Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana and chocolate lovers, get excited! This Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe is bursting with banana flavor… and chocolate chips! Happily vegan, these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are the perfect recipe to serve for various morning gatherings.

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Hiiiiiii. It’s me, your girl who’s allergic to bananas, but keeps serving up the banana goodness on this here blog because (1) my husband and child are not allergic, and (2) I hear there’s a demand for banana recipes.

I get it, and honestly, I wish I could have one of these muffins because they smell and look stunning. (Also, my husband and child tell me they are amazingly tasty.)

When we made this Vegan Banana Muffin recipe a few months back, I was thrilled they turned out so beautifully. (I meaaaaaan… look at that rise! Without eggs! WIN!)

Why I love this recipe:

I went through a phase where I made a bunch of vegan muffin recipes, and this one in particular was made as a part of my friend’s Muffin Week!

My husband and daughter both love bananas, so I thought it would be fun to make a twist on our classic Banana Muffins since they love them both.

Besides, everyone knows dark chocolate chips make breakfast even better. 😉

These happily vegan muffins don’t look or taste like some vegan recipes do. (Please note that I went through a phase where I could not enjoy any dairy products, so I tinkered a lot with vegan recipes and baking.)

They’re light and fluffy… they just don’t involve animal products.

This particular recipe lasted less than 24 hours in my household. I bet they’ll last the same amount of time in yours, whether or not you follow a vegan diet.

More muffin recipes to try: Vegan Pumpkin Muffins | Vegan Blueberry Muffins | Vegan Orange Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients for Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are laid out before the batter is mixed

What you need to make this recipe:

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Let’s talk ingredients!

In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.

Here are the ingredients you need to pick up at the store:

All-purpose flour — we keep unbleached AP flour in our house, but the regular kind works just fine. I have not tried this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend or substitute and do not recommend it at this time.
Leaveners — we use a combination of baking soda and baking powder to give these eggless muffins some serious rise. Make sure yours are fresh.
Kosher salt — a little goes a long way! I love to use a medium grain kosher salt, but you can use a similarly sized sea salt. Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand.
Banana — you need a cup of it, mashed. This will take probably about three small bananas. I like to use overripe bananas that have brown spots because they are extra sweet. However, don’t use them if the peel is dark brown and super soft. Otherwise, they’re too mushy.
Brown sugar — I prefer light brown sugar here, but you can use dark brown if that’s what you have. This adds a lovely sweetness to pair to the sweet banana.
Unsweetened non-dairy milk — any dairy free milk works, like almond, cashew, oat, soy milk, etc. Don’t use coconut cream, as that is too thick.
Unsweetened applesauce — this helps keep moisture in the muffins and plays nicely with the banana.
Oil — I’ve used vegetable oil for these muffins, but you can use canola, refined coconut oil or avocado oil or any other neutral oil.
White vinegar — you won’t taste this vinegar in the muffins! It activates the baking soda and helps these muffins rise beautifully as they bake. You could use the same amount of lemon juice or lime juice.
Pure vanilla extract — or the best vanilla extract you can get your hands on. This helps bring all the ingredients together and makes them sing.
Vegan chocolate chips — vegan dark chocolate chips are my personal favorite. Find your favorite brand and use those!

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins sit in a muffin tin before baking.

How to make Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Prepare. Preheat the oven. Line a muffin tin with baking cups. You can spritz with nonstick cooking spray, and then set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients. Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk together, then set aside.

Combine out the wet ingredients. Mash the ripe bananas first, then measure in the brown sugar, non-dairy milk, oil, applesauce, vinegar and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or a whisk to beat them together until light and fluffy.

Mix the muffin batter. Sprinkle the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir it until just combined.

Add the chocolate chips, and fold those in.

Scoop the muffins. Use a cookie scoop to dollop the batter into the prepared muffin pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Check with a toothpick — it should come out clean.

Enjoy warm!

how to store:

Let the muffins cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Eat cold or reheat in a toaster oven until just warmed through.

Muffins freeze well, too. Freeze on a parchment-lined sheet pan in the freezer, then transfer to a freezer-safe storage container or freezer bag to keep for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and then enjoy.

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, fresh from the oven, remain in the muffin tin, surrounded by chocolate chips and bananas

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes these eggless muffins rise?

I like to use a combination of baking soda and vinegar for my vegan muffins. Why? When the two get together, they fizz and fuzz and make the muffins rise gorgeously.

They’re simple ingredients most of us have lying around, assuming we cook on a semi-regular basis, and they make for a beautiful muffin. I don’t love egg substitutes because I rarely have them on hand.

Why aren’t my muffins rising?

There are several different factors that might go into this.

Here are a few things to check:
– Is your baking soda old?
– Is your baking powder old?
– Does your oven run at the correct temperature?

Two Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are stacked on top of each other after baking

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

Muffins are one of my favorite things to share because they are typically pretty simple to assemble and are also easy to make early.

If I were serving these muffins to share, here are a few things I might do…

Make a double or triple batch to have more than enough muffins. You can freeze the extras!
Make them the morning of… or the day before. Muffins are simple to make early and keep well when stored properly.
Accommodate your guests’ food allergies and sensitivities. Since this recipe is flexible when it comes to non-dairy milk and doesn’t call for eggs, you can use whatever works best for you and your people.

A lone Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin is placed on a white plate for serving

Quick tips and tricks to the best Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Mise en place. Measure out the ingredients before mixing the batter. Make sure your muffin tin is prepared, too, so that you can immediately dollop the batter in and bake it. This is especially important since the leaveners kick in as soon as the ingredients are mixed.
Use your favorite brands. This recipe is decently flexible when it comes to dairy free milk, oil and chocolate chips. Use what you like and have on hand.
Freeze any extras. These come in handy for a quick breakfast. Simply defrost overnight in the fridge, then warm through in the toaster oven.

When to share…

BRUNCH AT HOME: Who doesn’t love a muffin that tastes like banana bread?
PLAY DATE: Kids love muffins. These can be made early, too.
AFTER SCHOOL SNACK: These are a sweet little treat that are great to share after a long day.

Now who’s ready for some of this goodness?

Scroll on down to learn how easy these are to make…

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Servings: muffins

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

4 from 4 votes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

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EQUIPMENT

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