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The best and (easiest) One Bowl Chocolate Chunk Chai Banana Muffins …for your Friday chocolate fix. One bowl, pantry staple ingredients, super quick to mix up, healthy…ish, and SO DELICIOUS! That sums up these warming banana muffins in a nutshell, they’re the perfect muffin to bake up this weekend. With over-ripe bananas, good honey, chai spices, and your favorite dark chocolate bar, these are going to become your favorite weekend muffins. A sweet treat for breakfast, a yummy afternoon snack, or even a late-night dessert…with an extra smear of salted-honey-butter.
Just because it’s January and we’re all focusing on enjoying healthier foods doesn’t mean we should deprive ourselves of the sweeter things in life. At least that’s the thinking around here. I know some will argue this, but as far as healthy desserts, these muffins are the perfect wholesome treat to enjoy any day of the week.
With my mom being the dessert lover that she is, it’s been ingrained in me to always want something a little sweet after dinner. Sometimes that’s something as simple as a piece of fruit, or a banana with a couple squares of dark chocolate, or maybe a warm mug of hot chocolate. Just something a little sweet.
But when I have super ripe bananas, I LOVE baking banana bread. Last year I perfected the BEST loaf of banana bread. And this year I’m sharing the BEST banana muffin…that’s sweet, moist, perfectly spiced with winter chai spices, and heavy on the dark chocolate. These are healthy…ish and a great January treat.
The secret to a really good banana muffin?
Overripe bananas. I’m talking completely brown, almost black, mushy bananas that look far past their prime. The bananas that you’re sure you should have tossed? Yup, those are the bananas you should use for your muffins. I call them banana bread bananas.
When the bananas are super brown, they’re the sweetest they’ll become. They have extra moisture and are soft and easy to incorporate into your muffin batter. If you use a green banana, your muffins won’t be nearly as moist or sweet. So brown bananas are KEY.
The details.
As mentioned, these muffins are the easiest. You need only one bowl, pantry ingredients, and less than an hour of time. You’ll start with the wet ingredients. Mash up the bananas, add melted coconut oil for moisture, honey for additional sweetness (plus added health benefits), eggs for a perfect texture (and even a bit of protein), and vanilla for flavor.
Then stir in the dry ingredients. For my muffins, I like using white whole wheat flour. I always find that it bakes up so nicely and never leaves my baked sweets dry or crumbly. Of course, you could use your favorite gluten-free flour blend too.
Now, the spices. I love using the warming spices commonly used in chai tea… cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, all-spice, and nutmeg. It’s the time of year when things are bitter cold, so these warming spices are what I crave when baking. Plus, cooking and baking with spices is not only incredibly healthy (spices are full of antioxidants that help fight off those winter colds and keep us healthy), but they also make your home smell amazing too.
Once the dry ingredients have been mixed into the wet, stir in the dark chocolate chunks. And that’s it – done. Now you have chai-spiced banana muffin batter. Time to bake.
Let’s talk about that salted honey butter…
The muffins only take about twenty or so minutes to bake, but while they’re baking you should make yourself some salted honey butter. Is it absolutely necessary? No not at all, but will it make your muffins feel extra special and even more delicious? Definitely!
What’s not to love about creamy butter, sweet honey, and a pinch of flaky sea salt? It’s just what your healthy..ish banana muffin needs. Trust me on this.
The plan? Enjoy the first Friday of January by staying in tonight and baking up these easy muffins. Fingers crossed it’s a snowy night for you all too. Because I must say, these muffins are especially delicious on cold and snowy Friday nights. The best tip I can give you? Eat these warm, right out of the oven with the chocolate all gooey, along with a good smear of salty honey butter too.
Also, double the recipe. Make a double batch tonight and saving the leftovers for a quick weekday breakfast or afternoon snack. Or? Gift the extra batch to your neighbor, best friend, or whoever you pass on the street. January can be a bit of a depressing month with the short, cold days and the holidays behind us. It’s always nice to do something thoughtful for others, even if it’s as simple as baking (delicious) banana muffins.
If you make these one bowl chocolate chunk chai banana muffins, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Bowl Chocolate Chunk Chai Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 medium overly ripe bananas, mashed , (about 1 1/4 cup mashed)
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks
Salted Honey Butter
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, coconut oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, all-spice, and salt, mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks. 3. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.4. Meanwhile, make the honey butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, honey, and salt. 5. Serve the muffins warm or at room temperature smeared with honey-butter.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I make these all the time as mini muffins – no wrapper, just coconut spray the pan. Cook for 10 minutes and they come out perfect. Sometimes I even add like 1/2 a cup walnuts to the recipe. Don’t skimp on the chocolate.
Hey Kristin,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out tasty for you! xT
why does it not call for chai seeds when they are chai muffins?
Hi there,
This is a chai spice recipe not chia, 2 totally different things:) Please let me let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Ripe bananas + one bowl recipe = SOLD! These turned out to be delicious! Even my kids (5 years and almost 2 years approve). They were so quick and easy to make plus very minimal dishes to clean up afterwards! I didn’t have cardamom but subbed with nutmeg per google recommendations. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Nicole,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a winner! 🤩
Can I substitute the coconut oil with the same amount of butter? Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
Yes, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Great flavor and texture. Baked up nicely… not gummy as some banana muffins/breads can be. I reduced chocolate chips to 2/3 c. and added 1/3 c. chopped walnuts based on others’ comments and my preference… still a lot of chocolate for a tiny muffin. I love chocolate, so this was the perfect amount for me. I can see how the chai spices could get lost with all of the chocolate if you are seeking those flavors… I only used 1/4 tsp. ginger and 1/4 t. cinnamon as I don’t care much for the spices called for in this recipe. Great recipe though; I will definitely make again.
Hey Tammy,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try!! xTieghan
I love ALL your recipes! Do you have one for chocolate chip muffins (without the chai)? I’d like to bake some for my kids!
Hey Amy,
Thanks so much!! Here is a recipe they might like:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/better-than-the-bakery-chocolate-chip-coffee-cake-muffins/
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
Holy smokes every recipe I try of hers turns out absolutely amazing. I did a loaf instead of muffins just to save time and white chocolate chips. SCRUMPTIOUS!! Better than any other banana bread recipe I’ve ever tried.
Hey Marissa,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out!! ?xx
So good! I made half of it as muffins and the other half as a loaf. Will definitely make again.
Hey Cassie,
That’s great!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xxT
Oh man these are so good. My first time using coconut oil! Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Danielle,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! ☘️xx
Best Banana muffins! And so easy! Will definitely be my go to recipe ☺️
Hi Sonia,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Absolutely the best banana muffins I ever tasted and so easy to make.
Hey Julie,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Yum!!! I have made these muffins. The are the best ever. They will definitely be my go to recipe. I recommend everyone to try this recipe. You won’t regret it.
Hey Teresa,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
such a great take on banana bread! love a good one bowl recipe, will definitely make these again. thank you!
Hey Bianca,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
I made this into banana bread- smells amazing!
Hey Ali,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
I made these last night and subbed out flour for almond flour. Definitely one of the best banana muffins I have had. I just need to play around with the recipe a little more to make it perfect with almond flour.
Hey there,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
After reading reviews I upped the spices and decreased chocolate- WOW! So good! Love chai and with banana it’s the perfect mix! Can’t wait to enjoy one with some cinnamon dolce coffee in the morning. Also made exactly 12 muffins! Some times with muffin/cupcakes there’s too much or little batter- this was perfect.
Hi Kim,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan