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!
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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.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (354 grams) mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- 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.
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.
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!
These sound so delicious, coffee and choc are both faves!
Thanks
Tara
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!
[…] ‘Handle the Heat’ inspired this recipe and lured me in by the unique addition of espresso powder. This version brings cinnamon to the party, boosts the espresso slightly and cuts the sugar. The resulting muffin is just as tender and moist as the original and slightly more complex with the cinnamon for a grown up feel. They have a rich banana aroma and practically melt in your mouth. […]
apologies. I just noticed the comment directly above my question.
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?
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!
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?
Espresso powder? Can I just have my local coffee shop grind me up some beans really fine?
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!
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?