Easy Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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These vegan banana chocolate chip muffins are soft, moist, and loaded with melty chocolate in every bite. Mashed banana replaces eggs and adds natural sweetness, while applesauce keeps the crumb tender without extra oil. One bowl, nine ingredients, and about 25 minutes in the oven. They come out domed and golden every time.

The banana and chocolate chip combination works so well because ripe bananas bring moisture and sweetness that lets you use less sugar, while the chocolate chips add richness and that slightly gooey texture when they’re still warm from the oven. These taste like banana bread in muffin form, but better.

Why This Vegan Banana Muffin Recipe Works

Ripe bananas are the foundation here. They act as the egg replacer, binding the batter together while adding moisture and natural sugar. The riper your bananas, the sweeter your muffins will be, which means you can get away with less added sugar. Bananas with heavy brown spotting are ideal.

Applesauce pulls double duty as both a moisture source and a fat reducer. Combined with the melted vegan butter, it creates a batter that’s rich but not heavy. The result is a tender, almost bread-like crumb that stays moist for days. If you like this approach to vegan baking, the cranberry orange banana muffins use a similar base with tart cranberries folded in.

Baking soda is the only leavener, and it reacts with the natural acidity in the banana and applesauce. That reaction creates lift and gives the muffins their domed tops. Just one teaspoon is enough since the batter has plenty of acid to activate it.

Ingredients for Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 4 medium ripe bananas (about 1 1/3 cups mashed) – The riper the better. Brown-spotted bananas mash easily and bring more sweetness.
• 1/3 cup melted vegan butter, cooled – Adds richness and helps the muffins brown. Coconut oil works as a substitute.
• 2/3 cup sugar – Organic cane sugar or coconut sugar both work. You can reduce to 1/2 cup if your bananas are very ripe.
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce – Keeps the crumb moist and tender without adding fat.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – Rounds out the banana flavor.
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour – Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour works if you need a gluten-free option.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda – The only leavener needed since the banana and applesauce provide enough acidity.
• A pinch of salt – Balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate flavor pop.
• 1 cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips – Enjoy Life or Guittard are reliable vegan brands.

How to Make Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1. Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with parchment liners. (Standard paper liners tend to stick since these muffins are very moist.)
2. Mash and mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, peel and mash 4 ripe bananas with a fork until smooth and creamy, not chunky. Add 1/3 cup melted vegan butter and stir to combine. Mix in 2/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup applesauce, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until everything is well blended.
3. Add dry ingredients. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon baking soda and a pinch of salt over the wet mixture and stir in. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and fold gently until the flour just disappears. Do not overmix.
4. Fold in chocolate chips. Add 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips and fold them through the batter with a few strokes.
5. Fill and bake. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (melted chocolate doesn’t count).
6. Cool. Let the muffins sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They firm up slightly as they cool.

Tips for Fluffy Vegan Banana Muffins

• Mash your bananas well. Lumpy banana means uneven texture. You want a smooth, almost puree-like consistency before adding anything else. A potato masher works faster than a fork if you have one.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Once you add the flour, stir only until the dry pockets disappear. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the muffins tough and dense instead of soft and tender.
• Cool the butter first. Melted vegan butter that’s still hot can partially cook the banana and create a grainy texture. Let it cool for a few minutes after melting.
• Skip paper liners. These muffins are moist enough that standard paper liners stick badly. Greased silicone liners, parchment liners, or a well-greased tin give much better results.
• Check freshness of baking soda. Old baking soda won’t create enough lift, and you’ll end up with flat, dense muffins. Test it by dropping a pinch into vinegar. If it fizzes, it’s still good.

Easy Banana Muffin Variations

• Banana nut muffins – Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts along with the chocolate chips. The crunch pairs well with the soft banana crumb.
• Double chocolate banana muffins – Replace 1/4 cup of the flour with cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor. The chocolate peanut butter banana muffins take a similar idea even further.
• Peanut butter swirl – Drop a teaspoon of peanut butter on top of each muffin before baking and swirl with a toothpick.
• Cinnamon banana muffins – Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the dry ingredients. Skip the chocolate chips for more of a banana bread flavor.
• Oat flour version – Blend old-fashioned oats in a food processor until fine, then use as a 1:1 swap for all-purpose flour. The texture will be slightly denser but adds more fiber.

How to Store Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The muffins actually taste even better on day two once the banana flavor has settled into the crumb.

For longer storage, wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour, or microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. The chocolate chips get slightly gooey when you microwave them, which is a bonus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use oil instead of vegan butter?

Yes. Use 1/3 cup of a neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil. The muffins will be slightly less rich in flavor but the texture stays the same. Coconut oil (melted) also works and adds a subtle coconut note.

How ripe should the bananas be?

Very ripe. You want bananas with lots of brown spots on the peel, or even fully brown/black peels. At this stage the starches have converted to sugar, so they mash easily, blend smoothly into the batter, and add more natural sweetness. Green or barely yellow bananas will give you less flavor and a drier muffin. If you need to ripen bananas quickly, bake them unpeeled at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins turn black.

Can I make these gluten-free?

A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill works as a direct swap. Make sure it contains xanthan gum, or add 1/2 teaspoon separately. The muffins will be slightly denser but still soft and moist.

Why did my muffins sink in the middle?

The most common cause is opening the oven door too early, which lets the heat escape before the structure has set. Another reason is too much banana, which adds excess moisture. Stick to the 4 medium bananas (about 1 1/3 cups mashed) measurement, and don’t open the oven until at least 15 minutes into baking.

These easy vegan banana chocolate chip muffins come together fast and taste like banana bread with pools of melted chocolate throughout. They’re great for meal prep since they freeze well and taste even better the next day. If you’re looking for more easy vegan muffin recipes, try the vegan pineapple muffins for a tropical twist, or the fluffy blueberry muffins for a fruit-forward version. The banana chocolate chip bread uses a similar base if you want a full loaf instead.

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EASY BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS – FLUFFY, MOIST & VEGAN!

These Easy Perfect Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are the best!  They are so fluffy, so moist and delectable!   The whole family will love them!!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Servings

Calories 278 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 4 ripe bananas medium or 1 & 1/3 cups of mashed banana
• 1/3 cup melted vegan butter cooled
• 2/3 cup sugar or sugar of choice We like Zulka or any organic sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• A pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour or Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour
• 1 cup dairy-free semi sweet chocolate chips

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Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Grease your muffin tins.
• Peel bananas and throw them in a big bowl with the melted butter and smash it all together with a fork.
• Keep blending until the mixture is creamy and smooth, not chunky.
• Add sugar, vanilla, and applesauce; mix just until combined.
• Stir in salt and baking soda.
• Add flour and chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Do not overmix!
• Divide into muffin tins.
• Bake until cake tester or toothpick pulls out cleanly for about 18-20 minutes.

Notes

Tip: Preference not to use liners, because the muffins are so moist they tend to just stick and be messy, unless you lightly spray with them with non-stick cooking spray right before baking.

Keyword Banana, chocolate chip, healthy, healthy muffins, muffins, snack, Vegan, vegan breakfast, Vegan Muffins