These are the fluffiest, most moist chocolate chip banana muffins, and they're small batch! I cannot tell you how obsessed I am with this recipe. Like my classic banana muffins, they only have one banana and they come together in one bowl. Serve them with coffee for brunch or tea for a little snack situation.
Last weekend, Marc came home from the store with an absolutely ginormous bunch of bananas. To which I said, "???" because I don't think we've collectively eaten that many bananas in the entire course of our relationship.
But secretly? I was kinda excited because it gave me an excuse to let them get all weird and wrinkly so I could make muffins for my upcoming road trip to the Oregon coast. But this time, I decided to go with the dessert-for-breakfast route and add a handful of chocolate chips.
Like my small batch blueberry muffins, this recipe has a few tips that I learned in pastry school for those tall, bakery-style muffins you know and love. The result is a fluffy, moist muffin with pockets of melty chocolate. I'm not gonna lie, they might be my new favorite. 😬
Use a ripe banana
This recipe really only works if you have a super ripe banana. You want to use a banana that's a few days past its prime and has big brown splotches all over. It should also smell super fruity. If it's completely black, sadly it's too far gone!
Sometimes, if I have a lot of too-ripe bananas, I'll freeze them for future baking. Just peel the bananas, place them in a freezer bag or container, and freeze them for up to 3 months. Don't forget to defrost the banana before mashing!
Making the muffins
For bakery-style muffin tops, leave a space in-between each liner. The extra airflow will help the muffins rise nice and tall!
Regular vs. mini chocolate chips
I like to use mini chocolate chips, because you get lots of pockets of melty chocolate in each bite. And even better, they don't sink. But if you want to use regular chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, you totally can! Just toss them with 1 ½ teaspoons of flour first, or they will sink to the bottom of the muffins.
Store & freeze leftovers
If you have leftover muffins, place them in an airtight container or cover them with a cake dome. They'll stay good for 2-3 days before they start to dry out. To freeze the muffins for later, wrap each individually in parchment paper. Pop the muffins in an airtight container or zipper bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
When it comes to small batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. Just a small amount of flour can make or break an entire recipe. But if you don't have a scale, use the fluff, spoon, & level method to measure flour, cocoa, & other dry ingredients. Here is a whole guide on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking!
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Moist Small Batch Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin pan
- Muffin liners
Ingredients
- 1 very ripe banana
- 60 grams melted unsalted butter, cooled (¼ cup)
- 105 grams brown sugar light or dark (½ cup, packed)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 120 grams all purpose flour (1 cup)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 30 milliliters whole milk (2 Tablespoons)
- 100 grams mini chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling (½ cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with 6 liners, leaving a space in-between each liner. (See the blog post for a visual example.)
- Place the banana on a small plate. Use the tines of a fork to mash the banana until it's smooth and lump-free. You should have about 90-140 grams (⅓-½ cup) of mashed banana. Set it aside for later.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the cooled melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk the mixture until it's thickened and lightened in color, 1-2 minutes. Then, mix in the mashed banana until smooth. The mixture may look a little curdled, but don't worry, it'll smooth out!
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the batter is about 75% mixed. Then, add the milk, stirring just until the batter comes together. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips. Don't over-mix the batter! Optional: Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 20-30 minutes. This will help make the muffins extra tall!
- Use a cupcake scoop to divide the batter between the 6 muffin liners, filling them all the way to the top. Finish each muffin with a generous sprinkle of mini chocolate chips.
- Bake the muffins at 400°F (204°C) for 5 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 350°F (177°C) and bake the muffins for another 11-12 minutes, until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think!