This incredible muffin recipe comes from the AK archives back in 2017 and reading back on the post was such a fun trip down memory lane. I wrote it right after Tony and I got engaged, and am reposting it now that we are married in a new home with THREE little boys!
Time truly flies, but perfect healthy chocolate banana muffins are still the ultimate treat.
These muffins are a take on my famous Skinny Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins but with a chocolate twist that seriously makes them taste like chocolate cake. I originally made them after receiving the sweetest note from a woman named Sara and her (then) 4-year-old daughter, Reagan. Sara described Reagan as a true little chef and baker who was truly amazing in the kitchen. They had a glorious baking day after finding my banana chocolate chip muffins and emailed me the kindest note and cutest photo.
I whipped up the best-ever chocolate version of those muffins just for Reagan, who is now 10! Whether or not they see this post update, it’s so fun to think back on that memory and the ways that Ambitious Kitchen has touched so many lives over the years.
SO, get a baking day on your calendar, make a batch of these chocolate beauties, and have yourself a wonderful week.
What makes these chocolate banana muffins healthier?
Traditional chocolate banana muffins, while absolutely delicious, are typically made with lots of refined sugar and butter or oil. I lightened these babies up a bit by sweetening them with just 1/4 cup of honey and ripe, mashed bananas so that they’re refined sugar free. You’ll also only need 2 tablespoons of oil because the muffins get extra moisture from protein-packed greek yogurt! They also have a boost of whole grains thanks to whole wheat pastry flour instead of white flour.
Ingredients in the best healthy chocolate banana muffins
While they are chocolate muffins, they’re made with whole grains, protein packed greek yogurt, naturally sweetened with honey (or maple syrup) and contain just a hint of chocolate sweetness. I call them perfection. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Bananas: be sure to use super ripe bananas with lots of brown spots to get the perfect amount of sweetness and banana flavor.
- Honey: we’re also adding a little honey to boost the sweetness. You can also use pure maple syrup if you’d like.
- Egg: you’ll need one egg in this muffin recipe.
- Oil: a couple tablespoons of olive oil to add moisture.
- Yogurt: a little yogurt adds additional moisture and a boost of protein. Feel free to use plain or vanilla 2% yogurt or whole milk greek yogurt.
- Flour: you’ll need whole wheat pastry flour to give the muffins that fluff factor.
- Cocoa powder: for the ultimate rich chocolate flavor. Be sure to use high quality cocoa powder or cacao powder for the best flavor!
- Baking staples: don’t forget the vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.
- Chocolate chips: gotta have that melty chocolate in every bite. Don’t forget to sprinkle the muffins with a few chocolate chips on top, too.
I love to top them with a dollop of peanut butter because everyone knows PB + chocolate = life.
Optional ingredient swaps
As with all baking recipes, I suggest sticking with the recipe as best as possible to ensure that they come out perfectly every time. Here are a few ingredient swaps I can recommend:
- For the oil: feel free to use avocado oil, melted & cooled coconut oil, or melted butter or vegan butter in place of the olive oil.
- For the yogurt: 2% plain greek yogurt adds the best moisture, but nonfat yogurt or dairy-free yogurt should also work well.
- For the flour: feel free to use white whole wheat flour or a mix of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour.
Can I make them gluten free?
I’ve only tested these muffins using whole wheat pastry flour or a mix of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour, so I cannot recommend a gluten-free substitute. Feel free to try my Paleo Double Chocolate Tahini Banana Muffins instead!
What about vegan?
I haven’t tested a vegan version of these muffins either, but you could try swapping the egg for 1 flax egg, and using your favorite plain or vanilla dairy free yogurt. Then be sure to use maple syrup instead of the honey as well as dairy free chocolate chips. Let me know in the comments if you try it!
Try a healthy chocolate banana bread
I think these healthy chocolate banana muffins can be made into a bread, too! Simply pour the batter into an 8×4 inch loaf pan greased and lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Alternatively, try one of these delicious chocolate banana bread recipes:
- Healthy Chocolate Brownie Banana Bread (gluten free)
- Healthy Marbled Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread
- Double Chocolate Paleo Banana Bread (gluten free)
- Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread (vegan & gluten free!)
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: store these chocolate banana muffins on the counter in an airtight container for a day, then transfer them to the fridge for up to 4-5 days. The muffins get even fudgier after sitting in an airtight container for a day; they sweeten up a bit and get super soft.
- To freeze: place the muffins in an airtight container or reusable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, you can microwave them for 45 seconds-1 minute or until warm.
Our fav muffin-baking tools
Don’t forget to check out all of our favorite kitchen essentials.
More healthy muffin recipes you’ll love
- Grandma’s Healthy Bran Muffins
- Blender Banana Spinach Muffins (kid-friendly!)
- Honey Cinnamon Walnut Banana Muffins
- The Best Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (gluten free!)
- Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (dairy free + gluten free)
Get all of my muffin recipes here!
If you make these healthy chocolate banana muffins, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap and picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. And of course be sure to follow Ambitious Kitchen on Instagram. xo!
Healthy Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (can sub melted and cooled coconut oil, avocado oil or butter)
- 1/2 cup plain or vanilla 2% or whole-milk greek yogurt
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour*
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder (use a high quality cocoa powder)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl add the mashed bananas, honey, vanilla, egg, oil and greek yogurt. Whisk wet ingredients together until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients: whole wheat pastry flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into greased muffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top of muffins. Bake for 23-27 minutes until the tester comes out clean.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by Monique Volz | Photography by: Sarah Fennel
This post was originally published on January 3rd, 2017, and republished on April 20th, 2023.
These muffins are truly delicious! I made them with my kids this morning and they were a huge hit! I used half maple syrup and half honey. I also used unbleached whole wheat flour and plain whole milk Greek yogurt. The muffins turned out fluffy and the perfect amount of sweetness. Love love love, 5 stars! We will definitely make these again! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe 🙂
I have made these many times for my kids. They are simple and sweet and I feel good about my kids eating them.
So happy to hear that!
Hi! Coming back to say Reagan is now 14 and still baking! Always love and continue to enjoy your recipes. Thank you!!
Oh my gosh, hi!! SO happy to hear that 🙂 An inspiration then and now! I’m so glad you’re both still loving the recipes here, too. Tell her hello from me!
The BEST muffins ever! I can’t make enough of these to keep the family happy, they disappear so fast!
So happy to hear that!
Absolutely fluffy and delicious muffins! I made them with einkorn flour. Knowing that this is a slightly weaker flour, I added a scoop of collagen powder for some structure. They turned out amazingly well and very soon I had two kid faces stuffed with chocolate and happy chocolate grins ear to ear. I baked at 425 for the first 5 minutes then 350 for 15 minutes or so.
I’m glad those swaps worked out well! Perfect snack or treat 🙂
I loved this recipe. Easy and quick to make on a Saturday morning. More important, my four year old loves them! Def a win for an easy breakfast/snack for a kid going through a bit of a picky phase. 👏🏻
Absolutely! This one’s great for picky littles 🙂
Excellent recipe! I used half all purpose fflour and half whole wheat flour and maple syrup. Will make again. Thank you!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
This was a fun recipe to make with my toddler! Despite using frozen bananas which are usually wetter, the batter was very dry. I ended up adding a little more yogurt. Was also a bummer they stuck to the paper liners so much! Next time I will try silicone liners or greasing the muffin tin
I would recommend using ripe bananas at room temp, not frozen and making sure your batter is just combined but not overmixed to help prevent dry muffins. Also spray your parchment paper liners too 🙂
Hi there!
My husband tried this recipe and although they were tasty they were incredibly dried. He said he followed the recipe to the letter but he noticed that he was mixing the ingriends it was very thick and as a result it could not be poured into the muffin cups. Is there something he did wrong? He would like to try it again. Thanks! Patrice
Hi Patrice! Dry baked goods and thick batter is usually due to over mixing. For anything with flour you want to make sure it’s just mixed until combined! Let me know if that helps 🙂
Wow! These are delicious! Thank you! I used 1/2 cup all-purpose and 1/2 whole wheat flour and added some cinnamon (I add cinnamon to everything I bake that has chocolate in it)…all I can say is Yum. They are like chocolate banana cake!
YUM! You can’t go wrong with chocolate banana cake 😉
Really delicious muffins. I added an extra egg for a little extra protein. Highly recommend this recipe!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
I made mini muffins and baked for 19 minutes. These are SO good and moist. It’s like a treat but I don’t feel guilty eating 5 of them. Will definitely make again. My little kids will love them too.
So cute! Great idea to make them mini!
I’ve made these numerous times and just wanted to say thanks for the great recipe! I’m someone who sometimes tends to make adjustments to recipes but not this one, it’s truly delicious as is. I have used different types of yogurt depending on what I have – Greek, whole milk, cashew and they always come out great. Only thing I sometimes add is flax seed and if I do I usually just add a smidge more liquid. I had 6 kids and 2 adults today and all muffins were eaten with calls for more!
Love that! Glad this one’s a hit 🙂
These were really quick and easy to make! Mine came out slightly dense and more like a brownie which I’m not upset about! They were delicious 🙂 as with all things banana they’ll probably be even better the day after. I might add walnuts next time for some crunch!
Make sure to not overmix the batter – that could lead to denser muffins! Glad you still enjoyed, and walnuts would be perfect in here 🙂
Love these muffins and have tried many different things. Adding walnuts for us didn’t turn out as well as I would have liked, The walnut flavor gets lost and creates a muffin that is a little less moist. My favorite is the recipe with 1/2 white/ 1/2 wheat and whole Greek yogurt. I use a mix of honey and maple syrup (on accident one time, but very delicious). My kids love these!
Perfect! These are great for customizing 🙂 Glad they’re a hit with the kiddos!
These muffins were so good. I made them in a mini muffin tin. It made 12, so maybe 90 calories. Tasted so moist.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I also used all purpose flour, as I had it on hand.