Best Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I LOVE banana bread. I always buy too many bananas so that I will have extra to make banana bread. My husband really loves it in muffin form (as opposed to loaf form) and especially with chocolate chips. This recipe makes moist muffins, loaded with lots of banana, and with a wonderful chewy top. I think they are best hot out of the oven, Jasper likes them at room temperature.

I start by getting all my ingredients ready. Dry: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Wet: eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla. And four ripe, mashed bananas.

After beating the wet ingredients together and slowly adding the dry, then mixing in the bananas and chocolate chips, you will have your batter.

Use an ice cream scooper to get the batter into the muffin tin – it makes it easier and ensures that your muffins are equal in size. For this recipe, I do recommend using muffin papers.

If you have extra overripe bananas, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze them. They make great smoothies!

Bake for 25 minutes – and enjoy your muffins! Extras can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and frozen.

The Best Banana Bread Muffins
Adapted from Food Network
makes 24 muffins or 2 loaves

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 lg eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (or 350 for loaves).

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.

Divide the batter among 2 muffin tins lined with paper cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

(If making loaves, divide batter between 2 loaf pans. Bake until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about an hour and 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.)