whisk for about 1 minute until fully blended and no streaks of yogurt remain.
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Ready when: The batter base is uniform, thick and slightly glossy, with no visible pools of butter.
Tip: If the butter is hot it can cook the eggs, so let it cool first.
5
Fold batter together
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
- With a rubber spatula, fold gently, scraping the bottom of the bowl, for about 15 strokes until only a few streaks of flour remain.
- Add ¾ cup (130 g) of the chocolate chips and fold 3 to 4 more times until the flour disappears.
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Ready when: No dry flour is visible; the batter is thick, lumpy and scoopable, not smooth.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and gives tough, tunneled muffins. A few small lumps are fine.
6
Rest the batter
- Let the batter rest in the bowl, uncovered, at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- The flour hydrates and the batter thickens, which helps the muffins rise into tall domes.
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Ready when: Batter looks noticeably thicker and holds a mound when scooped.
7
Fill the muffin cups
- Use a scoop or large spoon to divide the batter among the 12 lined cups, filling each to the top, about ¼ cup (75 g) each.
- Sprinkle the reserved ¼ cup (45 g) chocolate chips over the tops, then the coarse sugar if using.
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Ready when: Each cup is full and mounded slightly above the rim.
Tip: Don't smooth the tops; a rough mound bakes into a nicer dome.
8
Bake at high heatOven 400°F / 205°C
- Place the tin on the center rack and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes.
- The high heat makes the batter spring up quickly to form tall domes.
- Do not open the oven door.
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Ready when: Tops have begun to puff above the rim of the liners.
Tip: Keep the door closed; lost heat means flatter tops.
9
Finish bakingOven 350°F / 175°C
- Without removing the tin, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake for 14 to 16 more minutes, until the tops are deep golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin (avoiding chocolate) comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
- Rotate the tin front to back after 8 minutes if your oven bakes unevenly.
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Ready when: Tops are deep golden and spring back when lightly pressed; a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs (an instant-read thermometer reads about 205°F / 96°C).
Tip: A toothpick that hits a melted chip will look wet; test a spot away from the chocolate.
10
Cool the muffins
- Let the muffins sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift them onto a wire rack.
- Cool for at least 10 more minutes so the crumb sets and the chocolate stays soft but not runny.
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Ready when: Muffins are warm, not hot, and release easily from the tin.
Tip: Leaving them in the tin too long traps steam and makes the liners soggy.

Good to know

Tips

Freeze overripe bananas in their peels, then thaw and drain off excess liquid before mashing; they are perfect for baking.
Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, or weigh it. Scooping directly from the bag packs in extra flour and makes dry muffins.
Toss the chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of the measured flour if you find they sink to the bottom.
Fill the cups fully for bakery-style tops; if you prefer smaller muffins, use 14 liners and fill them about ¾ full, baking 2 to 3 minutes less.

Make ahead

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and combine the wet ingredients in another up to 12 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate the wet mixture, then fold together just before baking. Or bake fully and freeze for up to 3 months.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature in an airtight container lined with a paper towel: up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days. Freezer: up to 3 months in a zip-top bag. Reheat a room-temperature or thawed muffin in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or microwave a frozen muffin for 30 to 45 seconds, until warm in the center.

Substitutions

plain whole-milk yogurt → sour cream or buttermilk. Use the same amount (½ cup / 120 g or 120 ml). Buttermilk gives a slightly thinner batter and a lighter crumb.
unsalted butter → neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil. Use ⅓ cup (80 ml). The muffins will be slightly moister, with a little less buttery flavor.
semisweet chocolate chips → chopped dark chocolate or chopped walnuts. Use the same weight. Chopped chocolate creates melty pockets; for nuts, toast them first.
light brown sugar → granulated sugar. Use ¾ cup (150 g). The muffins will taste less caramel-like and be a bit less moist.