These Chocolate Banana Muffins are one of our all-time favorite baked goods. And while they taste like a treat, they are chock full of nutrition and whole grains—even spinach if you decide to add it! They’re a perfect breakfast or snack option for the whole family.
Chocolate Banana Muffins
These moist little muffins have a base of oats, bananas, eggs, and either cocoa or cacao powder. They are gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats and they’re nut-free. But best of all, the baked muffins are super moist, which makes them easy for toddlers to eat.
TIP: We like these muffins warm out of the oven for breakfast or chilled for a snack or lunch. Heck, you could even smear on a little honey-sweetened cream cheese and call them cupcakes!
Healthy Oatmeal Muffins
I like adding rolled oats to muffin recipes like this one because they almost dissolve right into the batter when they bake. But, even though they are texturally not that obvious, they add fiber and B vitamins.
And help to make the muffins a little bit more filling—which can help keep those little bodies from running on empty so quickly!
Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe you’ll need:
- very ripe bananas (the more black spots the better)
- eggs
- melted and slightly cooled butter OR almond butter
- honey or maple syrup
- pure vanilla extract
- oats
- whole wheat flour
- cocoa powder
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- chocolate chips, optional
TIP: You can add a handful of baby spinach when blending the wet ingredients to add a veggie into the mix if you use a blender!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process of making these healthy mini muffins. Scroll down to get the full recipe.
- Preheat oven and grease a mini muffin tin well. Mash the banana smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to a bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to a bowl.
- Stir each bowl together.
- Add the wet to the dry to combine the batter.
- Divide among a muffin tin and bake!
- Blend the wet ingredients well in a blender.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients and divide batter among a greased mini muffin tin.
- Bake and cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature, slightly warm, or chilled.
TIP: You can blend the wet ingredients, including the banana, in a blender and then stir in the dry ingredients if you prefer. This is the way I prefer to do it if I’m adding spinach.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store these at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 24 hours or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Heat briefly to serve from warm to make them nice and moist!
To make these gluten-free, use cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend and certified gluten-free rolled oats.
To add spinach, you can blend the bananas, baby spinach, and the rest of the wet ingredients in a blender. Then stir in the dry ingredients and proceed with the recipe.
Healthy Mini Muffins for Toddlers
However you decide to enjoy them with your toddlers, we think you’ll like them lots. And for what it’s worth, my 7 year old LOVES these muffins. Which was surprising to me since they are less sweet than some other muffins she likes, but I’ll take it.
(Need a banana muffin without eggs? This allergy-friendly Vegan Banana Mini Muffin recipe or my Sugar-Free Banana Muffins are great options.)
Tips to Make the Best Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Mini muffin tins sometimes have a tendency to stick, so be sure to grease them well.
- I like this mini muffin tin from Wilton.
- Very ripe, with black spots, bananas have the most natural sweetness and will make these muffins taste best.
- Stir in 1/4-⅓ cup mini chocolate chips for added deliciousness!
- Top with nut butter, cream cheese, or a drizzle of honey if you’d like.
- Add a big handful of baby spinach to the blender and blend well with the rest of the wet ingredients to add some veggies to these muffins.
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe, so comment below to share!
Favorite Chocolate Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sliced very-ripe-with-black-spots bananas (from about 3 medium bananas)
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup melted and slightly cooled butter OR almond butter
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups lightly packed baby spinach (optional)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a mini muffin tin.
- Mash the banana well.
- Stir together the wet ingredients, including the mashed banana
- Stir together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- (Or, to do this step with a blender, place the bananas, eggs, butter, honey, and vanilla into a blender. Add the spinach if you plan to use it. Blend well.)
- Stir the oats, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips, if using, to the wet ingredients
- Fill prepared muffin tin about to the edge of each cup.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly. Use a paring knife to remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
- Serve at room temperature, slightly warm, or chilled.
Notes
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container or in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- To make these as full size muffins: Use about ¼ cup batter per muffin cup and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats and cup for cup gluten free flour blend in place of the whole wheat.
- Add a handful of baby spinach to the blender in Step 5 to add a veggie.
- Some mini muffin tins sometimes have a tendency to stick, so be sure to grease them well. (I like this mini muffin tin from Wilton.)
- Very ripe, with black spots, bananas have the most natural sweetness and will make these muffins taste best.
- Stir in 1/4-⅓ cup mini chocolate chips for added deliciousness!
- Top with nut butter, cream cheese, or a drizzle of honey if you'd like.
My 22 month old and I just made these this morning. It was hard to get the batter in the muffin pan because he was scarfing spoonfuls out of the mixing bowl! We did end up getting some in the oven and just enjoyed them for morning tea. Definitely a winner! I didn’t have cocoa so I used cacao and they are still sweet enough!
I’m so glad you both enjoyed them!
Could you substitute raw sugar for honey? If so, equal amounts?
Yes, that should work just fine!
Can you substitute honey for raw sugar? (If yes, how much should I add?)
I would love to make these. At the top of the recipe it mentions subbing oats for coconut. But I don’t see coconut in the recipe. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. Thanks!
Oh sorry, I fixed it. I recently simplified the recipe and forgot to adjust that!
Hi! I made them yesterday but they were very dry.. and the next day impossible to eat so i put some coconut milk to make them soft. Taste wise they were amazing! I put ginger syrop insteas of maple. Any ideas how to make them more juicy & soft?
Hi! I’m not sure how ginger syrup would impact them but maybe try them with the maple syrup next time?
Could you substitute sunflower butter for almond butter? If so, equal amounts?
My 3 year old and I made these today. They taste yum but the consistency is more fudgey than muffin/cakey. Is this normal?
They are pretty fudgey!
Have you ever estimated the calories/breakdown per mini muffin? I’m making for the preschool classroom and one of the children is diabetic. His mom says knowing carb count is helpful.
I have not, sorry!
I am interested in using this for my little one’s first birthday smash cake in a couple of weeks… i have 4" pans and was going to make a double-layer cake. the internet seems a little divided on temperature/cook time and i was wondering if you had any thoughts on whether i should keep the same 350 degree oven temp or increase/decrease? and any guesses on when to start checking doneness? Thanks!
Ooh, I love that idea! I would keep the baking temp the same and start checking at 10 minutes. The thickness probably won’t be that different than that of a mini muffin tin so it might wind up being right around the same time—the edges will cook faster so focus on the very center being cooked through (use a cake tester). I’d also let them cool in the pans to help ensure that they stay together well. Maybe pop them into the fridge to chill them a bit before frosting or if you have to store them for any amount of time. Happy almost birthday to your little one!
What baking time would you recommend for a regular size (12 muffin) pan?
I’d start checking them at 18 minutes. I’d guess between 18-22 but a cake tester inserted into the center coming out clean would be the best way to know for sure.
I just timed mine at 18 minutes and they are done! I didn’t quite fill each "cup." They smell amazing; I can’t wait to taste it!
is that the correct amount of cocoa? just seems like a lot for the amount of ingredients
It is!
I didn’t see I needed to refrigerate… Til now. Too late? They were left out all day 🙁
They will be fine! They just last longer if you put them into the frigde.
possible to sub maple syrup with coconut nectar syrup and sub almond butter with sunflower seed butter?
Yes, those should work fine!
Can you substitute almond butter for peanut butter?
Yes!
Can I omit the coconut or do I have to replace it with another ingredient?
You could use more oats instead, which would keep the consistency/cooking time the same.