Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Moist and tender vegan banana muffins with just one bowl (no mixer required) and 8 ingredients - all under 30 minutes. Enjoy them as regular or mini banana chocolate chip muffins - egg-free and dairy-free, with options for gluten-free, oil-free, and refined sugar-free versions!

Fluffy Tender Vegan Banana Muffins with Vegan Chocolate Chips

As much as I love banana bread, I go gaga for single-serve baked goods like cookies, brownies/blondies, and these vegan chocolate chip banana muffins. They're super transportable, easy to track calories (if that's your thing), and make a great addition to lunch boxes. When made smaller, like these mini vegan banana chocolate chip muffins, you can even enjoy them as part of a healthy breakfast.

These vegan banana muffins are tender, moist, fluffy, and packed with plenty of dairy-free chocolate chips. Even better, though, this simple vegan banana chocolate chip muffins recipe only requires a handful of basic pantry ingredients but has plenty of adaption options based on your flavor and dietary requirements (i.e., using unrefined sugar, reducing oil, using a portion of whole wheat flour or swapping to gluten-free flour, etc.).

Once baked, enjoy one of these vegan chocolate chip muffins at breakfast, as a between-meal snack, added to lunch boxes, or even enjoy one toasted alongside some vegan yogurt or nice cream and berries for a quick treat! Thanks to their small size, I also love enjoying one with my morning immunity juice.

Looking for other ways to enjoy those ripe bananas? How about a delicious vegan banana milkshake or a blueberry banana smoothie?!

The Ingredients

Just 9 pantry-friendly ingredients make up this easy dairy-free chocolate chip banana muffins recipe.

The Dry Ingredients

• Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or a 50/50 combination of AP flour and whole wheat flour. 100% whole wheat may also work, but the flavor of whole wheat muffins will differ and they'll be denser.
• Sugar: I used regular white granulated sugar, but unrefined options like coconut sugar or date sugar should also work.

You could experiment with using a sugar alternative, like erythritol or stevia, in this vegan banana chocolate chip muffins recipe. However, it may affect the texture of the muffins. If you try, let me know about your results in the comments.

• Leavening agents: A combination of baking powder and baking soda will provide lift and texture to these eggless and dairy-free chocolate chip muffins.
• Salt: A pinch will enhance the flavors in these dairy-free chocolate chip muffins.
• Cinnamon: A small amount of cinnamon tastes lovely with the combination of banana and dairy-free chocolate in this muffin recipe.
• Vegan chocolate chips: Use your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips (dark or milk) or chocolate chunks.

The Wet Ingredients

• Oil: Use any neutral oil like canola oil (which I use), vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc. Oil helps to make a wonderfully tender crumble and adds moisture.
• Banana: Use overripe bananas with plenty of dark spots.

What Else Could I Add?

Just like regular vegan banana bread, there are several ways to add to and adapt these vegan banana bread muffins.

• Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla to avoid artificial flavor. I recommend adding a teaspoon or so.
• Nuts/Seeds: Add a handful of chopped nuts or seeds (walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds) to the batter for crunch, protein, and delicious vegan banana nut muffins.
• Sugar topping: Sprinkle a small amount of coarse sugar over the top of the batter before baking for a crunchy sugar topping. Optionally mix the sugar with cinnamon for more flavor.
• Berries: Instead of vegan chocolate chips, use blueberries in this muffin recipe.
• Coconut: Add a few tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut to the muffin batter for texture and flavor.
• Peanut butter: Swirl a small amount of creamy peanut butter (or another nut/seed butter) into the top of the vegan banana choc chip muffins before baking. Peanut butter chocolate chip muffins are a must-try for any PB fan!
• Jelly/Jam: Same as the above, fruit preserves make for a great 'swirl,' and the small amount won't impact the texture of the eggless chocolate chip muffins.

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins?

• 1) First, preheat the oven to 375F/190C and prepare a mini (or regular) muffin tin with silicone or parchment paper liners or by greasing it.
• 2) Then, in a large mixing bowl, use a fork or potato masher to mash the bananas into a smooth paste.

• 3) Add the sugar, leavening agents, cinnamon, salt, flour, and oil. Gently mix until just combined. Then fold/stir in the vegan chocolate chips.

You can optionally leave some of the vegan chocolate chips to one side to press into the top of the muffins before baking (or use extra dairy-free chocolate chips).

• 4) Then, spoon the batter into the muffin pan, filling it to the top.

• 5) Bake the vegan banana chocolate chip muffins for 10-15 minutes, or until they're golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean (a few crumbs are fine, but no wet batter).

For regular-sized vegan banana choc chip muffins, bake them for 20-25 minutes instead.

Finally, remove the muffins from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before enjoying them.

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Measure the flour correctly: First, fluff it up in the flour bag, then use a spoon to transfer it to your measuring cup. Finally, use the back of a knife to level out the top. Don't scoop the cup directly into your flour bag, or you'll use too much and have dense vegan chocolate chip banana muffins.
• Use fresh leavening agents: Make sure it's in date and/or test it with a bit of hot water (baking powder should fizz immediately) or vinegar (for baking soda).
• Don't over-mix the muffin batter: If you do, the gluten can become overworked and impact the texture of the vegan banana muffins.
• If the batter is too thick: You may need to add a few spoonfuls of plant-based milk. However, this shouldn't be an issue if your bananas are ripe enough.
• To make regular-sized muffins: I recommend doubling the ingredients.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make ahead: You can prepare the muffin batter two days in advance, minus the leavening agents. Then, when you're ready to use it, allow it to come back to room temperature for 20 minutes on the counter, add the baking powder and baking soda, and continue with the recipe.

At room temperature: Store the vegan chocolate chip banana muffins loosely covered (to avoid sogginess) for 2-3 days.

In the fridge: Store the muffins in an airtight container lined with a paper towel for 5-7 days.

In the freezer: Spread the vegan banana muffins on a large baking tray and freeze until solid. Then transfer them to a Ziplock/Stasher bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw a muffin in the refrigerator overnight, on the counter for several hours, or in a microwave in 10-second increments for around 30 seconds (longer for regular-sized muffins).

More Vegan Bakes

• Easy vegan lemon cake
• Vegan peanut butter blondies
• Vegan blackberry orange cupcakes
• Blueberry zucchini muffins
• Raisin oatmeal cookies

If you try this vegan chocolate chip banana muffins recipe, I'd love to know what you think in the comments below. I'd also really appreciate a recipe card rating!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla