These easy vegan chocolate muffins are a chocolate lover's dream! Rich and chocolatey banana muffins filled with chocolate chips make a healthy breakfast that tastes like dessert!
This vegan chocolate muffin recipe was born out of my popular banana bread recipe. I used that as a base and modified it to be super chocolatey and baked up into perfect muffins.
I have 2 teenage boys at home who are always hungry and always on the go. A batch of these double chocolate banana muffins baked in mini muffin tins works great for a healthy grab-and-go breakfast or snack as my kids run out the door to school or sports.
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🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Overripe Bananas - they must have at least some brown spots on them. Brown bananas are the sweetest.
- Brown Sugar - you can also use coconut sugar, maple syrup, or even regular vegan white sugar.
- Plant-Based Milk - any soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or any other non-dairy milk will work.
- Applesauce - for extra moisture and to replace the egg in traditional baking. (If you don't have applesauce, you can use 1 extra banana, flax eggs, or see my post about how to substitute an egg in any recipe if you want more vegan egg substitutes.) Tip: the little individual snack size apple sauce cups are 4 oz, so you can just add in one of those.
- Vanilla Extract - for flavor.
- Vegetable Oil - for moist bread. You can use any neutral-flavored oil like canola oil, coconut oil, light olive oil, or even vegan margarine. (Use extra applesauce instead of oil for oil-free).
- Flour - for the base of the bread. You can use white all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or a gluten-free flour mix. My homemade gluten-free flour mix made from oat flour works great too.
- Cocoa Powder - to make the muffins chocolatey.
- Baking Soda - to help them rise.
- Baking Powder - to help them rise.
- Salt - to enhance flavor.
- Chocolate Chips - any vegan chocolate chips will work. You may want to double-check the ingredients to make sure they are dairy-free.
🔪 Helpful tools
Muffin Tins - A standard-sized muffin tin works well. You can also use a mini muffin tin and make 18 smaller muffins instead of 12 larger ones.
Two Mixing Bowls - A larger one to mix the dry ingredients, and a smaller one to mash the bananas and mix in the wet ingredients.
🥄 How to make vegan chocolate muffins
Step 1 - Preheat your oven to 375° F (190° C) and oil or line a muffin tin.
Step 2 - Put all of the dry ingredients (2 cups flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder,1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt) in a large mixing bowl and give it a little stir.
Step 3 - Place 3 very ripe bananas and 1 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a medium bowl and mash with a fork.
Step 4 - Add 1/2 apple sauce, 1/4 cup plant-based milk, 1/3 cup oil, and 1 tsp vanilla to the mashed bananas and stir until it is all mixed well.
Step 5 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until all of the flour is incorporated, but don't over stir.
Step 6 - Fill the greased muffin tins to the top with batter and top with a few more chocolate chips.
Step 7 - Bake at 375° F (190° C) for about 22 minutes for standard-size muffins or 18 minutes for mini muffins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- Use very ripe bananas. You have to use bananas that have brown spots or have turned completely brown. These bananas are softer and sweeter than green and yellow bananas.
- Measure your ingredients carefully. Small variations in measurements can change the final outcome.
- Spoon your flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a butter knife. Don't scoop the flour out of the bag with a measuring cup. This will pack the flour down too much resulting in too much flour.
- Don't over stir the batter. You just want to stir it enough so you don't see any dry flour. Over-mixing it will cause it to be chewier.
❓Frequently asked questions
How can I make gluten-free vegan chocolate muffins?
To make gluten-free chocolate banana muffins, simply swap out the flour with any gluten-free flour mix. If the flour mix that you use doesn't have xanthan gum added, add 1 tsp to the dry ingredients. Follow the rest of the instructions the same way.
You can make these chocolate banana muffins oil-free by swapping out the oil with 1/3 cup of apple sauce or an additional mashed banana.
🥡 How to store and freeze vegan chocolate muffins
Countertop - Your double chocolate chip banana muffins will keep well at room temperature for about 2 days.
Refrigerator - Keep your muffins sealed in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer - Simply put your chocolate muffins in a freezer bag and squeeze out all excess air. They will keep well for up to 3 months. To thaw, put in the fridge overnight or on the countertop for a few hours.
📋 Vegan chocolate muffins recipe
Vegan Chocolate Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups flour any type will work
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (Plus another 1/4 for topping the muffins if desired.)
Wet ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 medium ripe bananas totaling about 1 1/2 cups.
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/3 cup plant-based milk
- 1/3 cup oil (any neutral flavored oil or melted vegan margarine).
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375° F (190° C) and oil or line a muffin tin.
- Put all of the dry ingredients (2 cups flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder,1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt) in a large mixing bowl and give it a little stir.
- Place 3 very ripe bananas and 1 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a medium bowl and mash with a fork.
- Add 1/2 apple sauce, 1/3 cup plant-based milk, 1/3 cup oil, and 1 tsp vanilla to the mashed bananas and stir until it is all mixed well.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until all of the flour is incorporated, but don't over stir.
- Fill the greased muffin tins to the top with batter and top with a few more chocolate chips.
- Bake at 375° F (190° C) for about 22 minutes for standard size muffins or 18 minutes for mini muffins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas. You have to use bananas that have brown spots or have turned completely brown. These bananas are softer and sweeter than green and yellow bananas.
- Measure your ingredients carefully. Baking is a science and small variations in measurements can change the final outcome.
- Spoon your flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a butter knife. Don't scoop the flour out of the bag with a measuring cup. This will pack the flour down too much resulting in too much flour.
- Don't over stir the batter. You just want to stir it enough so you don't see any dry flour. Over mixing it will cause it to be chewier.
Nutrition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
These are my family’s new favorite muffins.
I served them as dessert for my husband’s birthday and everyone had seconds. My grandchildren requested any that were left over to be taken home with them. I don’t think the muffins actually made it to their house. They were gone before pulling into the driveway 30 miles away.
I’m the only vegan in our family.
I added one ripe banana and reduced the brown sugar to 3/4 cup and added chopped pecans. I also used the vegan semi sweet mini chocolate chips. The kids sprinkled the muffins with powdered sugar before serving.
This is an amazing recipe.
I'm so happy that your family loves them as much as we do! 🙂
Monica, these were fabulous! I had 2C applesauce, when I replaced the oil and bananas, and in place of butter, I used navy beans (blended). I will definitely make these again and again!!
I've made these twice in the past week. My family loves them! Thank you for this recipe!
My family loves these muffins too! I'm glad that they work well for you! 🙂