These healthy chocolate chip banana muffins are moist, tender, and packed with dark chocolate chips! Made with oat flour, olive oil, maple syrup, and Greek yogurt, these wholesome, gluten free banana muffins taste just as delicious as the traditional versions.

WHY I MADE THESE EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA MUFFINS

I was super, super happy to see how many of you loved my Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe (the recipe that I happily call The Best Ever) that a shared a few months ago.

That oat flour banana bread is deliciously moist, soft, and not too sweet either. It’s been my go-to banana bread recipe lately, even toppling my My Mom’s Famous Banana Bread recipe which held the top spot in my life for so long!

One of the top questions I get about that recipe is whether or not you can use it to make banana bread muffins instead of a traditional banana bread loaf. The short answer is: Yes! And it’s easy, too.

The longer answer is that you don’t need to change the recipe itself at all, but I do have a fun tip for you about how bake my healthy banana bread as muffins so that you get really fluffy muffins instead of sad, dense muffins, which can happen sometimes if baked improperly.

Here’s my tip: start baking the muffins at 425 F, and then finish them at 350 F. This is an old baker’s trick that helps create really awesome muffins! That initial blast of heat from the oven forces the muffins to rise, and then lowering the heat further cooks the muffins through without burning them.

Try it and you’ll never go back to baking your muffins at just one temperature again!

I have the full recipe and technique in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post. I can’t wait for you to try this! And when you do, definitely leave a comment and review so I can see and respond!

MY HEALTHY BANANA MUFFINS RECIPE

The full instructions on how to make these gluten free chocolate chip banana muffins is in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post, but here’s a quick overview of how to make it.

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom to view the full recipe and get all of the measurements and instructions!

• Preheat and prep: Heat your oven to 425°F and line a muffin pan with paper cups.
• Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas and mix in the olive oil and maple syrup until combined.
• More wet ingredients: Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until fully incorporated. Gently fold in the Greek yogurt until no streaks remain.
• Add the dry ingredients: Fold in the oat flour, cinnamon, and salt until just incorporated.
• Fold in the chocolate chips: Gently stir in half of the dark chocolate chips.
• Pour: Transfer the batter into your prepared muffin pan, and sprinkle more chocolate chips on top.
• Bake: At 425 F for 5 minutes, and then lower the heat to 350 F and finish baking for about 15 more minutes. The muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

OAT FLOUR BANANA MUFFINS KEY INGREDIENTS

The full ingredients list is in the recipe card below, so make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see what you need to make this recipe!

Here is a quick overview of what you need to make this healthy banana muffin recipe at home:

• Ripe bananas: The star ingredient of any banana muffin recipe! Make sure to use bananas that are quite brown, or have lots of dark brown spots on them. The riper the banana, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be!
• Olive oil: Adds moisture and richness to the muffins, replacing the butter you’d find in a traditional banana bread recipe. It also keeps the muffins tender without making them too dense or weighing them down.
• Maple syrup: A natural ingredient that adds sweetness while also contributing to the moist, tender crumb.
• Eggs: Act as a binder, holding all of the ingredients together and giving the muffins structure and lift. Room temperature eggs blend more evenly into the batter for a smoother, more consistent texture.
• Vanilla extract: Enhances and rounds out all of the other flavors in the muffins, which complements both the banana and chocolate.
• Greek yogurt: Adds moisture, tenderness, and a subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the bananas and maple syrup.
• Oat flour: The hearty base of the muffins, replacing traditional all purpose flour. Oat flour gives the muffins a tender, slightly dense crumb with a mild, nutty flavor. Be sure to use a gluten free oat flour to keep this recipe 100% gluten free.
• Cinnamon: Adds a warm, cozy spice that pairs beautifully with the banana flavor!
• Dark chocolate chips: Adds rich pockets of melted chocolate throughout the muffins to make every single bite delicious. Half of the chocolate chips are folded into the batter and the other half is sprinkled on top for a beautiful finish. Using a super duper dark chocolate like Pascha’s helps reduce the overall sugar content of this healthy banana muffin recipe.

HOW LONG DO THESE EASY BANANA MUFFINS TAKE TO MAKE?

This healthy chocolate chip banana muffin recipe has a few different components to it, but they all come together quickly and easily.

The full recipe is below, but here’s the gist of it:

• Prep time: 15 mins
• Bake time: 20 minutes

In total, this gluten free banana muffin recipe will take about 35 minutes total to make! It’s definitely one of my quickest and easiest healthy recipes.

HOW TO STORE THESE CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA MUFFINS?

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. Note that the muffins will start to dry out the longer it they are stored in the fridge.

You can also freeze individual muffins for up to 2 months! Just wrap each muffin in parchment paper and place them in a freezer bag to store them in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature before enjoying again.

HEALTHY BANANA MUFFINS FAQ

1. Exactly how ripe do my bananas need to be?

The riper your bananas, the better! Fully brown bananas are best because they are sweeter, softer, and much easier to mash, which means more natural sweetness and moisture in your muffins.

2. Can I use a different flour instead of oat flour?

Oat flour works best for this recipe because it gives the bread a tender, moist crumb. If you need a substitute, all purpose flour or gluten free flour may work too, but it will change the texture and density of the banana bread.

3. Is this chocolate chip banana muffin recipe gluten free?

Yes, it is! Oat flour is naturally gluten free, but note that oats are often processed in facilities that also handle wheat. If you have a gluten intolerance or allergy, make sure to use a certified gluten free oat flour to be safe.

4. Can I make my own oat flour at home?

Absolutely! All you have to do is add rolled oats to a blender or food processor and blend them until a fine flour forms. Just make sure to use certified gluten free oats if you have a gluten intolerance or allergy.

5. What does the Greek yogurt do in this recipe?

Greek yogurt adds moisture and a subtle tang that balances the sweetness of the bananas and maple syrup. Ever since I started adding Greek yogurt to my banana bread and banana muffin recipes, I’ve noticed that my loaves come out super fluffy every time!

6. Can I substitute the Greek yogurt with something else?

Sure! A dairy free yogurt works great as a 1:1 swap.

Sour cream is another option if you’re not dairy free.

7. Why does this banana bread recipe have both baking soda and baking powder?

Both are leavening agents, but they work slightly differently. Baking soda reacts with the acidic ingredients in the batter (like the yogurt) to help the bread rise, while baking powder provides even more lift. Using them together gives the bread the best texture and rise!

8. Can I use a different oil instead of olive oil?

Sure! I haven’t tried it, but melted coconut oil or avocado oil both work well as a 1:1 substitute. Olive oil has a very mild flavor in baked goods, so you won’t taste it at all, by the way.

9. Can I use regular chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate?

Yes, any chocolate chips you enjoy will work here. That said, dark chocolate chips (especially a super dark chocolate brand like Pascha’s) reduces the overall sugar content recipe without sacrificing any of that delicious chocolate flavor.

I recommend using mini chocolate chips so that you gets lots of chocolate flavor in every single bite!

10. How do I know when the banana muffins are done?

You’ll notice that the muffins have risen and have a beautiful dark golden color on top.

A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

11. How should I store these healthy banana muffins?

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. Note that the muffins will start to dry out the longer they are stored in the fridge.

You can also freeze individual muffins for up to 2 months! Just wrap each muffin in parchment paper and place in a freezer bag to store them in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature before enjoying again.

12. Why do I start baking the muffins at 425 F, and then finishing them at 350 F?

This is an old baker’s trick that helps create really tall, fluffy muffins! That initial blast of heat from the oven forces the muffins to rise, and then lowering the heat further cooks the muffins through without burning.

Try it and you’ll never go back to baking your muffins at just one temperature again!

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If you love this recipe be sure to leave a review! And feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments via my Contact page. You’ll hear back from me soon!

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