Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins

These chocolate chunk banana muffins get an A+ for being ridiculously easy to make and so tasty. Only three simple ingredients go into these muffins: rich, melty dark chocolate chunks, ripened bananas, and a dark chocolate cake mix. These are the chocolaty muffins I keep making over and over again. They are so simple and SO good.

I created this recipe after going through a streak of being obsessed with a certain recipe for pumpkin muffins (just a can of pumpkin and a yellow cake mix). I loved them so much, I started to daydream about other cake mix muffin recipes I could test out. Since bananas, like pumpkin, are also a very starchy fruit, I knew that I could make some really scrumptious banana muffins from cake mix. And who doesn’t like chocolate + banana?

These three ingredient banana muffins make such a light, yet indulgent breakfast or snack when paired with a glass of milk. They can be prepped ahead for the week (that is, if there are any left after they’ve just come out of the oven with that irresistible melty chocolate). If you’re like me, you’ll be making these muffins to have on hand week after week!

Ingredients

Yay for three ingredient muffins! With only three ingredients, these chocolate chunk banana muffins are so simple to make. No complicated measuring or recipe steps. Because they only require bananas, cake mix, and chocolate chunks, they also double as an egg free and dairy free chocolate muffin recipe (if using the specific cake mix and chocolate chunks listed here)!

Bananas: Bananas give these chocolate muffins some natural sweetness and delicious banana flavor. Using overripe bananas in this muffin recipe is important. See below in my “Notes & Tips” section for an explanation on why using overripe bananas is necessary.

Chocolate cake mix: Banana is complemented so well by chocolate, especially dark chocolate! You certainly don’t have to use a dark chocolate cake mix in this recipe, but I would highly recommend it. I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix. All testing for this recipe was done with this specific mix, however, check out my “Substitutions” section for ideas on swapping out a different cake mix.

Dark chocolate chunks: I live on Team Dark Chocolate, so I preferred it in this chocolaty banana muffin recipe. I love these Good & Gather Dark Chocolate Chunks from Target. You’ll have a handful or two leftover after making this recipe, so you can enjoy a little chocolate pick-me-up while the muffins bake.

Equipment

• Muffin pan – I have this one and love that it’s nonstick because most of the time I don’t have cupcake liners on hand.
• Cupcake liners
• Mixing bowl – The large bowl in this set is my most used mixing/serving bowl. It gets bonus points for having a great lid!
• Measuring cup
• Potato masher or fork – My potato masher surprisingly has multiple uses and is much easier than using a fork to mash bananas.
• Spatula – This silicone spoonula is my all time favorite and most used spatula. It’s sturdy, heat-resistant, and easy to clean. I buy this spatula as a gift all the time!
• Cookie scoop – This scoop is bigger than most you can find–it holds 1/3 cup and I use it for most of my cookie recipes!
• Cooling rack

How to Make Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins

1. Mash the bananas. In a bowl, use a potato masher or fork to mash the overripe bananas to a puree. It’s okay if there are still some lumps, but for best results make sure they are smaller than pea size.
2. Add the cake mix. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, mix the entire bag of cake mix into the bananas.
3. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Pour in the chocolate chunks and fold in with a spatula until evenly dispersed.
4. Fill the muffin pan. Since this batter is thick I like to use my #12 stainless steel cookie scoop to portion out the batter into the muffin pan. Make sure to use cupcake liners or spray your pan with cooking oil before filling.
5. Bake. With the oven set to 350˚F, these muffins should be done in about 15-18 minutes, depending on how full each muffin is. Test with a toothpick or skewer for doneness.

Notes & Tips

Tips for Success

1. Use overripe bananas. Because of the way the sugars break down in bananas as they ripen, using very ripe bananas is key for this recipe. It will make the muffins sweeter and more tender. Wait for your bananas to be very soft and have plenty of brown spots before giving these muffins a try. I recommend buying them a few days to a week ahead of time if you plan to make this recipe. I like to buy a few bunches of bananas when they go on sale and let them ripen to this point, then peel and freeze them in a Ziploc bag for when I want to bake with them. Just microwave to thaw.
2. Don’t skimp on the bananas. I know not everyone has 4-5 very ripe bananas sitting around, but the more banana, the more moist and delicious your muffins will be. If you have large bananas, four will be plenty. Otherwise, use five. Having more is better than not enough. If you’re unsure if you have enough, measure out at least 1 3/4 cups mashed banana.
3. Don’t over bake the muffins. There are two ways I like to test my muffins for doneness. The first is by gently pressing on the top of a muffin. If it feels light and springs back, they’re probably done. If it feels dense (like there is still uncooked batter below the surface) and stays indented, they are likely not finished baking. The second way I test them is by sticking a skewer or toothpick in the center of a muffin. If there is batter on the skewer when it is pulled out, then let the muffins bake a couple minutes longer before retesting. Test a couple muffins in case you poke hit a chocolate chunk. If it comes out mostly clean or with a few crumbs, then they are done. However, don’t wait until it comes out COMPLETELY clean because they will likely be over baked and dry. The muffins continue to cook for a few moments longer after being pulled from the oven.
4. Let the muffins cool on a baking rack. These muffins can quickly become soggy on the outside if cooled completely in the muffin pan. Once the muffins are cool enough to handle, use a fork to pry them out of the pan and transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

Substitutions and Additions

Cake mix: I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix in all of my recipe testing for these muffins, so I highly recommend using that one. However, if you can’t find it or don’t care for dark chocolate (although it’s not a very strong dark chocolate flavor), you should be able to substitute with any 15.25 oz chocolate cake mix, or any flavor cake mix, for that matter. I can imagine that these muffins would be delicious made with a classic yellow cake mix. For more of a banana bread feel, try a spice cake mix. Or if you just really love banana flavor, this Banana Cake Mix would be fun!

Chocolate chunks: Feel free to swap out the dark chocolate chunks for milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or any other mix in. Try peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or mini chips at the same measurement listed in the recipe. You can also omit the chocolate chunks if you prefer (although you will only have enough batter for 10-11 muffins).

Cupcake liners: I’ve made these muffins many times without liners and it works just fine. Make sure to use a non-stick pan or grease your regular pan.

Frosting: Since these muffins are very sweet and cake-like, I have also made them into cupcakes by frosting them with Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Frosting.

Storage

These chocolate chunk banana muffins store best at room temperature for up to two or three days. Keeping them in the refrigerator will help them last longer if needed. Pro tip: warm up any leftover muffins for a few seconds in the microwave–although they are just as good at room temperature or even straight from the refrigerator. These muffins can also be frozen after fully baked and cooled, then thawed at room temperature when ready to eat.

Other Recipes You Might Like

• Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
• Cookie Butter Rice Krispie Treats with Mini M&Ms
• Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies
• Mini M&M Cookies
• Pizza Dough Pretzels

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins

Chocolate chunk banana muffins are impossibly easy to make (with only three ingredients!) and make a decadent snack or addition to breakfast. They are perfect year-round and can be devoured by kids and adults alike.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana, banana muffins from cake mix, cake mix muffins, chocolate chunk banana muffins, dark chocolate, easy, three ingredient banana muffins

Servings: 12 muffins

Author: Kate Reeder

Ingredients

• 4-5 overripe bananas (about 1 ¾-2 cups mashed)
• 1 Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix 15.25 oz
• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks (plus extra for tops of muffins)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
• Fill a muffin pan with cupcake liners or grease the pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
• Add the bananas to a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork until very evenly mashed and pieces are no larger than pea size.
• Add the cake mix and mix with a silicone spatula until well combined.
• Add the chocolate chunks and fold in with the spatula until evenly dispersed.
• Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin pan. I like to use a #12 cookie scoop (holds 1/3 cup) for this.
• Lightly press 2-3 chocolate chunks onto the top of each muffin if desired.
• Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until the tops bounce back when gently pressed on (when a toothpick or skewer comes out mostly clean).
• Once the pan has cooled slightly, use a fork to lift out the muffins and place on a wire baking rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate if keeping for more than three days.

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