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.
this came out perfect! thanks for the wonderful recipe. this will be my go to recipe for overripe bananas from now on!
Amazing!! I’m so happy to hear that!
Hi, Tessa…can I used frozen banana for this recipe? And this muffin recipe used baking soda instead of baking powder? So I can immediately baked it and I don’t have to chilled the batter for an hour in the fridge?
I haven’t tried frozen, but they should be fine once thawed. Just make sure to drain the juice! This recipe uses baking soda, I would not recommend switching it out with baking powder as they are two completely different ingredients. I’ve got a great article that discusses the difference here: https://handletheheat.com/baking-soda-vs-baking-powder/ There is no need to chill the batter for an hour in the fridge, these are baked immediately. Hope you enjoy your muffins!
tried the recipe and muffins were sooo yummy!! will make this again.
[…] great ideas from these bloggers…. Crispy Cheese and Bacon Potatoes from Bare Feet in the Kitchen Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins from Handle the […]
[…] Recipe Source: Tessa, at https://www.handletheheat.com/banana-espresso-chocolate-chip-muffins/ […]
I made these to switch it up a bit, I went with one tsp of espresso powder, but I would recommend two if you want to taste coffee in them. Either way, YUM!
Awesome! I’m so glad you both loved these muffins!
Super easy and tasty! I had left over cream cheese frosting which put these muffins over the top!
Sounds perfect!!
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!
The Best Banana Bread Ever!
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!
Perfect I have the bananas and didn’t want to throw them away
Thank you
Yay!
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 🙂