Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins are ultra tender and moist and absolutely loaded with flavor. The perfect breakfast treat!
Yield:
12 muffins
Prep Time:15minutes
Cook:25minutes
Tessa's Recipe Rundown...
Taste: The combination of banana, espresso, and chocolate is a morning dream! Texture: Ultra tender, moist, and gooey. Ease: Super easy, made in less than an hour! Pros: Some of the tastiest muffins I’ve ever enjoyed. Cons: None! Would I make this again? I’ve been making this recipe for over 7 years!
As a kid I always heard adults talking about how fast time passes. It seemed like something that was said during every birthday, holiday, or family event. I never understood why until recently…
I originally published this Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe in 2009. Just a few weeks after I graduated high school. That is craziness!!! I remember living in my first place and my roommates thinking I was absolutely insane for taking photos of the muffins I had just made. “Food blogging” wasn’t really a thing yet and I had no idea what I was doing in any aspect of life.
Now, 7 years later, my blog is my full-time business. I’ve graduated from university AND culinary school. I’ve published a cookbook. We bought a house. We have two adorable dogs. It’s pretty crazy how much things can change in what feels like a simultaneously short but also long amount of time.
Throughout all those changes one thing has remained the same… this is one of our all-time favorite muffin recipes!
And I’ve realized I don’t make them nearly enough. Also, the photos I took for these muffins 7 years ago were HIDEOUS. So new photos and a reminder of how good this recipe tastes was definitely in order.
You can pick up espresso powder online, or in the coffee aisle of some grocery stores. It’s the perfect way to add lots of bold coffee flavor in a pinch. I always keep some on hand because a small amount of espresso flavor also simply enhances the flavor of chocolate in many recipes.
If you can’t get your hands on espresso powder, you can substitute instant coffee powder. Use dark roast if you can and you may need to increase the amount to match the intensity of espresso powder.
4.75 from 20 votes
How to make
Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yield:12muffins
Prep Time:15minutes
Cook Time:25minutes
Total Time:40minutes
Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins are ultra tender and moist and absolutely loaded with flavor. The perfect breakfast treat!
Ingredients
1 1/2cups(354 grams) mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
1/2cup(100 grams) granulated sugar
1/4cup(50 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
1stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1/4cup(57 grams) whole milk
1large egg
1 1/2cups(190 grams) all-purpose flour
1teaspooninstant espresso powder
1 1/2teaspoonsbaking soda
1teaspoonsalt
1cup(170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Fill each cup about three-quarters full. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Move the muffin pan to a cooling rack, and let cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the cooling rack.
Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)
Thanks for your comment on my blog. I, too, love receiving them. Maybe too much. These muffins look so delicious and it seems like I am ALWAYS trying to use up some mushy bananas.
Hahaha comments make me happy. I feel like my bananas go ripe way too quickly. This recipe is perfect for that. Now if only I could find a recipe that utilizes not so fresh berries!
I’m for sure trying these out today with a friend. They look great. I was wondering have you ever tried making scones? I have been looking for unique recipes but come up with boring ones, suggestions?
Yay!! I hope you and your friend like them! Actually, I've never tried making scones before. I saw Ina Garten make some on Barefoot Contessa one day though and they looked great.
I’m going to have to get this cookbook because I keep finding amazing recipes from it! These lok lovely and moist! I make about two batches of muffins a week, so I’ll include these in the rotation.
Definitely get it! I got mine off Amazon because it was a few bucks cheaper then at Barnes and Nobles and shipping was free! All the recipes are delicious that I’ve tried and there’s a lot of unique ideas.
I’m glad to hear you’ll be making them! Let me know if you like them 🙂
Cranberries are a major commercial crop in certain American states and Canadian provinces (see cultivation and uses below). Most cranberries are processed into products such as juice, sauce, jam, and sweetened dried cranberries, with the remainder sold fresh to consumers. Cranberry sauce is regarded as an indispensable part of traditional American and Canadian Thanksgiving menus and some European winter festivals.,.
These muffins are fantastic!! Thank you for the recipe. I love the espresso powder – it takes “banana muffin” to a whole new level!
To my dismay, I was out of eggs…so instead of the eggs and the milk, I substituted 1/2 cup Greek vanilla yogurt. Cooked for about 18 min. They rose just fine and came out yummy! 🙂
Hi Tessa. Just happened upon your blog. Completely mouthwatering. I’m such a fan of muffins, especially when banana and chocolate is involved. Love the coffee flavour! Definitely going to give these a try. Thanks for the recipe.
I just found your recipe through Pinterest. The muffins look delicious. I was wondering if these could be made without the espresso or coffee substitute. I’m not a coffee drinker, so I just thought I would ask if you thought they would still taste ok. I’ll have to check out the rest of your site. Thanks.
As soon as I saw these I knew I had to try! Just made it and I was not wrong, mine turned out really moist and the coffee flavor made it extra special. Thanks for sharing!
Tessa – these are amazing! Tonight will be the third time I am baking them. I was wondering – did you ever put a frosting on top? Maybe a cream cheese frosting?
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I was wondering if there was some way to cut the sugar since bananas are naturally sugary. If so what sugar can be cut?
THESE ARE AMAZING! I made them this afternoon and they came out perfect!!! I highly recommend these. I used PaperChef parchment baking cups (no need to spray/grease anything). I will be making them again soon!
In the instructions it says to spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray but does not mention paper liners.
In the pictures you have used paper liners.
Do we need to spray if liners are used?
Not a big fan of bananas but had to use up some bananas so I gave this a try today and they are super delicious! Extremely moist and Melt in your mouth, especially when they are warmed up.
Just as a note, I did use cupcake liners and added 1tsp vanilla. My 3 year old was helping me and thinks we need to add vanilla into every dish we bake so I figured it can’t hurt and it made him happy! 🙂
Looking forward to trying out the chocolate chip muffin recipe.
Hi, I wished to make this but I have only wheat flour at home.. Is it possible that I use wheat flour in place of all purpose flour.. Would you recommend that?
In the picture, your Expresso Banana Chocolate Muffins look very moist, and the expresso makes it sound like their will be a hint of coffee flavor. Mine did not turn out very moist. They were somewhat moist, I couldn’t taste any coffee at all, and I used Medaglia D’oro instant expresso coffee. I was disappointed because I had intended to sell them at an arts & crafts fair. I should’ve added walnuts,too.
I just made these and let me say WOW! I let them cool in the pan for ( almost ) 15 min, couldn’t wait any longer,lol. They are so moist and delicious that I had to eat two right away even though I was planning on only having one. They are so easy to make and budget friendly too. Thank you for this recipe. I am sure I will make them often, I may even buy overripe bananas just to make them. My sister says if you ever want to impress someone, make these! 🙂
Will using 1% milk make a huge difference? That’s the only milk I buy, and if I want to just use up extra bananas right away, I don’t want to have to go out and buy a carton of whole milk that I won’t finish.
I love looking back at my food photos and laughing at how horrible they were and in a few years I will probably look at my current photos and think the same thing lol. I love banana, chocolate, and espresso so I will go crazy for these muffins! I can’t wait to try them!
These came out much too sweet., noone would eat them. The coffee flaour did come through, either. IF I were to make these again, I would reduce the amounts of sugar, banana and chocolate chips. I did add 2 TB of flour, because I live at a high altitude.
HI!
These look amazing and perfect for Breakfast on Sunday since i am hosting Friendsgiving and 3 couples are sleeping over 🙂
Is there anyway I can make this into a bread loaf instead of muffins? Sometimes that is easier to make and I am short on time… if so, do you recommend any adjustments to recipe/baking time?
thank you so much I can’t wait to try either way!
Hello Tessa! I made this banana espresso chocolate muffin together with your banana bread today and I really wanna leave you a comment and tell you how amazing they are!! They are so soft and moist!! So far they are the best banana cake and muffin recipe I tried:) Thank you for sharing with us!!!
Hi, can u use a shot of coffee rather than powdered? I don’t need have powdered or instant coffee but these will sound extremely delish, can’t wait to try!
These are amazing! I’m in university and made these for my guy housemates. One of them ate one and said “Victoria these are f*ing incredible. If you were in the NBA you’d be a championship contender.” LOL! Needless to say they were a HIT!
This is the best banana choc chip muffin recipe I’ve made, and I’ve tried a few. They always come out moist and I love the caramelly flavour they have. Must be the brown sugar!
These are now my favourite banana muffins! The addition of espresso powder ( I used dark instant coffee powder) is spectacular The muffins are tender, moist and full of flavour! I did add a twist that turned out amazing- add a dab of Nutella to the top and swirl with a toothpick before baking!
Love this recipe so much, and I’ve made it for years. Everyone we’ve given these to has adored them as well. I am incredibly grateful to you for providing the weights needed, especially for the bananas, because they vary so much. Tessa, I’d like to make a very large batch of them this afternoon; have you had much success doubling or tripling the recipe?
These truly are amazing! I’ve never left a comment about food before, and I love these so much that I felt compelled to tell the world. Definitely my favorite banana recipe EVER!
these banana muffins are delicious! i halved the sugar (1/4 c. granulated & 1/8 c. brown), added a tsp. of vanilla extract, and used buttermilk instead of whole milk and oil instead of melted butter.
i also baked them at 400 deg for the first 5 minutes, then 350 deg for 15 mins.
thanks Tessa for creating such a wonderful, flexible recipe! i loved the the espresso flavour in these muffins 🙂
As a trained chef and cookbook author, I share trusted baking recipes your friends & family will love alongside insights into the science of sweets. I help take the luck out of baking so you *always* have delicious results! Learn more here.
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Wow, they look so moist. I love chocolate banana muffins. I make them on an almost weekly basis. I will have to try this recipe out soon.
Wow you should definitely give this recipe a shot then! Let me know what happens if you do 🙂
Thanks for your comment on my blog. I, too, love receiving them. Maybe too much. These muffins look so delicious and it seems like I am ALWAYS trying to use up some mushy bananas.
Hahaha comments make me happy. I feel like my bananas go ripe way too quickly. This recipe is perfect for that. Now if only I could find a recipe that utilizes not so fresh berries!
You really can't beat muffins made with bananas, chocolate, and espresso – it's got all of my main food groups for breakfast! 🙂
Thanks for checking out my site!
Hahaha seriously!
You’re welcome! Its super cute, I love your photography and the simplicity.
This looks amazing, Tessa! I am definitely going to try this!
I make these, but use espresso chips instead of chocolate chips. They are wonderful!!!
Thank you! Yay I’m glad to hear you’re going to try it 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
I’m for sure trying these out today with a friend. They look great. I was wondering have you ever tried making scones? I have been looking for unique recipes but come up with boring ones, suggestions?
Yay!! I hope you and your friend like them! Actually, I've never tried making scones before. I saw Ina Garten make some on Barefoot Contessa one day though and they looked great.
This is the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cranberry-orange-scones-recipe/index.html
Its got really good reviews! I hope that helps you.
I’m going to have to get this cookbook because I keep finding amazing recipes from it! These lok lovely and moist! I make about two batches of muffins a week, so I’ll include these in the rotation.
Definitely get it! I got mine off Amazon because it was a few bucks cheaper then at Barnes and Nobles and shipping was free! All the recipes are delicious that I’ve tried and there’s a lot of unique ideas.
I’m glad to hear you’ll be making them! Let me know if you like them 🙂
Thank you for the suggestion the muffins and scones were a hit! Apparently guys like scones a lot lol
That's great!! I'm happy to hear that 🙂 Hahah guy's taste preferences never cease to surprise me.
This sounds like a real tastey combination. I like it!
Wow, those look so awesome yum…
THESE ARE WONDERFUL. ive made these about 15 times already:)
Cranberries are a major commercial crop in certain American states and Canadian provinces (see cultivation and uses below). Most cranberries are processed into products such as juice, sauce, jam, and sweetened dried cranberries, with the remainder sold fresh to consumers. Cranberry sauce is regarded as an indispensable part of traditional American and Canadian Thanksgiving menus and some European winter festivals.,.
<With kind thoughts ^**^`"http://www.caramoan.co/caramoan-tour/
These muffins are fantastic!! Thank you for the recipe. I love the espresso powder – it takes “banana muffin” to a whole new level!
To my dismay, I was out of eggs…so instead of the eggs and the milk, I substituted 1/2 cup Greek vanilla yogurt. Cooked for about 18 min. They rose just fine and came out yummy! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this recipe. They look amazing. I’m always trying new recipes and taking them to work.
Hi Tessa. Just happened upon your blog. Completely mouthwatering. I’m such a fan of muffins, especially when banana and chocolate is involved. Love the coffee flavour! Definitely going to give these a try. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks so much, hope you enjoy!
I just found your recipe through Pinterest. The muffins look delicious. I was wondering if these could be made without the espresso or coffee substitute. I’m not a coffee drinker, so I just thought I would ask if you thought they would still taste ok. I’ll have to check out the rest of your site. Thanks.
Of course! Feel free to just omit the espresso powder. Happy baking 🙂
I just made these muffins and I absolutely love them! They’re perfect. Thank you soo much! 🙂
As soon as I saw these I knew I had to try! Just made it and I was not wrong, mine turned out really moist and the coffee flavor made it extra special. Thanks for sharing!
Hi! I made these today and am in love! Only issue I have is I can’t taste the espresso at all. I even added extra! Any suggestions?
Is your espresso powder fresh? I find it loses flavor the longer the package has been opened. What brand are you using?
Tessa – these are amazing! Tonight will be the third time I am baking them. I was wondering – did you ever put a frosting on top? Maybe a cream cheese frosting?
I haven’t but cream cheese sounds delish!
Espresso powder? Can I just have my local coffee shop grind me up some beans really fine?
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I was wondering if there was some way to cut the sugar since bananas are naturally sugary. If so what sugar can be cut?
THESE ARE AMAZING! I made them this afternoon and they came out perfect!!! I highly recommend these. I used PaperChef parchment baking cups (no need to spray/grease anything). I will be making them again soon!
In the instructions it says to spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray but does not mention paper liners.
In the pictures you have used paper liners.
Do we need to spray if liners are used?
apologies. I just noticed the comment directly above my question.
Not a big fan of bananas but had to use up some bananas so I gave this a try today and they are super delicious! Extremely moist and Melt in your mouth, especially when they are warmed up.
Just as a note, I did use cupcake liners and added 1tsp vanilla. My 3 year old was helping me and thinks we need to add vanilla into every dish we bake so I figured it can’t hurt and it made him happy! 🙂
Looking forward to trying out the chocolate chip muffin recipe.
Thanks from Canada!
These sound so delicious, coffee and choc are both faves!
Thanks
Tara
Hi, I wished to make this but I have only wheat flour at home.. Is it possible that I use wheat flour in place of all purpose flour.. Would you recommend that?
I think that would be okay here!
In the picture, your Expresso Banana Chocolate Muffins look very moist, and the expresso makes it sound like their will be a hint of coffee flavor. Mine did not turn out very moist. They were somewhat moist, I couldn’t taste any coffee at all, and I used Medaglia D’oro instant expresso coffee. I was disappointed because I had intended to sell them at an arts & crafts fair. I should’ve added walnuts,too.
I just made these and let me say WOW! I let them cool in the pan for ( almost ) 15 min, couldn’t wait any longer,lol. They are so moist and delicious that I had to eat two right away even though I was planning on only having one. They are so easy to make and budget friendly too. Thank you for this recipe. I am sure I will make them often, I may even buy overripe bananas just to make them. My sister says if you ever want to impress someone, make these! 🙂
Ohh those look so good! I have overripe bananas that I need to use, but I only have two large ones and don’t use whole milk.
Will using 1% milk make a huge difference? That’s the only milk I buy, and if I want to just use up extra bananas right away, I don’t want to have to go out and buy a carton of whole milk that I won’t finish.
I love looking back at my food photos and laughing at how horrible they were and in a few years I will probably look at my current photos and think the same thing lol. I love banana, chocolate, and espresso so I will go crazy for these muffins! I can’t wait to try them!
Hi, Tessa. Can I use 2% milk instead of whole milk? Thanks!
These came out much too sweet., noone would eat them. The coffee flaour did come through, either. IF I were to make these again, I would reduce the amounts of sugar, banana and chocolate chips. I did add 2 TB of flour, because I live at a high altitude.
I meant to write that the coffee flavour did NOT come through. sorry.
HI!
These look amazing and perfect for Breakfast on Sunday since i am hosting Friendsgiving and 3 couples are sleeping over 🙂
Is there anyway I can make this into a bread loaf instead of muffins? Sometimes that is easier to make and I am short on time… if so, do you recommend any adjustments to recipe/baking time?
thank you so much I can’t wait to try either way!
Hello Tessa! I made this banana espresso chocolate muffin together with your banana bread today and I really wanna leave you a comment and tell you how amazing they are!! They are so soft and moist!! So far they are the best banana cake and muffin recipe I tried:) Thank you for sharing with us!!!
Just found this recipe this morning and made the muffins for breakfast. They are delicious!!
Off out before I eat the lot, am sure the kids will love them too, thanks Tessa! 🙂
Hi! Can i make this into a loaf instead?
Hi, can u use a shot of coffee rather than powdered? I don’t need have powdered or instant coffee but these will sound extremely delish, can’t wait to try!
I only have 2 bananas
These are amazing! I’m in university and made these for my guy housemates. One of them ate one and said “Victoria these are f*ing incredible. If you were in the NBA you’d be a championship contender.” LOL! Needless to say they were a HIT!
The best Muffins ever love it .
This is the best banana choc chip muffin recipe I’ve made, and I’ve tried a few. They always come out moist and I love the caramelly flavour they have. Must be the brown sugar!
These are now my favourite banana muffins! The addition of espresso powder ( I used dark instant coffee powder) is spectacular The muffins are tender, moist and full of flavour! I did add a twist that turned out amazing- add a dab of Nutella to the top and swirl with a toothpick before baking!
How much instant coffee did you use in the recipe?
Love this recipe so much, and I’ve made it for years. Everyone we’ve given these to has adored them as well. I am incredibly grateful to you for providing the weights needed, especially for the bananas, because they vary so much. Tessa, I’d like to make a very large batch of them this afternoon; have you had much success doubling or tripling the recipe?
These truly are amazing! I’ve never left a comment about food before, and I love these so much that I felt compelled to tell the world. Definitely my favorite banana recipe EVER!
Made this recipe this morning and it’s PHENOMENAL. Opted for an additional 1/2 tsp of espresso and it’s the bees knees
Moist and delicious.Love it.
Great recipe!! I added some toffee chips in there a few times too! This is definitely a keeper!
Awesome muffins or bread!
I would like to know if I can add some cream cheese to the Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin? How much should I
add? Please email me the answers,
Thank you very much,
Gale
these banana muffins are delicious! i halved the sugar (1/4 c. granulated & 1/8 c. brown), added a tsp. of vanilla extract, and used buttermilk instead of whole milk and oil instead of melted butter.
i also baked them at 400 deg for the first 5 minutes, then 350 deg for 15 mins.
thanks Tessa for creating such a wonderful, flexible recipe! i loved the the espresso flavour in these muffins 🙂
Perfect I have the bananas and didn’t want to throw them away
Thank you
Yay!
Hi! I made these and they were soooo yummy. Would it still work if I made it as a bread?
I haven’t tried that but I believe it should work!
The Best Banana Bread Ever!
I don’t have whole milk. Can I use 1%? oOr, I have buttermilk. Which would be better?
I would recommend using the 1% milk!