Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Healthy + Easy)
Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are easy to make with just 8 simple ingredients — no dairy or eggs needed. They bake up moist and tender, and are perfect for breakfast or a healthy mid-day snack!
My Favorite Vegan Banana Muffins
Today is a muffin day, a healthy banana chocolate chip muffin day! So, with a few bananas on hand, ripe as can be, I decided to put them into these kid-friendly vegan muffins.
I wanted to make them banana nut muffins, but since my daughter doesn’t care for nuts, I went ahead and added chocolate chips instead.
In her opinion, those are much better, and I’m sure many of you will agree. Who doesn’t like a little chocolate in their banana muffins?
Here’s why I love them too, and you will too!
- Healthy. This banana muffin recipe is adapted from my dairy and egg-free Vegan Banana Bread. I cut the oil a bit, only using 1/4 cup, making them a little healthier. They came out perfectly soft and fluffy, and the gooey chocolate chips are a welcome addition.
- Quick + easy to make. They’re super simple and ready in a cinch, made with overripe bananas and a few pantry ingredients.
- Great for snacking. Enjoy them for breakfast or a healthy snack throughout the day. They get eaten up quickly, and I’m sure they will in your home too!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This simple plant-based recipe comes together with everyday pantry staples you probably already have on hand. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bananas — They provide natural sweetness and moisture and make the best binder in vegan baking. Overripe bananas work best.
- Flour — All-purpose and white spelt flour gives a light, tender crumb. You can also use whole wheat or whole-grain spelt flour for a heartier texture. Or a combo of any.
- Sugar — Brown sugar or coconut sugar adds moisture and a lovely caramel note. You can substitute with maple syrup or date sugar.
- Olive oil — Keeps the muffins moist and tender. A light or mild olive oil works great, or you can use melted coconut oil for a subtle coconut flavor.
- Plant milk — Any unsweetened variety (oat, almond, soy, or cashew) works well. Vanilla-flavored plant milk is especially nice.
- Leavening agents — Baking powder and baking soda help the muffins rise and brown beautifully.
- Chocolate chips — Use dairy-free (I used Enjoy Life Mini Chips). Chopped chocolate bars work wonderfully too.
Optional add-ins: Chopped walnuts or pecans, cinnamon, or a handful of blueberries for extra flavor and texture.
How to Make Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Making these Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins is super easy and comes together in just a few simple steps!
Preheat & prep — Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or lightly grease.
Combine dry ingredients — In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Mix wet ingredients — In a 2-cup measuring cup or bowl, add plant milk, cane sugar, oil (or applesauce), and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. (Mixing the sugar with the wet ingredients will help dissolve the large granules.)
Mash the bananas — Mash the bananas thoroughly until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining.
Mix batter — Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix — a few small lumps are okay. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Tip for the wet ingredients: In one bowl, mash the bananas, then add the wet ingredients, mix well to combine. This creates one less dish!
Fill & bake — Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (shown above). Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool — Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Now your home will smell amazing and you’ll have delicious muffins to enjoy!
Tips for the Best Muffins
- Spoon instead of scooping the flour. When measuring the flour, don’t scoop it out of the container with the measuring cup. Instead, spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Instead, stir just until combined, no more, for the most tender muffins.
- Add extra flavor. For variation, try adding 1 tsp of cinnamon to the dry ingredients for even more flavor.
- Use the correct oven rack position. Baking the muffins on the center rack will ensure even cooking throughout.
- To test for doneness, insert a wooden toothpick into the center of one of the muffins. The toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
Recommended Equipment: I love my USA Pan Muffin Tin, and these parchment paper muffin liners (affiliate links) are great too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Thaw them completely and drain any excess liquid before mashing. They work just as well as fresh bananas.
The riper the better! Very spotty or mostly brown bananas give the sweetest flavor and best texture.
Yes! Use a good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. The muffins may be slightly more delicate, but they turn out well.
Yes! Substitute the oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. The muffins will be a bit more cake-like and less tender.
Absolutely! Try chopped walnuts, pecans, blueberries, or a sprinkle of cinnamon for delicious variations.
Yes! Reduce the bake time to about 12–15 minutes and check for doneness with a toothpick.
How to Store & Freeze
Vegan chocolate chip muffins store wonderfully whether on the counter, in the fridge, or frozen for later!
- Counter: Once completely cooled, store muffins on the counter in an airtight container lined with a paper towel for up to 3–4 days. The paper towel will soak up moisture and keep them from getting too moist.
- Refrigerator: Muffins will keep for up to a week in a covered container.
- Freezer: Banana muffins freeze well and will stay fresh for 2 months in freezer-safe containers or baggies.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes!
- Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- 1 Bowl Banana Strawberry Muffins
- Apple-Cinnamon Muffins (GF, made with almond flour)
- Pumpkin Oat Muffins + Crumbly Topping
- Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
If you try this healthy banana recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
Print Recipe
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Easy Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Vegan
Description
Made with lots of love and a sprinkle of chocolate chips, these easy vegan banana chocolate chip muffins use simple ingredients and are a perfect way to start the morning or enjoy as a healthy midday snack!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (all-purpose, spelt, or flour of choice)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup light-flavored olive oil or warmed coconut oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond, oat, soy, cashew, etc.)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup organic sugar (pure cane or coconut sugar)
- 4 small or 3 large overripe bananas, peeled and mashed
- 1/4 cup or so chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Mini)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with parchment paper liners or lightly grease with oil.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium- or large-sized mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix oil, non-dairy milk, sugar, and vanilla.
- Mash bananas; you should have approximately 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups.
- Add the wet ingredients and bananas to the batter and mix until just combined. If the mixture seems too dry, add a tad more non-dairy milk.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and mix briefly.
- Spoon into each muffin cup (a large cookie scoop helps for uniformity).
- Place the muffins on the center rack and bake for 25–30 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of one muffin; if it comes out clean, the muffins are ready.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 min.
Makes 12 muffins
Notes
Store: Cool completely, place muffins in a container for up to 3–4 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to a week. Freeze for 2–3 months.
Optional add-ins: Chopped walnuts or pecans, cinnamon (1 tsp.), or a handful of blueberries for extra flavor and texture.
Oil-free: Use unsweetened applesauce in place of oil. Muffins may be a little denser, but still delicious!
Gluten-free: Use 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Replace dry sugar with pure maple or date syrup. Reduce the non-dairy milk by half (or just add a generous splash, adding more if needed).
If using coconut oil, be sure it’s warmed and creamy or liquid.
*No baking soda on hand? I’ve made these using just 2 teaspoons of baking powder (no baking soda) and had great results. If you don’t have baking soda, give it a try.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: I love my USA Pan Muffin Tin, and these parchment paper muffin liners (affiliate links) are great too!
The recipe was updated on July 26 to add more flour and non-dairy milk to ensure you get 12 nice-sized muffins. If you prefer the original recipe, you can access the Google Doc.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: Breakfast, Muffin, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Updated: This recipe was originally published in July 2019 and updated in July 2026 with new photos, helpful tips, and a retested recipe with minor changes.
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Literally the best vegan muffins I’ve made so far, it’s a hit for my omni dad who ” hates ” Vegan bakery. It’s so crispy but at the same time moist and flavorful, it’s a delight ! It will become my staple recipe. Note that I added plant milk and sucre vanillé, and it worked to perfection !
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I used coconut sugar and applesauce instead of oil.
Very moist and taste great!
Excellent way to use up a few overripe bananas! I used white whole wheat flour and added 1.5 tsp cinnamon, a few shakes of nutmeg powder, and slivered almonds along with the chocolate chips. I also ended up adding about 1/3 cup of coconut milk beverage. These retained their domed structure and didn’t fall upon cooling—and they remain light snd fluffy inside, which usually doesn’t happen for me with whole wheat muffins. Bookmarking this one because I know I’ll make them again!
These are wonderful. I did need half a cup of soy milk.
Simple and yummy. I didn’t have chocolate chips so I used chopped pecans instead. Banana nut deliciousness, thank you!
These turned out great! I added sine fresh raspberries and shredded coconut. Perfect sweetness and so moist!
I leave this recipe open on my browser because I make it just about every week. Fantastic recipe! I’ve made it with many different flours/combination of flours depending on what I have.
I’m not one to leave reviews on recipes, but these turned out fantastic. I used whole wheat flour, avocado oil, and a sweetener (instead of sugar), and these had a spectacular texture. They were light, airy, and soft, and all the substitutions I used worked out splendidly. I’ll definitely make these again!
I was looking for a healthier muffin recipe and tried this. I was skeptical based on the ingredients but these honestly turned out to be the best muffins I’ve ever had!
Very nice! My toddler girl loves those muffins and helping in the preparation as it’s really very simple and quick! Thanks 😊