The Best Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
4.61 from 23 votes

These vegan banana chocolate chip muffins are the best! Think banana chocolate chip bread in a handheld form. Sweet and tender, they’re perfect for freezing and sharing.

A vegan banana chocolate chip muffin has been broken apart, revealing a soft interior within.

You may be wondering how I’ve never made a vegan banana chocolate chip muffin before? I’m wondering too. I’ve made banana muffins, banana bread, and I have no objections to putting chocolate into just about any baked good (oatmeal, blondies, scones). It was only a matter of time until I tried this combo in a muffin, but I can’t believe how much time it took.

I guess it doesn’t matter when the results are this good.

A round, circular cooling rack holds a number of freshly baked breakfast pastries.

I made these muffins a couple weekends ago, with the intention of sharing them with some of my yoga friends. To say they were a hit is an understatement. I tasted one at home and was immediately sorry I didn’t make a double batch, so that I could freeze them.

After I shared, I did make a double batch, and there are now a whole lot of these in my freezer for easy breakfast time and afternoon treats.

A wire cooling rack holds a batch of golden brown, freshly baked muffins.

There are definitely ways that you could make these more wholesome: I’m guessing that some of the melted better could be swapped for applesauce or additional mashed banana, and white whole wheat flour would work well.

To be honest, though, I love these muffins just the way they are, which is why I haven’t changed a thing when I’ve made them subsequent times. In spite of the recipe name, I don’t pretend that these muffins are actually perfect. But they’re perfect for me and my tastebuds. I know I’ll make them again and again, and I hope some of you will get to try them, too.

Freshly baked vegan banana chocolate chip muffins are resting on a slice of white parchment paper.
A vegan banana chocolate chip muffin has been broken apart, revealing a soft interior within.
4.61 from 23 votes

Perfect Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Author – Gena Hamshaw
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yields: 15 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegan buttermilk (1/2 cup non-dairy milk mixed with 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and allowed to sit for 5 minutes)
  • 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (240g)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 large or 3 small, overripe bananas
  • 6 tablespoons vegan butter, melted (85g)
  • 2/3 cup cane or coconut sugar (130g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips (180g; divided into 3/4 cup/135g and 1/4 cup/45g)

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350F and lightly butter/spray or line a muffin pan with liners. Prepare the vegan buttermilk.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  • In another mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a potato masher or fork till they're completely mashed and liquidy. Add the buttermilk. Stir in the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Use a spatula or a whisk to mix the ingredients together well. The batter should be evenly incorporated; a few small lumps are OK, but there shouldn't be any flour visible. Stir in 3/4 cup/135g of the chocolate chips.
  • Scoop the batter (using a muffin scoop or a 1/3 cup measure) into your prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup/45g over the tops of the muffins. Bake the muffins for 22-25 minutes, or until just they're becoming golden at the edges. Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and allow them to cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes before enjoying.

Notes

Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 6 weeks.
For a smaller batch, recipe can be halved.
A breakfast pastry is resting on crumpled white parchment paper.

I’m excited to try this formula in a regular loaf pan (I love the walnut version, but variety is good). I’ll update this recipe to have an optional loaf pan cooking time if I do that! And speaking of walnuts, walnuts (or chopped pecans) would be good here in place of chocolate chips if you’re in the mood for something a little less sweet.

I’m starting this week in the same spirit of quiet approaching of goals and tasks that I wrote about on Sunday. Nothing’s perfect, but this practice is really helping me, keeping me in a grounded place as I continue to move into this new year.

Have a good rest of the week, and I’ll be back on Sunday!

xo

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Categories: Recipes, Muffins & Scones, Snacks
Method: Oven
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep

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    14 Comments
  1. Gena, just popping back in to say even with all the adjustments I needed to make (gluten-free, applesauce instead of butter, half the sugar) oh MY THESE ARE GOOD!!! I’m freezing most of them for when the kids come this weekend. Thanks!!xoxo

    • Hooray, Maria! And it always makes me so glad to know of the modifications that can be made for the recipes to be WFPB, so thank you for sharing your process 🙂

    • You need to mash them up well, into a liquidy mush. So I think frozen would be ok, but you’d need to defrost and then mash before adding 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    These are really good! Lovely texture and very nice rise too. I used some of a leftover
    soy latte we had in the fridge (v. random!) in place of the plant milk and a tsp of molasses in place of the vinegar (seemed to go better with the coffee) and the flavour was really nice with the banana and chocolate . Next time I’ll make exactly as directed but this was a hit!

  3. How do you freeze them? Individually or you just put a bunch in a container? Also, when you thaw them, do you let them sit out or microwave them? Thanks!

    • All good questions! I thaw in the fridge, and I usually freeze in containers that hold about 4 each (though you could also just freeze in a big container/bag). You can defrost/thaw one by one, or a bunch at a time.