Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins – Easy!

These vegan banana chocolate chip muffins are the dreamiest bake for those who love banana sweets! They are made with simple plant-based ingredients like ripe bananas, melty chocolate chips, and are easy to make, warm and cosy, chocolatey, and irresistibly moist and fluffy. 

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I made another banana chocolate chip combo, and this time, it’s in muffins! There’s honestly nothing quite like the smell of these freshly baked vegan banana chocolate chip muffins wafting through your kitchen. If you love my banana chocolate chip cookies or banana chocolate chip pancakes, you’ll 100% enjoy this recipe. 

These muffins are soft, moist, fluffy, and packed with sweet banana flavour and rich, gooey, melty chocolate chips in every bite. If you have some overripe bananas, do make this recipe today. It only takes about 25 minutes to bake and is incredibly easy to make, too. Only 9 key ingredients are needed, and you probably have them already in your cupboard. As usual, you or your friends and family will never believe they’re completely egg-free and dairy-free – they’re so delicious, perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. 

Main ingredients and substitutions

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Plain flour: I used good old regular plain flour, but you can swap for self-raising flour and omit leavening agents, or use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make them gluten-free. 

Caster sugar: Caster sugar works perfectly in this recipe. Granulated sugar would give the muffins a little crispier exterior, but it works in place just fine too. If you want, you can use brown sugar or coconut sugar for a deeper, caramel-like flavour.

Bananas: I usually like my bananas quite yellow when I eat them, but let them ripen with lots of sugar spots before using them in this recipe for the best flavour! Ripe bananas add natural sweetness, moisture, and also help bind.

Chocolate chips: I used dark vegan chocolate chips for this recipe. You can use semi-sweet or vegan milk chocolate chips, depending on your preference. For a fun twist, try chunks of your favourite vegan chocolate bar. Vegan white chocolate would be lovely too.

Soy milk: Soy milk makes lovely vegan buttermilk when combined with apple cider vinegar, giving the muffins a soft and tender crumb and a tall rise. You can also use oat, almond, or rice milk if you don’t want to use soy. Pea milk would work well to make vegan buttermilk, too.

Vegetable oil: Some fats, like vegetable oil, are important in muffins to make them soft and moist. If you don’t want to use vegetable oil or seed oil, light olive oil can be used as an alternative.

Other ingredients: Cornflour, apple cider vinegar, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla extract.

Note: Substitution may change the final taste and texture of this recipe.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Mixing bowls: You’ll need two mixing bowls, one for dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients. A large bowl makes mixing easier and prevents spills. I have a set of 4 bowls in different sizes, they come in super handy. 

Silicone spatula: I used to use a large wooden spoon because I like the country kitchen vibe, but a silicone spatula is actually ideal for folding the wet and dry mixtures together gently to keep your batter light and fluffy, as well as scrape the side of the bowl. 

Muffin tray: This recipe makes about 10 to 12 muffins, so use a standard 12-hole muffin tray lined with muffin cups for easy cleanup and perfect muffin shapes. 

Ice cream scoop: An Ice cream scoop is better than a spoon to fill batter in the muffin cups,  it helps portion the batter evenly so all your muffins bake uniformly.

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make vegan banana chocolate chip muffins

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Step 1: Make the vegan buttermilk

Let’s start by mixing the soy milk and apple cider vinegar together in a bowl or jug. Set it aside for a few minutes to curdle slightly. This simple mixture creates your vegan buttermilk, which helps make the muffins extra soft and tender, and also creates that tall muffin top rise.

Step 2: Make the batter

While the vegan buttermilk is curdling, let’s make the muffin batter. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, caster sugar, cornflour, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined. This ensures even distribution of the raising agents for a consistent rise.

Now, in a separate bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth, then add the vegan buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Stir with a whisk until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and gently fold with a silicone spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix – it’s okay if there are a few small lumps. Overmixing can make your muffin tough instead of fluffy.

Step 3: Add the chocolate chips and rest the batter

Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed, about 3 to 5 folds should do the job. Then let the batter rest for about 30 minutes, if you have time. This step helps the flour hydrate, gluten relax, and creates beautifully domed muffins. If you don’t have time, don’t worry! It’s still going to bake nicely.

Step 4: Bake

Spoon the batter into your muffin cups evenly using an ice cream scoop. If you are making medium muffins, fill each about three-quarters full. Fill the cups up to the top if you are making big muffins – filling to the top also makes a better domed muffin top. Don’t forget to sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top for that irresistible bakery-style look!

Bake until golden, about 23 to 25 mins, and a toothpick comes out clean with moist crumbs. Let them cool slightly in the muffin tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool and enjoy!

Expert tips and tricks

Use overripe bananas

The darker and spottier your bananas, the better! They’ll add more natural sweetness and moisture to your muffins, a secret behind the perfect banana muffin texture.

Rest the batter

If you have time, letting the batter rest for 30 minutes allows the gluten to relax and the starches to absorb the liquid, leading to taller, more tender muffins with beautiful domed tops. I rest the batter in the mixing bowl, then scoop into muffin cups, but you can rest the batter in muffin cups too.

Add extra chocolate chips on top

This makes your muffins look extra tempting and delicious, and also ensures every bite has melty chocolate, including the very first bite!

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

• Banana and nutty crunch combo never fails! Add some chopped walnuts or pecans for some crunchy texture.
• It’s super easy to add a bit more chocolatiness to the muffins. Stir in a spoonful of cocoa powder in the dry mixture for indulgent double chocolate banana muffins.
• If you want to incorporate more fruits, you can swap chocolate chips for berries like raspberries or blueberries for a fruity twist. Make sure to remove excess water to ensure the texture is lovely.

How to store

• Room temperature: Store your muffins in an airtight container for up to 1-2 days in a cool, dry place. If you live in a particularly hot climate, do not leave the muffins at room temperature. 

• Refrigerator: If your kitchen is too warm to store at room temperature, you can refrigerate the muffins for up to 2-3 days. Warm them slightly in the preheated oven before serving to bring back their soft, freshly baked texture.

• Freezer: These muffins freeze well too! Once fully cooled, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then reheat in the oven until warm to serve.

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!

You will LOVE these chocolate chip banana muffins because they are:

• moist and fluffy
• full of melty chocolate chips
• easy and simple to make
• perfect banana treat

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious muffin and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

• Banana Tahini Muffins 
• Chocolate Banana Cake
• Pumpkin Banana Bread
• Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pear Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Banana Brownies

Visit the muffins page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe with 5 stars in the comment section below if you like the recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!

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