These moist, fluffy, and soft banana nut chocolate chip muffins are the perfect family recipe, sweetened by ripe bananas and a touch of maple syrup. No refined sugar, paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

I made these the other day and Tom was shocked: “does it really not have any butter in it?”

Admittedly, they taste like the real deal.

However, they are made with more wholesome ingredients and packed with fiber and healthy fats.

Not to mention, these banana nut chocolate chip muffins are the perfect way to use up your ripe bananas.

Spotty and soft bananas are the prime condition for banana bread and muffins like this.

If you like this banana-based recipe, you’ll love my Banana Bread Cookies.

Are Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins Healthy?

There is a muffin with a bite taken from it. It looks soft and moist and the banana muffin is paleo and gluten-free and topped with vegan chocolate chips

Definitely!

Undeniably, I love making dessert recipe variations with plenty of natural, filling ingredients:

Bananas – Ollie is obsessed with bananas. Conveniently, they are a great source of potassium, which has been shown to lower blood pressure and increase heart health.

Learn more about the health benefits of bananas here.

Almond Butter and Almond Flour – almonds are full of monosaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. In turn, this is linked to increased levels of the good kind of cholesterol and can lower the risk of heart disease.

Learn more about the health benefits of almond butter here.

Coconut Flour – this is a gluten-free flour alternative that is full of healthy fats, and it is a great source of protein. It’s been known to support blood sugar and good digestion.

Learn more about the health benefits of coconut flour here.

Walnuts – walnuts are rich in antioxidants, copper, manganese, and vitamin E. Vitamin E is linked to better skin, hair, and nail health.

Learn more about the health benefits of walnuts here.

Given that, these muffins give me the perfect boost of energy and keep me fuller for longer!

What other nuts can I use?

Banana nut chocolate chip muffins stacked on top of eachother, with a bite taken out of one of them

I love using walnuts and/or pecans!

Additionally, I find that macadamia nuts taste amazing with this recipe. Personally, I like pairing macadamia nuts with white chocolate chips.

OR, omit the nuts entirely if you are not a fan or are allergic.

Also, feel free to experiment with dried fruits and nuts for added texture!

Can I use peanut butter?

Absolutely!

You can make this into peanut butter banana chocolate chip muffins. And it still tastes just as AMAZING.

Furthermore, if you are allergic to nuts, sunflower butter works well too!

What can I do with excess ripe bananas?

Got a lot of ripe bananas that are about to go bad??

For this reason, this is the perfect recipe!

If after making these muffins, you have extra bananas leftover, freeze them for smoothies, add them to your oatmeal, or even mash them into your chia seed pudding.

Also, you can try any of my other banana-based recipes:

Banana Cinnamon Rolls

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Healthy Banana Brownies

Paleo Carrot Cake Banana Bread

Truly, bananas really are the perfect way to naturally sweeten desserts.

What makes muffins light and fluffy?

Admittedly, I feel like one of the biggest complaints when making muffins is that they turn out too dense.

Ideally, you want your muffin to be the perfect balance of moist and fluffy.

Here are my top 3 tips to making sure your muffins turn out perfect:

  1. Make sure the eggs are room temperature. Basically, this creates a smoother mixture that expands in the oven into a light consistency.
  2. Do not overmix! Overmixing is the bane of muffin existence – it crushes air bubbles and ruins the fluffy texture.
  3. Measure baking soda properly – in this situation, too little and they don’t rise enough, too much and they rise too quickly and collapse.

How ripe should bananas be for banana muffins?

Ideally, you want your bananas to be streaked with brown and just a little green at the stem.

Basically, bananas that turn brown have more time to develop sugar and taste sweeter.

If you have ever been patient enough, the gooey banana paste honestly ends up tasting like sweet syrup. It’s perfect for smoothies but especially great for baking.

Truthfully, it’s difficult for a banana to be too ripe. As long as the banana isn’t moldy, tastes bitter, or has an odd odor – it’s usually safe to eat.

If you’re at all concerned, learn how to know when a banana is overripe for consumption here.

Ingredients for Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients are laid out for the banana nut chocolate chip muffins: Banana, Almond Flour, Maple Syrup, Coconut Flour, Walnuts, Chocolate, Nut butter, eggs and Baking soda

Naturally, these muffins are packed with healthy ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen:

Bananas, ripe and medium sized

Almond Butter, unsalted and unsweetened

Eggs, room temperature

Maple Syrup

Almond Flour

Coconut Flour

Baking Soda

Salt

Chocolate Chips

Walnuts and/or Pecans

How to Make Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

First, mash your bananas and mix them in with the almond butter, eggs, and maple syrup.

Second, in a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt.

Then, add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients. Make sure to combine thoroughly so there are no clumps, but do not overmix.

Afterward, gently fold the chocolate chips and walnuts or pecans.

Then, use a medium spoon or cookie scoop to fill the muffin tin.

Furthermore, I use silicone baking cups. I literally cannot live without them anymore… they are reusable, non-stick, and dishwasher safe.

Alternatively, you can also simply spray down your muffin tin.

Finally, I like to add a few nuts and chocolate chips on top before throwing them in the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes and 375 F and you’re done!

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How to Serve Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Healthy and easy breakfast muffins made with dark chocolate chips. There are pecans in the background.

Evidently, these muffins already have a buttery, sweet, nutty taste to them – they are good enough to eat as is!

By and large, my favorite way to enjoy them is with a cup of coffee or tea.

However, you can add the following toppings to take them to the next level:

Nut butter

Whipped cream

Ice cream

Yogurt

Fresh fruit

Occasionally, I like to crumble them up and add them on top of oatmeal or a smoothie bowl.

Get creative!

How to Store Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

8 paleo banana breakfast muffins shot from above, They are topped with chocolate and sea salt

You can store these delicious muffins covered on your kitchen counter for the day.

Honestly, they’re so addicting, that they probably won’t last that long. But, if they do, simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.

Also, you can freeze them for the perfect ready on-the-go breakfast, snack, or dessert. I like to warm them up for less than a minute in the microwave to get the chocolate chips gooey and melty.

Keep these dessert delights at hand in your freezer and your future self and family will love you for it!

OTHER DELICIOUS Muffin RECIPES:

Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins

Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

Vegan Sweet Potato muffins  

What’s your favorite type of muffin? Leave a comment below!

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS



There is a muffin with a bite taken from it. It looks soft and moist and the banana muffin is paleo and gluten-free and topped with vegan chocolate chips

Get the recipe:Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
These moist, fluffy, and soft banana nut chocolate chip muffins are the perfect family recipe, sweetened by ripe bananas and maple syrup.
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup ripe bananas, ~3 medium
  • 1/2 cup smooth almond butter, Unsalted, Unsweetened
  • 2 eggs, room temp
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup Almond flour, packed, 120g
  • 2 tbsp coconut flour, 20g
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips, divided
  • 1/2 cup walnuts and/or pecans

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, mash ripe bananas, then add in the wet ingredients –almond butter, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to combine until smooth.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients – almond flour, coconut flour baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of sea salt.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Combine with a spatula. Fold in half the chocolate chips and walnuts/pecans.
  • Grease a lined muffin pan (I used non-stick silicone muffin cups) with a little bit of coconut oil. Evenly divide up the muffin batter into the cups. Fill the muffin cups close to the top.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the nuts and chocolate chips on top. Bake for 16 – 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after sticking into the center.
  • Let it cool for 10 minutes then rest them on a cooling rack. Enjoy with some extra almond butter on top and a cup of coffee!
  • Store in air-tight containers in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

You can also use cashew butter or peanut butter (non-paleo) to replace the almond butter.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 236kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 132mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 12g

The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.

Author: Shuang Shuang Liang
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American