Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (or bread!)

My husband really likes the combination of banana and chocolate. While out and about one day we actually scored a bakery that had a banana chocolate chip muffin and he thought it was delicious. But this flavor combination can be tricky to find (normally the choice is banana nut) so I went to work trying to recreate the banana chocolate chip muffin for him to enjoy.

I know. You’re thinking “how hard is that, Amy? Just make banana muffins and add chocolate chips.”

No, my little grasshopper. It’s not that easy. There’s a trick.

How to keep chocolate chips from sinking in batter

The problem with adding chocolate chips to a batter is that often times the chips sink to the bottom of the batter. You end up with a layer of overbaked hard chocolate on the bottom instead of them all melty and dispersed throughout the batter.

But I figured out the secret. It’s actually super simple.

In chocolate chip cookies, you add the chips at the end of the recipe, right? Well in a wet batter like muffins or quick bread (where the chocolate chips tend to want to sink through it as the batter sits) you need to actually add the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients first. This way they essentially get dusted—the flour adheres to the outside of the chips, and gives them a little something to hang on to so they remain suspended in the batter.

My banana chocolate chip muffin recipe can also be used for a quick bread!

Below you will find a printable option for the recipe I use for the banana chocolate chip muffins. I’ve included directions for how to make it as quick bread, too!

(Note: If you’d like to take a muffin recipe and convert it to a quick bread recipe, just lower the temp and lengthen the bake time. Vice versa if you have a quick bread you’d like to make as muffins. Raise the temp and shorten the bake time.)

Print

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins or Bread

This easy recipe will give you moist and delicious banana chocolate chip muffins, and the chips won't sink to the bottom! Also works as a quick bread if you'd rather make that.

Servings 12 muffins or 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup mashed bananas

Instructions

1. If making MUFFINS, preheat oven to 375 and line regular sized muffin tins with paper liners (makes 12 muffins).

   If making BREAD, preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease loaf pan.

2. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt) in small bowl. STIR IN THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS.

3. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients (sugar, mashed banana, oil, and vanilla).

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.

5. MUFFINS: Spoon batter into regular sized muffin tins, filling each liner about 2/3 full. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until top isn't goopy and toothpick comes out clean.

   BREAD: Pour batter into lightly greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes or until top isn't goopy and butter knife comes out clean.