Looking for the perfect breakfast or a wholesome snack option that feels like a treat? These Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Muffins are moist, chocolatey, and incredibly easy to make with simple pantry staples. They’re freezer friendly and totally kid pleasing, so they’re ideal for meal prep or grabbing an easy breakfast on the go. Once you try them, you’ll want to keep a batch on hand at all times!
This post was originally published in January 2017 and updated in May 2025 to add the option of using regular milk and to add fresh, new photos.
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If you love easy, delicious muffins as much as we do, be sure to check out my Classic Zucchini Muffins, protein-packed Kodiak Cakes Muffins (without banana), and these super easy Cake Mix Blueberry Muffins, or these super moist Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins—there’s something for every craving!
Ingredient Photo
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Oats: I typically use old-fashioned oats for a hearty texture, but quick oats work just fine if that’s what you have on hand.
- Banana: Overripe bananas are ideal because they’re extra sweet and mash easily, but ripe bananas will also do the trick.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is my go-to, but for a little nutritional boost, feel free to swap in up to half whole wheat flour.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: This keeps things moist without oil. Want to switch it up? Use an equal amount of your oil of choice instead.
- Milk: You can use whatever you have—whole, low fat, or buttermilk. For dairy-free muffins, try soy, oat, cashew, or almond milk.
- Egg: Just one egg helps bind the ingredients and gives these muffins structure so they rise nicely.
- Cocoa Powder: Adds that rich, chocolate-y flavor in a healthy way—perfect for these chocolate banana oatmeal muffins.
- Chocolate Chips: Use dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate chips—or get creative with peanut butter, white chocolate, or butterscotch chips.
- Sugar: You don’t need much—just enough to sweeten things up without overdoing it.
- Leavening Agents: A mix of baking powder and baking soda gives us tender, fluffy muffins.
- Salt: A pinch ties all the flavors together and keeps things from tasting flat.
Step-By-Step Instructions (with photos)
See recipe card below for complete directions with amounts.
Step 1: In a large bowl mix flour, oats, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Step 2: In a medium bowl add mashed bananas, mix in sugar, egg, milk, and applesauce.
Step 3: Add banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
Step 4: Divide muffin batter between cups and bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
As with all home baked goods they are their best a day or two after baking and start to dry out after 3-4 days. They’re still good, but not as moist.
Absolutely! Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months, so go ahead and make a double batch to have some for later.
Try these banana recipes next!
Chocolate Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal
A creamy version of oatmeal featuring chocolate milk, bananas, nuts, and other pantry staples.
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Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup oats old fashioned or quick cooking
- ¼ cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mashed banana
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk or buttermilk
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Coat 12 muffin cups liberally with cooking spray.cooking spray
- In a large bowl mix flour, oats, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.1 cup flour, 1 cup oats, ¼ cup cocoa, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- In a medium bowl add mashed bananas, mix in sugar, egg, milk, and applesauce.1 cup mashed banana, ½ cup sugar, 1 egg, ½ cup milk or buttermilk, ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- Add banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Stir in chocolate chips.1 cup chocolate chips
- Divide between muffin cups and bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from muffin tin and cool on wire rack.
These are definitely on my list to bake! Looking forward to eating these!
Made it almost exactly as is (used gluten free all-purpose flour and reduced sugar a bit) and it was great! My little kiddos devoured them!
Awesome, thanks!
We made these to eat for breakfast this week! I subbed honey for the sugar, added 1/2 tsp vanilla for warmth, replaced flour with a combo of oat flour and whole wheat flour, and subbed pumpkin for applesauce (we were out). Delish!
They sound yummy!
So I made this recipe but didn’t follow the directions for mixing. I mixed all my wet ingredients together and then mixed my dry ingredients in, starting with the oats (I hate washing more bowls than absolutely necessary). My muffins turned out okay. The texture is a little weird but maybe that’s because my oats were wet longer than the rest of the dry ingredients? I think next time I would add more sugar since I found them a little bland but I would still make these the next time I have extra buttermilk to use up.
I am not sure what the science behind it is, but most muffin recipes instruct for you to mix the wet and dry separately, and when mixing them together to only mix them until they are just combined. That is the way I have always done it, so I am thinking that maybe doing it the way you did results in your muffin batter being overmixed. That would explain the weird texture. Using more sugar is definitely an option, I don’t think it would change the texture much. Thanks for leaving me feedback on your experience with these!
I made these after dinner since I had some buttermilk to use up. Followed it to the letter, except I was out of eggs (!) so I made a flax egg and it worked great. Delish and healthy, thank you Mindy!
You’re welcome! I’m glad they turned out good with your make-shift egg, good to know!
Thanx Delicious
Thank you!!
Simply delicious.. I always love banana bakes!! This is one awesome breakfast muffin 🙂
Thanks!
I love chocolate so much these banana oatmeal muffins looks fantastic.
Thank you!
There are oats and banana in these muffins…so I can enjoy these as breakfast, right? Awesome recipe, Mindy.
Yes! Thanks