Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins {Whole Grain}
These mini banana chocolate chip muffins are soft, fluffy, EASY to make and so perfect. They are the perfect little snack or just-because treat!
Get ready for the cutest and tastiest snack. Lightly sweetened with honey, these whole grain mini banana chocolate chip muffins are speedy and simple to make – and oh, so delicious!
Whole Grain Muffin Batter
The batter for these mini muffins is very straightforward. You are already familiar with the whole stir-the-wet-ingredients-into-the-dry-ingredients schpeel.
What sets them apart is that the dry ingredients include a heaping dose of whole grains in the form of whole wheat flour. Despite the bad rep that whole wheat flour gets, the muffins are still exceptionally light and fluffy.
The key is to use a white/light variety of whole wheat like hard or soft white wheat, kamut or einkhorn wheat flour or berries (if you are grinding them into flour at home).
If you don’t have whole wheat flour on hand, all-purpose flour can be subbed in. My favorite variation of these muffins is using half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour.
Naturally Sweetened
The muffins are sweetened in three ways:
- Honey
- Ripe, mashed bananas
- Mini chocolate chips
In fact, if you use very ripe, very spotted bananas, you might even be able to cut back on the honey since the bananas and chocolate chips lend the bulk of the sweetness to the muffins.
You can easily sub in granulated or brown sugar for the honey, if you need to.
The Best Mini Muffin Pan
I have owned and operated a lot of mini muffin pans in my lifespan.
And I can say with all the fervor of my soul that using a light-colored aluminum muffin pan is key (vs a dark-colored or dark-coated pan). The mini muffins will bake more evenly without burning on the outside edges.
My favorite mini muffin pans are the USA brand pans {aff. link}. I ditched my other mini muffin pans in favor of these a couple of years ago and haven’t regretted it for one instant.
The muffins always come out evenly baked, perfectly domed and the pans are easy to wipe/clean up.
The Best Little Muffins
These mini banana chocolate chip muffins are the perfect snack for my always-hungry brood, especially during the summer months when they are eating everything in sight (and then some).
Truth be told, it is my 14-year old son who makes these mini muffins 99.9% of the time. They have become his specialty, and he’s been known to write his name in sharpie on bags of these baked muffins so there are a few left for him after his ravenous siblings are done.
It was his idea and *constant* prodding for me to finally post the recipe here! I think he’s glad he’ll be able to look up the recipe on the iPad in the kitchen now rather than hunting through the messy piles of my recipe notes.
They really are the best miniature muffins ever! They stay moist and fluffy for days and freeze great, too. We hope you love them!
One Year Ago: Cherry Cheesecake Pie
Two Years Ago: Double Chocolate S’Mores Cookies
Three Years Ago: Cherry Chocolate Cobbler
Four Years Ago: Skillet Summer Vegetable Lasagna
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Six Years Ago: Tender Grilled Salmon
Seven Years Ago: Easiest-Ever Ice Cream Cake with Sugar Cone Crust
Eight Years Ago: Roasted Potato Salad with Simple Dijon Dressing and Bacon
Nine Years Ago: Classic Chocolate Mint Brownies
Ten Years Ago: 30-Second Chocolate Turtle Cookie Sundaes
Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins {Whole Grain}
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (320 g) white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour (or a combination)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (242 g) milk or buttermilk
- ½ cup honey (166 g) or granulated sugar (106 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 1 ¼ cups (236 to 295 g) mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, melted
- ¾ cup (128 g) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease two 24-cup mini muffin pans (if you only have one tin, cook in two batches).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk or buttermilk, honey or sugar, egg and vanilla until well-combined.
- To the dry ingredients, add the milk mixture, mashed bananas, and butter.
- Mix with a silicone spatula until a few dry streaks remain.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Don't over mix.
- Fill the mini muffin pan(s) 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the tops spring back lightly to the touch. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
These are AMAZING. Holy cow. So good. Used freshly ground whole wheat and plenty of bananas. Perfection.
i think this recipe is good thing because it is looking good to eat and i will like to try it also and you are looking like a good cook and i will love to try your foood also and is looking easy to make
These are easy and delicious! I used AP, but otherwise followed recipe as written.
I usually love all your recipes and can count on them to be delicious every time. But this one just didn’t do it for me. My muffins taste very bland. Perhaps it needs more banana, but it just has no flavor. I’m sad because I was excited to make banana muffins today.
Made these using 2 cups of gf flour blend. Turned out great! The first pan disappeared before the second pan was out of the oven.
I make these atleast a couple times a month and my family devours them! Easy to make and delicious!
Not enough banana flavor.
I’ve made these so many times. Always easy, tasty, and a hit with my toddlers.
Has anyone tried to sub milk with greek yogurt or a plant based milk? Curious how it would hold up!
I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work just fine!
I grind my own grains now. Looking forward to making these with fresh ground flour.
These are so fantastic! We’ve made them multiple times. I needed to use flax for egg & oil for butter, but they came out great!!! thank you!
Delicious! I use fresh ground spelt flour and they turn out just perfect.
That’s great that spelt flour worked well! Thanks for reporting on that variation!
This is a great recipe, and for some reason the muffins don’t get damp on the top after a day like other banana muffins I have made! Not sure why but I am not complaining 🙂
I noticed the same thing! And I, also, am not complaining.
Soooo yummy!! Used WW flour and reduced the honey by 1/2. Perfect.
Fantastic! Love reading variations and success stories on these little muffins!
Could I sub maple syrup in for the honey?
Yes, I think so!
Another great recipe!!! I don’t have mini muffin pans so I used a regular size muffin pan and cooked them for 18 minutes and they turned out wonderfully. Thank you Mel!
That’s awesome! Thanks for letting me know!
Mel, if I wanted to make regular-sized muffins with this batter, do you have a recommended temp? (Then I can figure out the time!) Thank you!
I just did one mini pan with the recommended temperature (375F) for 10 minutes and then popped regular sized muffins into the oven (same temperature) for 15 minutes! Perfection!!!!
Thanks for the feedback on regular muffins, Anh! Jamie, that sounds like a good starting place! I’d also keep the temperature the same and check around 15-17 minutes.
These were SO good!! I love making batches of mini muffins since they’re great for breakfast, snacks, and a sweet treat. This recipe is easily a keeper.
Thanks for the review, Tristin!
Looks delicious! Where do you get your wheat from?
I have bought wheat berries from a lot of different sources: Amazon, local farmers, WheatMontana, Rainy Day Foods – right now I’m using Einkhorn wheat and bought from einkhorn.com.
Hi Mel!
These sound amazing!
I LOVE banana anything, muffins, bread, ice cream.
Do you have any information on subbing Almond flour/coconut flour for the white flour as I’m trying to make these more keto friendly.
Hi Karyn, I don’t have a lot of experience using coconut or almond flour, but you could definitely try to experiment subbing one of those in for the flours called for in the recipe!
Nice and fluffy. Loved that they didn’t run over the tops but were rounded and plump. The chocolate chips mask the whole wheat flavor, so you can barely tell they are somewhat healthy haha. Thanks for another fantastic recipe!
I made 36 regular-sized muffins and baked for 20 minutes, if that helps anyone else who doesn’t use a mini muffin pan.
Haha, you aren’t wrong about the chocolate chips. 🙂
I made these today for my kids with some very questionably ripe bananas. They are delicious! Mini muffins tend to turn out dry for me, but these are perfect!
So happy to hear that, Shannon! Thank you!
Are you milling your own grains for this recipe by chance?! Just wondering because I mill flour at home and often have to slightly adapt baking recipes that call for regular flour. (Super excited if you are also into home milling because I LOVE your recipes!)
Yes, I grind wheat berries for this and other recipes on my site that call for whole wheat. (Lately I’ve been using einkhorn wheat berries – they are slightly softer and lighter than even white wheat, but any variety of white wheat should work well!)
Definitely making these. We make your “Whole Grain Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins” all the time and I love that they include yogurt. But, they do have brown sugar instead of honey…so maybe these win for healthiest? Or maybe I’ll try to combine the two recipes. 🙂
My daughter made these and they are perfection! Yummmmmm
Your daughter is amazing!
Holy moly these are perfection! Super moist, and light and amazing. I feel like I’m eating little light pancake bites or something. They aren’t crumbly like a typical muffin—they are like a cloud of scrumptiousness
I’m glad you liked them, Ashley! They are a bit reminiscent of a tasty little pancake bite now that you mention it!