These chocolate banana breakfast muffins are a healthy and delicious way to start your morning. They have the moist texture and rich flavor of the very best chocolate cake but are much lower in sugar than typical breakfast muffins and packed with good-for-you ingredients.

Here's what these chocolate banana muffins are all about:
- They are quick and easy, can be made in advance, and freeze well
- They are lower in sugar than typical breakfast muffins thanks to the addition of naturally sweet applesauce and a TON of bananas
- They include fiber-rich ingredients like whole wheat, wheat bran, and fresh fruit
- They can easily be made vegan, eggless, or gluten-free (see "Additions and Substitutions" below)
- They are soft, moist, fudgy, and packed with chocolate banana flavor that's not covered up by excess sugar
- They are hearty enough to keep you feeling full for hours
- They are an absolutely delicious way to use up overripe bananas
- They are a surefire way to please chocolate loving kids and adults in equal measure
I have always had a preference for sweet breakfast food. Give me fresh fruit and yogurt, peanut butter and honey on toast, chocolate banana smoothies, or muffins and pastries for breakfast, and save the eggs for dinner thankyouverymuch.
Even better if breakfast can include some chocolate. Or ice cream. I've been eating strawberry frozen yogurt for breakfast for years and am currently obsessed with healthy Ninja Creami recipes packed with protein that justify my craving for ice cream in the morning.
My whole family feels this way. So, it's obvious why these easy and good-for-you double chocolate banana muffins have been one of my go-to breakfast recipes since our kids were young.
They thought they were getting away with eating chocolate cake for breakfast but I knew they were getting a hearty, low-sugar, whole-grain breakfast. Wins all around. 🙌
If you are of a similar mind, this recipe is for you.
Also, FYI - you can swirl peanut butter into the top of these to make chocolate banana peanut butter muffins that are SO GOOD.
Just in case you need a few more reasons to eat chocolate for breakfast, try these Vegan Banana Chocolate Muffins with Tahini Glaze, or a batch of Vanilla Glazed Chocolate Almond Scones, or these Double Chocolate Muffins which I almost always make mini-size because they're just more fun that way. Or, if you're on a gluten-free diet, try these decadent Gluten Free Double Chocolate Ricotta Muffins.
Also, there's no need to relegate "healthy" and "chocolate" to breakfast. I'm highly in favor of a chocolate all-day, everyday approach to life. For example, these super fudgy protein brownies are gluten-free and dairy free and, as the name suggests, packed with protein and chocolate.
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Ingredients Needed to Prepare this Recipe
These fudgy little banana muffins are made with simple wholesome ingredients but taste like pure chocolate heaven. Typical muffin recipes rely heavily on sugar for flavor and moisture. But in this recipe, I swapped out some of the sugar for applesauce, yogurt, and 2 full cups of mashed bananas.
Here’s what you need to whip up some chocolate banana muffins lickety-split:
- All-purpose flour. These contain more whole wheat flour than all-purpose flour, but that little bit of all-purpose flour keeps them from being too dense and heavy.
- Whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour absorbs a lot of liquid so it can make muffins dry - but in this recipe that’s not a problem because of the applesauce, greek yogurt, and loads of mashed banana.
- Wheat bran. Wheat bran adds fiber, flavor, and a delicious texture to these fudgy muffins.
- Cinnamon. A touch of ground cinnamon complements the chocolate banana flavor in these muffins in the most subtle and delicious way.
- Baking powder and baking soda. Baking powder helps these muffins rise and baking soda works with the acid in the yogurt and the chocolate to produce a light and tender texture.
- Salt. If you've been here before, you know I like more salt in baked goods than what you'll see in most recipes. Salt boosts the flavor of every single ingredient in a dish, and sweet foods are no exception. In these muffins, salt brings out the flavor of whole grains, brown sugar, chocolate, and bananas. It also balances out the sweetness of the muffins and rounds out the bitter corners of the chocolate. Having said that, if you are sensitive to salt, use your best judgment and reduce the amount in this recipe as you see fit.
- Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds more flavor and moisture than white sugar, which helps us get away with using less in these muffins. There’s simply no need to hide the natural goodness of these muffins under too much sugar.
- Butter. While most muffin recipes require at least a half cup of butter or oil, this recipe requires just 2 tablespoons. How can we get away with using so much less butter? Because of applesauce!
- Unsweetened applesauce. Applesauce does double duty in this recipe, replacing some of the sugar and most of the butter in these tasty muffins.
- Eggs. Eggs contribute protein, structure, richness, and flavor to these muffins. BUT, if you want to make vegan or eggless chocolate banana muffins, scroll down to the Additions and Substitutions section.
- Vanilla extract. Be sure to use real vanilla extract, not the imitation kind which can give muffins a bitter aftertaste.
- Bananas! 2 cups of mashed banana keeps these muffins naturally sweet, incredibly moist, and bursting with banana flavor.
- Plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt. Yogurt keeps these muffins moist for days, contributes flavor, and works with baking soda to create a light and fluffy texture.
- Melted chocolate. I like to use bittersweet chocolate that’s at least 70% cacao but if you want slightly sweeter muffins you can use semi-sweet chocolate (60% cacao) instead.
Make These Muffins in 4 Easy Steps
1. Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl and stir with a wire whisk to mix 'em up.
2. Add the brown sugar, melted butter, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla to a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes, until well combined.
You can also mix everything up by hand with a wire whisk if you prefer.
3. Add the mashed bananas, yogurt, and melted chocolate and beat just until everything is combined.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl and stir just until the batter is smooth. Don't over-mix!
Distribute the batter amongst a paper-lined muffin pan and bake.
Here's an inside tip for muffins that rise with a perfect rounded top!
Bake muffins for 5 minutes at a high temperature (400 degrees F) then drop the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F for the remaining bake time. The short burst at high heat activates the ingredients that make muffins rise and creates a lovely dome-shaped muffin top.
For Double Chocolate Banana Muffins Whip Up This Simple Chocolate Glaze
In all honesty, these chocolate banana muffins are absolutely delicious all by themselves, without the glaze. If you're a chocolate lover like me and feel that a little bit more chocolate is always a good idea, you'll probably want to make the glaze.
This super simple chocolate glaze takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and adds double chocolate flavor to these muffins.
Simply add some cocoa powder, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, a few tablespoons of milk and some vanilla extract to a bowl and stir with a whisk until smooth. Done and done.
When the muffins are cool, spoon the glaze over the top of each muffin. Using tulip liners to make these muffins is especially great here because they will help hold in the glaze.
Additions and Substitutions
- For egg-free chocolate banana muffins: Swap the eggs with “flax eggs”. To make one flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal with 2 ½ tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes to allow it to gel then add it to the batter. Because this recipe calls for three eggs, use 3 tablespoons of ground flax meal and 7 ½ tablespoons of water.
- For vegan chocolate banana muffins: Replace the egg with flax eggs (instructions in the previous bullet point) and use plain or vanilla vegan greek yogurt that’s unsweetened. It’s important to use “greek style” vegan yogurt because regular vegan yogurt contains too much water. I like the Kite Hill brand. You can also omit the yogurt and add an additional ½ cup of mashed banana. Using an extra banana instead of the yogurt results in muffins that are delicious, but won’t rise quite as high while baking.
- To make gluten-free chocolate banana muffins: Replace the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour gluten-free measure-to-measure flour substitute. Replace the wheat bran with gluten-free oat bran or ground flaxseed meal.
- To make chocolate chip chocolate banana muffins: stir 1 cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter.
- Play around with the flavor by adding a teaspoon of almond extract or coconut extract, swapping out the butter for coconut oil, or dissolving a couple of teaspoons of instant espresso powder into the melted chocolate.
- Make chocolate banana peanut butter muffins! This is my favorite way to make these muffins. Melt ⅓ cup of creamy peanut butter and drizzle it onto the tops of the muffins before baking. Use a knife to gently swirl the peanut butter into the chocolate muffin batter, then bake as usual.
How to Store These Muffins
I usually make a batch of chocolate banana muffins over the weekend. We eat some for breakfast the day they are baked, pop a couple in the refrigerator for later in the week, and put the rest in the freezer for later in the month.
Quick aside: I almost always have a few muffins and balls of chocolate chip pecan cookie dough in the freezer and I can't tell you how many times I have thanked my past self for the effort.
- Stored in an air-tight container, these muffins will keep well at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Chocolate banana muffins can also be frozen, unglazed, for up to 3 months. I like to wrap each muffin individually then put them all into a zip-top bag or another airtight container. Wrapping them individually protects them from freezer burn and also makes it easy to grab as many or as few as you like from the freezer when you want them. Allow frozen muffins to thaw at room temperature then top them with glaze if you like and devour.
Recipe FAQs
In my book, these chocolate banana muffins rate as "healthy" (or at least healthier) because they are low in sugar, low in saturated fat, high in protein and fiber, and contain simple, wholesome ingredients.
BUT, some people might not consider them healthy at all. The best person to judge what food is healthy for you is YOU.
Good question! The real answer is: not much.
Cupcakes tend to contain more sugar than muffins and have a lighter, springier texture. Muffins are not generally as sweet and have a heartier texture. Also, cupcakes generally include frosting and muffins do not.
But, I've long said that muffins are just a way to eat cupcakes for breakfast and I'm 100% on board with that.
I love eating these muffins for breakfast, but they are also perfect for lunch boxes and bag lunches, afternoon snacks, and, of course, for dessert. They do taste like chocolate cupcakes after all!
Tips for Success
- For moist and tender muffins, don’t over-mix the batter after adding the dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients into the batter, mixing just until everything is combined.
- To prevent dry muffins, be careful to not over bake them. Bake just until a toothpick inserted into one of the muffins comes out without any evidence of raw batter. Use a simple, inexpensive oven thermometer to test the accuracy of your oven. Most ovens are not 100% accurate and if your oven runs hot, it can be easy to over bake muffins and other baked goods.
- For the best flavor, use very ripe bananas. Making these muffins are a great way to use up those brown, over-ripe bananas!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Chocolate Banana Breakfast Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (85 grams) whole wheat flour
- ½ cup (32 grams) wheat bran
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon (4.5 grams) table salt (*See recipe notes)
- ¾ cup (160 grams) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (29 grams) butter, melted (I used salted)
- ⅓ cup (85 grams) of unsweetened applesauce
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (454 grams) mashed bananas very ripe bananas; about 4 medium size bananas
- ¼ cup (57 grams) of plain unsweetened greek yogurt
- 5 ounces (142 grams; slightly less than 1 cup of chopped chocolate) of semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
For the Chocolate Glaze (optional):
- ⅓ (28 grams) cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup (57 grams) powdered sugar
- a pinch of salt (to taste)
- 3-4 tablespoons (43 - 57 grams) milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) and line a muffin tin with 12 large tulip paper liners. Or, line two muffin tins with regular paper liners. (See recipe notes.)
- Add both kinds of flour, the wheat bran, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a medium size bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
- Add the brown sugar, melted butter, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla to a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes, until well combined. (You can also do this by beating vigorously with a wire whisk.) Add the mashed bananas, yogurt, and melted chocolate and beat just until combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula just until all the ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth.
- Distribute the batter amongst the muffin cups; each cup should be about ¾ full. Bake the muffins at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). If baking large muffins, continue baking for 28 - 32 minutes. If baking small muffins, continue baking for 12 -15 minutes. To test that the muffins are done baking, insert a toothpick in the center of one of the muffins and pull it out. They are done when there is no evidence of raw batter on the toothpick.
- Remove the muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before topping them with glaze (if using).
To Make the Glaze:
- Add the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt to a bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine. Add 3 tablespoons (43 grams) of the milk and the vanilla and beat with a wire whisk until smooth. Add a bit more milk if you want the glaze to be runnier. Taste and add more salt if desired.
- Drizzle the glaze over the muffins when they are completely cool.
Notes
- Make chocolate banana peanut butter muffins! This is my favorite way to make these muffins. Melt ⅓ cup of creamy peanut butter and drizzle it onto the tops of the muffins before baking. Use a knife to gently swirl the peanut butter into the chocolate muffin batter, then bake as usual.
- If you've been here before, you know I like more salt in baked goods than what you'll see in most recipes. Salt boosts the flavor of every single ingredient in a dish, and sweet foods are no exception. In these muffins, salt brings out the flavor of whole grains, brown sugar, chocolate, and bananas. It also balances out the sweetness of the muffins and rounds out the bitter corners of the chocolate. Having said that, if you are sensitive to salt, use your best judgment and reduce the amount in this recipe.
- The type of paper liners you use to make these muffins will determine their size. If you use large tulip paper liners, like the ones you see in these photos, this recipe will make 12 large chocolate banana muffins. This recipe will make 24 small chocolate banana muffins if you use standard paper muffin liners. See the links below for more information about tulip paper liners and regular paper liners.
- Store chocolate banana muffins in a zip-top bag or another airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The muffins can be frozen, unglazed, for up to 3 months. Allow the muffins to thaw at room temperature before topping them with glaze and serving.
- The nutrition information was calculated using one large muffin topped with 1 tablespoon of glaze.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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GHIRARDELLI Premium 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar, 4 Ounce (Pack of 12)
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365 by Whole Foods Market, Apple Sauce Unsweetened Organic, 24 Ounce
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Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour, 5 Pound (Pack of 1)
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Bob's Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Baking Flour, 5-pound
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Bob's Red Mill Wheat Bran, 16 Oz
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Amazon Basics Nonstick Muffin Baking Pan, 12 Cups - Set of 2
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Standard Size White Paper Baking Cups
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Tulip Cupcake Muffin Tins Liners, 2” Standard, Brown, Natural, and White
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 muffinAmount Per Serving: Calories: 275Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6 gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 254mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 7gSugar: 22gProtein: 6g
Rebecca Blackwell says
I'm so glad you liked this recipe Judy! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! I truly appreciate it! xo
Diane says
I really want to try these, but 22 muffins are too many for us. Can I safely halve the recipe? How to halve 3 eggs? Also, I have regular size muffin pans (12 per pan) and larger size (6 per pan). Are yours the larger size? Thank you.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Diane! Yes, you can cut this recipe in half. For the eggs, use one whole egg plus one egg yolk. I used a regular-size 12-cup muffin tin to bake the muffins you see in these photos, but lined the tin with tulip paper liners. If you use tulip paper liners, this recipe will give you 12 large muffins. If you use regular paper liners, this recipe will give you 24 small muffins. I hope that helps, but please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I'd love to hear what you think of these muffins after you bake them! xo
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Wish I had one of these chocolate and banana muffins to devour right now, they look SO good.. especially with all that chocolate glaze going on!
Rebecca Blackwell says
Thanks Thalia! Whip up a batch - they're worth it! 🙂
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
When I do eat breakfast, I flip flop between two extremes...either pancakes and lots of bacon or something light and healthy. These muffins would a perfect breakfast item for me. They look delicious and I love that it has all the hidden ingredients.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Thao - we would get along well. 🙂 If you make these, let me know how you like them. They disappeared quickly at my house!