Paleo Chocolate Banana Muffins
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How can a muffin taste indulgent enough to be a dessert, yet be good enough that you’d eat it for breakfast? Enter: Paleo chocolate banana muffins! These moist and fluffy delights are made from whole ingredients like bananas, ground almonds, and eggs, then finished up with a triple dose of chocolate to make them irresistible.
These rich and delicious paleo chocolate banana muffins are made with a base of almond flour and sweet, ripe bananas. They have a beautiful texture and the right amount of sweetness!
Ingredients needed
This is what you need to whip up these paleo chocolate banana muffins:
- Coconut oil: Provides moisture to the muffin mixture.
- Bananas: Four large bananas, they can be ripe enough to eat but don’t need to be super brown like those you’d use in banana bread.
- Eggs: To bind everything together.
- Almond flour: or almond meal.
- Paleo chocolate chips: Infuse the muffins with chocolate-y goodness!
- Cocoa powder: Carries the chocolate flavor through the muffins.
- Vanilla extract: Along with the bananas, the vanilla helps balance the bitter cocoa.
- Baking powder: Helps the muffins rise with a light and fluffy texture.
- Walnuts: Provides a contrasting texture with a nutty crunch.
- Sea salt: Enhances the overall flavor.
- Optional ingredients: Spike your muffins with a coffee flavor (like a mocha!) by adding espresso powder or enhance the chocolate with cocoa nibs or dark chocolate chips.
How to make paleo chocolate banana muffins
These paleo chocolate banana muffins are simple! Here are the instructions:
- Preheat and prep: While the oven is preheating, line your muffin tin with muffin liners and melt the coconut oil.
- Mix it up: Add the mashed bananas, eggs, almond flour, cocoa powder, vanilla, baking powder, sea salt, melted coconut oil, and (if using) espresso powder to a large bowl and beat well using an electric mixer. Stir through the walnuts, chocolate chips, and (if using) cocoa nibs.
- Divide and bake: Fill the liners in the muffin pan with the batter then bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Then, let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
When to eat these paleo chocolate banana muffins
Reach for these paleo chocolate banana muffins at any time of the day – they’re so versatile that you can prepare a batch in advance for any of these ideal moments:
- Breakfast muffins – While it may feel like you’re eating chocolate for breakfast, it’s kind of like having almonds, eggs, and bananas for breakfast, with a little chocolate treat!
- Smart snacks – Have a muffin on hand for when hunger strikes between meals.
- Post workout – Refuel after a work-out with an easy and energizing choice.
- Dessert – If you develop a sweet tooth in the evening, these muffins are delicious dessert option. Cap off your day with a touch of sweetness!
Paleo Chocolate Banana Muffins Recipe
How can a muffin taste indulgent enough to be a dessert, yet be good enough that you'd eat it for breakfast? Enter: Paleo chocolate banana muffins! These moist and fluffy delights are made from whole ingredients like bananas, ground almonds, and eggs, then finished up with a triple dose of chocolate to make them irresistible.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 4 large bananas (mashed)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup almond flour (or almond meal)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Optional: 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup toasted walnuts (chopped)
- 1 cup paleo chocolate chips
- Optional: ¼ cup cacao nibs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners. Melt the coconut oil in a small pan over medium heat. Note: If your walnuts are not toasted, pop them in the oven to toast while the oven is heating.2 tablespoons coconut oil
- In a large bowl, add the mashed bananas, eggs, almond flour, cocoa powder, vanilla, baking powder, sea salt, (if using) espresso powder, and the melted coconut oil. Beat well using an electric mixer. Stir through the walnuts, chocolate chips, and (if using) the cacao nibs.4 large bananas, 4 large eggs, 1 cup almond flour, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla, Optional: 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 cup toasted walnuts, 1 cup paleo chocolate chips, Optional: ¼ cup cacao nibs
- Divide the batter between the 12 muffin liners, filling each to the very top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then remove them and let them finish cooling on a cooling rack.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 muffin, Calories: 287kcal (14%), Carbohydrates: 23g (8%), Protein: 7g (14%), Fat: 20g (31%), Saturated Fat: 8g (50%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 62mg (21%), Sodium: 173mg (8%), Potassium: 346mg (10%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 12g (13%), Vitamin A: 126IU (3%), Vitamin C: 4mg (5%), Calcium: 105mg (11%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Kristen, I am so excited to try your Paleo muffin recipes (all of them). I’ve noticed there aren’t any units of measurement for bananas, only reference to ‘large’ in some recipes. When I buy bananas, I think I’m getting ‘large’ until I ask my husband to buy some and then realize mine were very small ‘large’ bananas. Do you have an approximate amount (i.e cup) that a ‘large’ banana should render? Thank you for the wonderful recipes.
To be totally honest, I’ve never measured them. What I can tell you is that all of the paleo muffin recipes on this blog are very flexible. They’re not like regular baking where everything has to be exact. I often wing it based on what I have on hand and they always turn out great. 🙂
Oh my, must try these as well. Looks so yummy!
They are so good!
DO you have the macro counts for these by chance? Ty !
I just made these. I did not have the espresso powder or cacao nibs available, so I skipped those. I also did not have the right kind of choc chips, so I used regular semi-sweet chips. I used my new 6 count large sized muffin tin. The amount was just right to make the 6. They baked up just fine – about 27 minutes. (I probably could have gone 1-2 minutes longer, but did not want to over bake.) They are delicious! So thank you for this recipe. The only thing I was wanting more of was chocolate flavor. I am really only tasting banana. I wonder if there is something else I could sub for the banana. I liked this recipe because it has zero processed sugar, which I am TRYING to stay away from. 🙂 Any suggestions for a different binder/sweetener?
Thank you!!
If you’re looking for a banana free version, I’ve recently made these: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/chocolate-almond-flour-protein-muffins/ 🙂
Hi Kristen!
The instructions say to melt the coconut oil, but not when to add it. Can you clarify? This looks great, I can’t wait to try them!
Thanks!
You’re right! I missed letting you know when to add the coconut oil You put it in the bowl with the bananas. I’ve updated the recipe now so you’ll see it in there. 🙂
Wow this really looks awesome dish. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thank you!
Mmmmmm…..yum. This looks totally amazing. I’m just starring at the screen looking at how delicious they look. My boys would devour them quickly.
I love it! Thank you so much, Nikita. They really are delicious. 🙂
Should the muffins be ripe? Like with banana bread?
Do you mean the bananas? The bananas I usually use are ripe enough to eat, but not the super brown ones you’d use in banana bread. If you have very ripe bananas they would still work, though!
Thanks! And yes I meant bananas haha
Also, they turned out amazing! I was hosting a dinner at my house and no one could put them down!!! Always feels good when that happens.
Awesome!! And so funny about the autocorrect!!
Kristen i love your food. you are providing easy recipe for follow. Let me try to make your food.
Aww thank you so much! You totally made my day. 🙂
I’ve been wanting to make these forever! My hubs is a huge banana muffin fan! I’m bookmarking them for the weekend. It’s actually been way too long since I’ve made it.
Awesome! I hope you guys love them as much as we do here. 🙂
I know, right?! Ever since I realized I could make muffins that are lighter they’ve become a staple in my kitchen. Love them!
These muffins look amazing! I would love to make a version of this that would be nut free. As my youngest has a severe tree nut allergy. Can you point me towards some nut free recipes or provide an alternative ingredient?
I’m about 99% sure that you will be able to substitute coconut flour for the almond flour. I have another muffin recipe -https://www.theendlessmeal.com/coconut-almond-paleo-breakfast-muffins/ – that this one is based off of and my sister swears to me that she can sub coconut flour for the almond flour in that one and it tastes exactly the same. Should work in this one, too. 🙂
I hope that helps!
It;s such a bliss to have a good sister to share everything with – even the nicest chocolate muffin recipe 🙂
It really is, isn’t it? Sisters are the best. 🙂