Nutritious, filling, and packed with protein, these chocolate banana protein muffins make a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack! An easy, one-bowl recipe that only calls for pantry ingredients and is ready in an hour.
If you are looking for a single-served version, I highly recommend trying out my chocolate protein mug cake or protein mug brownie. Or, check out my vegan protein overnight oats or chocolate protein overnight oats if you prefer something quicker!
Ripe bananas are one of my favorite ingredients to work with! They are great incorporated in baked goods, providing moisture and natural sweetness.
Although I love my banana flapjacks, vegan banana oatmeal muffins, and banana date muffins, I need a recipe higher in protein for breakfast or a post-workout snack. This is where these chocolate banana muffins come in! Although decadent, 2 of these muffins contains almost 15g of protein!
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💚Why you will love this recipe
- Nutritious, low in sugar, and packed with protein
- Moist, tender, and incredibly delicious
- Stores well and are freezable, making them great for meal prep
- An easy, fuss-free recipe that is ready in an hour
🍌What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Bananas - Ripe and spotty bananas work best in this recipe. You can also use frozen bananas, but thaw them and drain off excess liquid before using.
- Eggs - To make this recipe vegan, replace the eggs with 2 flax eggs by combining 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for a few minutes until the mixture becomes a gel-like consistency.
- Maple syrup - Can be substituted with other liquid sweeteners like agave syrup or honey. If your protein powder is particularly sweet, you can reduce the amount used.
- Oil - I am using light olive oil, but feel free to use other neutral-tasting oils like canola or sunflower seed oil.
- Oat flour - To make this recipe gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oat flour. You can make oat flour at home by blending rolled or quick oats in a high-speed blender until they turn into flour.
- Cocoa powder - Using a high-quality cocoa powder gives the best flavor! I am using Ghirardelli premium cocoa powder.
- Protein powder - I am using a plant-based vanilla protein powder, but chocolate-flavored or unflavored will work as well.
🔪How to make
In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas until smooth.
Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.
Fold in dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms. You might need to add some milk or water, a tablespoon at a time if the batter is too thick. (I ended up adding 3 tablespoons)
Fill each hole 12-cup muffin pan ¾ of the way, and bake until cooked. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Top tip
To check for doneness, insert a toothpick down the middle. If it comes out fairly clean with a few moist crumbs, your muffins are done baking. Be careful not to overbake, as this will yield dry and crumbly muffins.
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✅Helpful tips
- Measure flour correctly - I recommend using a weighing scale (like this Ozeri kitchen scale). If using measuring cups, follow the spoon and level method. Do not scoop flour directly from the bag or pack flour into the cup.
- Grease or line muffin holes - I usually grease my pan with cooking spray, but you can also line it with muffin liners. This ensures muffins can be easily removed from the pan.
- To create the perfect muffin dome - Muffins are first baked at a high temperature as the initial burst of heat forces the batter to rise. They are then baked at a lower temperature to ensure the insides are properly cooked.
✨Variations and add-ins
Chopped nuts - Throw a handful of chopped nuts into your batter if you love texture!
Flavorings - You can make chocolate mint or chocolate coconut muffins by adding a few drops of peppermint or coconut extract. I also love adding a teaspoon of espresso powder, as it enhances the richness of the cocoa.
Blueberries - To make blueberry chocolate muffins, stir in up to ½ cup of fresh/frozen blueberries.
Chocolate banana protein bread - Turn these muffins into bread by transferring the batter to an 8*4 loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 45-55 minutes at 180C/350F or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Make it without protein powder - Check out my banana applesauce muffin or banana oatmeal muffin recipe. To make chocolate muffins, add up to ¼ cup of cocoa powder and more milk to thin to those recipes.
Make it vegan - Replace eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons of ground flax + 6 tablespoons of water). Or you can check out my vegan protein muffins.
☕️How to serve
- Fruits - Pair your muffins with chopped fruits or fruit salad for a refreshing yet delicious breakfast.
- Beverages - Especially coffees like my protein iced coffee or soy milk latte. Milk and plant-based milk also go well with these muffins!
- Smoothie - For a heartier breakfast, serve protein muffins with my peanut butter smoothie or silken tofu smoothie.
- Nut butter - I especially love slathering a generous amount of peanut butter or coconut almond butter.
- Savory sides - If you enjoy the combination of sweet and savory flavors, try serving muffins with scrambled eggs, tofu scramble, seitan bacon, or sausages like my vegan Italian sausages!
❄️Storing suggestions
Fridge - These chocolate protein muffins can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer - Muffins can be frozen for 3 months. You can store them in ZipLock bags or containers.
Reheating - Transfer frozen muffins to the fridge the night before eating. You can then heat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
?Commonly asked questions
Plant-based protein powder (such as pea, soy, or hemp) works best in this recipe. It is recommended to stick with unflavored or neutral-flavored protein powders like vanilla and chocolate.
If using whey, you might need to slightly increase the amount of protein powder or flour added as it is less absorbent.
You can use 2 flax eggs instead of regular eggs to make these protein muffins. Mix 2 tablespoons of flax seeds with 6 tablespoons of water to make flax eggs. Wait a few minutes until the mixture thickens and becomes gel-like before adding it to the batter.
For the best results, omitting or substituting the protein powder with other flour is not recommended. Check out my banana oatmeal muffins if you want a recipe without protein powder.
🍽️More recipes using bananas
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 3 medium bananas ripe (around 300g/10.5 oz)
- 2 eggs or flax eggs (see note)*
- ¼ cup maple syrup or agave/honey/sugar-free syrup
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil or canola/sunflower seed oil
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cup oat flour **
- ½ cup plant-based vanilla protein powder or another neutral flavor (see notes)***
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 210C/410F. Grease or line a 12-hole muffin pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas until smooth.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Fold in dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms. You might need to add some milk or water, a tablespoon at a time if the batter is too thick. (I ended up adding 3 tablespoons)
- Fill each muffin hole ¾ of the way. Optionally, top it with more chocolate chips.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180C/350F and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick down the middle. They are done baking if the toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs clinging onto it.
- Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Measure flour correctly - I recommend using a weighing scale (like this Ozeri kitchen scale). If using measuring cups, follow the spoon and level method. Do not scoop flour directly from the bag or pack flour into the cup.
- Avoid overbaking - Overbaked muffins will turn dry and crumbly. Muffins are done baking when a toothpick comes out fairly clean with a few wet crumbs when inserted down the middle.
- To create the perfect muffin dome - Muffins are first baked at a high temperature as the initial burst of heat forces the batter to rise. They are then baked at a lower temperature to ensure the insides are properly cooked.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Kate says
This was a pretty easy recipe. I used coconut oil instead of olive oil and used a mixture of mini and regular semi sweet chocolate chips. I don’t not have to add any milk to my batter like suggested. They were tasty and I loved knowing they were gluten free and had some extra protein.
Jim Mee Sha says
These amazing muffins are also great as a grab-and-go breakfast!