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
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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They’re perfect and simple! My 4 year old approves :)
These are the absolute best muffins I’ve ever made!!! I sub the oil for applesauce and the sugar for Splenda to cut out a few more calories and they still turn out delicious every time!
So glad your substitutions worked so well. Thanks for sharing, Jamie!
These are Excellent! Make them. I add more chips and definitely put some walnut pieces on top before they go in the oven. Love them with strawberry jam. Such an easy recipe. 5th time making them. I use half whole wheat and half white. If I could get my hands on some spelt, I’ll try it with that, Thank you!
Heyyyy a friend made this recipe for us and I will make for sure! Was soooo good. How many ml your CUP has? Thank you!!
There are 236.588 milliliters in one cup of all-purpose flour. You can round up to 250ml for ease. Enjoy, Lara!
Amazing! I used just under 1 3/4 cups of mashed banana and added some cinnamon. Delicious and easy! Made 12 medium-small sized muffins with perfect texture in my tiny house gas oven <3
Very yummy and simple to make! I used mini chocolate chips and increased it to half a cup. Will make again!
Hi! Would you be able to let me know how much cocoa powder to use should I wish to make these into double chocolate banana muffins?
Thank you! :)
Great question, S! You can replace up to 1/3 cup of the flour with your preferred cocoa powder. I hope that helps. Enjoy!
Great recipe! I used GF and Almond flour was delicious!!!
I have made these twice now and the second time I made a couple of changes. I used 1 cup of oat flour and 3/4 cup of all purpose. For the sugar I used monk fruit granulated sweetener. I mashed two very large ripe bananas and added 1/2 cup of apple sauce, and left out the oil. The batter was just a little firm, so I added a splash of coconut milk and the muffins turned out moist and delicious.
These taste great! I definitely agree with the other comments that the recipe needs extra moisture. I added oat milk to the second batch and they turned out much better!