These chocolate chip banana bread muffins are soft, moist, and fluffy. Loaded with ripe bananas and semi-sweet chocolate, these muffins are perfect for brunch.
If you need more banana and chocolate try my sour cream chocolate chip banana bread. For more brunch baking, try my blueberry scone recipe, these apple cinnamon rolls, or this Dutch baby pancake recipe. My homemade curds, like this lemon curd, passionfruit curd, or blueberry curd, are perfect for serving alongside any of these recipes.
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⭐️ Why this recipe works
- Perfectly moist: Thanks to the ripe bananas and the careful infusion of Earl Grey tea in milk, these muffins stay incredibly moist.
- Rich flavors: The blend of banana with chocolate chips and Earl Grey creates an incredible taste that's comforting and indulgent.
- Easy to make: This straightforward recipe requires no special equipment or techniques, making it accessible for bakers of all skill levels.
- Versatile: Suitable for breakfast, snacks, or brunch, these muffins are a hit for any occasion.
🧾 Ingredients overview
- Butter: Adds richness and tender texture.
- White and light brown sugar: Provides sweetness with a hint of molasses flavor from the brown sugar.
- Bananas: The star ingredient that gives the muffins moisture and a natural sweetness.
- Milk with Earl Grey tea: Infuses a subtle tea flavor, enhancing the overall taste profile.
- Lemon juice: Adds brightness and helps to lift the flavors.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, contributing to the structure.
- Cinnamon: Offers a warm spice note that complements the banana.
- All-purpose flour: The base that gives the muffins their structure.
- Chocolate: Adds gooey, melty pockets of chocolate in every bite.
- Sea Salt: A sprinkle on top to balance the sweetness.
For precise measurements and additional ingredients, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
👩🏻🍳 Here's how to make it
Chocolate chip banana bread muffins step-by-step
- Preheat and prepare: Start by preheating your oven and preparing your muffin tin with either butter or muffin liners.
- Infuse the milk: Warm the milk and steep it with Earl Grey tea. You can skip this and use plain milk if you prefer.
- Cream butter and sugars: Mix until fluffy, then incorporate the mashed bananas, infused milk, and lemon juice.
- Add eggs and dry ingredients: Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by the flour and cinnamon mixture, and finally fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake to perfection: Fill the muffin tins and bake until golden. Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt.
📖 Substitutions and variations
- Dairy-Free: Use plant-based milk and butter.
- Gluten-Free: Swap all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend.
- Add-Ins: Consider nuts or dried fruit for additional texture and flavor.
💡 Chef's Guide: Expert Tips
Drawing from a decade in Michelin-starred kitchens and Cordon Bleu training, here are my top tips for amazing chocolate chip banana bread muffins.
- Banana ripeness: The riper the bananas, the better the flavor and moisture of the muffins.
- Do not overmix: Mix until just combined to ensure the muffins are tender.
- Infusion time: Let the tea steep in milk for the full 15 minutes for a pronounced flavor.
- Mixing technique: When combining wet and dry ingredients, fold them together using a spatula until just combined. Overmixing the batter can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tough muffins.
- Baking temperature: Start baking the muffins at a slightly higher temperature for the first 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature. This initial heat boost helps the muffins rise quickly, creating a nice dome shape.
- Checking doneness: Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin to check for doneness. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, the muffins are ready.
- Resting the batter: If time allows, let the batter rest for 10 to 20 minutes before filling the muffin tins and baking. This rest period allows the flour to hydrate and can result in a more tender crumb.
- Freezing for later: These muffins freeze beautifully. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a zip-lock freezer bag. To serve, thaw at room temperature or gently warm in the microwave for a quick breakfast or snack.
- Ingredient temperature: For the best texture, ensure that all your ingredients, especially eggs and butter, are at room temperature before starting. This helps them emulsify better, resulting in a uniform batter.
🍯 Storing and reheating leftovers
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Wrap each muffin individually for best results.
- Reheat: Warm in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes.
❓Recipe FAQ's
Yes, frozen bananas work well. Just ensure they're fully thawed, and any excess liquid is drained before use.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips are commonly used, but you can use milk, dark, or even white chocolate chips based on your preference.
Don't overmix the batter, and make sure to measure your flour correctly. Overmixing and too much flour can lead to dry muffins.
This could be due to overmixing the batter, expired leavening agents, or filling the muffin tins too full. Ensure your baking powder/soda is fresh, and fill the muffin cups ¾ full.
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Soft and Fluffy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 Earl Grey tea bag
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chocolate, roughly chopped
- Sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Start by setting your oven to 350°F.
- Infuse the Milk: Pour the milk into a small saucepan and gently warm it over low heat. Steep the Earl Grey tea bag in the warm milk for 10-15 minutes to infuse it with flavor. Remove the tea bag after infusion.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, using a stand mixer or an electric whisk, beat the butter, white sugar, and light brown sugar together until the mixture becomes soft and fluffy.
- Add Bananas, Milk, and Lemon Juice: To the creamed butter and sugars, add the mashed bananas along with the Earl Grey-infused milk and lemon juice. Mix until these are well combined. The mixture may appear to be split at this point, but don't worry; this is normal.
- Incorporate Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully integrated into the mixture before adding the next.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and cinnamon. Gradually add this to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined to avoid overworking the flour.
- Fold in Chocolate: Gently fold the chopped chocolate into the batter, ensuring it's evenly distributed.
- Prepare Muffin Tins: Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with muffin papers. Fill each cup about ¾ full with the muffin batter. Lightly sprinkle the top of each muffin with a pinch of sea salt for an extra flavor contrast.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Cooling: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Tea Infusion: Infusing the milk with Earl Grey tea adds a subtle fragrance and flavor that complements the banana and chocolate beautifully. Ensure the milk is not too hot to preserve the tea's delicate flavors.
- Batter Appearance: If the batter looks curdled or split after adding the bananas and milk, don't be alarmed. This is a common occurrence and won't affect the final product.
- Chocolate Choices: Feel free to use any type of chocolate you prefer. Dark chocolate chunks can add a rich, intense flavor, while milk chocolate will give a sweeter, creamier taste.
- Storing Muffins: These muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature or gently warm in the microwave for a quick snack.
Nutrition
Meet the Chef!
Hi, I'm Debs. Cordon Bleu trained chef and recipe developer. I help you get incredible dinners on the table fast with fool-proof recipes and step-by-step instructions along with tips and tricks that I've learned over a 10-year career in professional kitchens.
Frances says
Is the flour 300g or 2 cups (400g)?
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Debs says
Hi Frances, thanks for commenting. I've tried about 4 times to measure the flour and 2 cups is 300g every time I measured. Not sure if you're using Australian cups, but if you use either 2 cups or 300g these muffins will turn out perfect. Enjoy!
Frances says
Great! I will make one with 300g and see, thanks a lot, have a good one, Debs!
Karly says
These are stunning. And, of course, look insanely delicious. Love the earl grey in there- such a perfect addition!