Greek Yogurt Chocolate Banana Muffins
A lightened up, healthy recipe for Greek Yogurt Chocolate Banana Muffins made with mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup.
We've been on a muffin kick lately at our house. The problem has been that the kids eat all of them before I get a chance to take photographs! I got smart with these Chocolate Banana Muffins and made them during school, knowing I wouldn't have a swarm of hands poking at them straight from the oven.
These healthy chocolate muffins are pretty much dessert in my kids eyes. They are BIG fans of chocolate and these chocolate banana muffins are full of healthy ingredients, which makes me happy!
These Chocolate Banana Muffins truly are irresistible! And guess what - they're lightened up! These chocolate muffins are made with very little oil, protein-filled Greek yogurt, and maple syrup. If you're looking for other banana recipes, check out my Zucchini Banana Muffins and Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy Recipe - this is an easy one-bowl muffin recipe that comes together in minutes!
- Kid Friendly - my kids go crazy for these muffins and love them for breakfast or a snack.
- Double Chocolate - this recipe has cocoa powder and chocolate chips, making it packed with chocolate!
Jump to:
Ingredients
Ripe Bananas - the riper the better! The bananas that I used this time for these muffins were fine, but I would have preferred them to be riper.
Greek Yogurt - I always use whole milk plain Greek yogurt when making these. I also using Greek yogurt in savory recipes like my Cottage Cheese Taco Dip, Greek Yogurt Ranch, and Greek Yogurt Honey Mustard!
Maple Syrup - the main sweetener in these muffins, along with the bananas.
Egg - the main binder of the muffins.
Vanilla - adds a hint of vanilla flavor.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - this adds a deep chocolate flavor to the muffins without sweetness.
Flour - I have used unbleached all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour in this recipe, both with great results.
Baking Soda and Salt - the leavened and flavor enhancer of the muffins.
Canola Oil - just a couple of tablespoons is all it takes in these Greek yogurt muffins.
Chocolate Chips - for even more chocolate flavor! I use either semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips when making these double chocolate banana muffins.
Add Nuts - if you like nuts in your muffins, you could add chopped walnuts or pecans.
Please refer to recipe card for completely list of ingredients.
Variations
Different Oil - feel free to use any neutral oil like avocado oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil, or melted butter.
Different Sweetener - you could use honey in this recipe instead of maple syrup.
Flavored Greek yogurt - I always use plain Greek yogurt but vanilla would also work.
Chocolate Chips - I use semisweet or dark chocolate, but you could use white chocolate, milk chocolate, mini chocolate chips, or even peanut butter chips.
Mini Muffins - make these into mini muffins by simply adjusting the baking time to 10-13 minutes. Also check out my Almond Poppy Seed Mini Muffins!
Step by Step Instructions
Photo 1. In a large bowl, mash the bananas.
Photo 2. Add the maple syrup, oil, egg, and vanilla.
Photo 3. Whisk well to combine.
Photo 4. Add the Greek yogurt and whisk well to combine.
Photo 5. Add the baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder.
Photo 6. Stir until combined.
Photo 7. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Photo 8. Divide the batter between 12 greased muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees F. You can also line your muffin pan with muffin liners. You can use a toothpick to test for doneness. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Use Ripe Bananas - the riper the better when it comes to the bananas, as they will add more sweetness if they are riper.
Storage - store these muffins in an airtight container for up to 5-6 days.
Recipe FAQs
These muffins are pretty healthy with no refined sugar and very little oil.
I haven't tried this but you could swap the Greek yogurt for dairy free yogurt and use a flax egg.
Yes! Simply place them in a freezer friendly bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
I think using oil in muffins really helps make them fluffy as well as a good dry ingredient to wet ingredient ratio! It is also important not to overbake your muffins!
These Greek Yogurt Chocolate Banana Muffins are great for a quick on-the-go breakfast or snack, and are also decadent enough to be dessert! I loved watching the boys eat these as an afternoon snack, getting that ring of chocolate around their lips from fearlessly digging in!
Other Muffin Recipes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Greek Yogurt Chocolate Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas mashed
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon canola or coconut oil
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour white whole wheat flour would work too!
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas.
- Add the maple syrup, vanilla, eggs, oil, and Greek yogurt.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until baked through.
- Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Made them immediately and will be making them again and again. What is better than chocolate and banana? And these are so light and fluffy. Heavenly — and rapidly disappearing. Love the maple syrup over sugar and the perfect balance with the cocoa without cloying sweetness. Question: what topping did you use in the picture?
So happy to hear this! In the photo I just drizzled it drippy peanut butter 🙂
Could you use oat flour?
I just made these this morning with oat flour. I took some reg oats and ground it in my vitamix to make oat flour- worked GREAT! They arent as fluffy as using reg flour, but still very yummy. I used same amount of oat flour and what it calls for for reg flour.
Hope this helps?
Can I make these without any maple syrup? I want sugar free muffins.
I haven't tried this before, so I can't say for sure. However, if you use very ripe bananas, that will lend to more sweetness and I have a feeling they would still be delicious!
These are exceptional! I made this afternoon and my husband has already eaten three. I am pretty sure there won’t be any left to freeze. I will definitely make again, and try the peanut butter topping next time. These were super easy to make and have so much flavor. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So glad you and your husband enjoyed them!
These are our go to chocolate muffins! We make them 1-2 times a month. They are so delicious, light and fluffy, and they’re healthy. Perfect for breakfast, as a morning snack at school or after dinner treat!
Could you replace the flour with almond flour? If so, would you use the same amount of flour?
I love this recipe ❤️ I used regular whole wheat flour,dark chocolate chips,4 tablespoons of ground flax seed and 2 tablespoons of chia seeds…. Thanks so much for this recipe… I’ve made it several times and it’s delicious 😋
Thoughts of using veg oil or olive oil instead?
I think that would work great!
I used olive oil and it worked great!
First batch just out the oven and they are absolutely delicious! I made mine into mini muffins so I could enjoy a little treat in my lunch box and it looks like I will have 30 muffins all in. So easy and quick to put together, these are a new favourite recipe for me straight away..also so handy when you've got those over ripe bananas in the fruit bowl.
So worth making! My toddler loves them, as do I. Not too sweet, unlike other chocolate chip muffins. Definitively saving this recipe for future baking snacks!
I absolutely adore these. Make them every few weeks cause we can’t get enough of them. I want to make a cake with this recipe for my son’s 2nd birthday. Any suggestions for temp and cook time and pan type? Also, any frosting ideas that are somewhat healthy and not full of refined sugar?
I can't say for sure, since I've never tried this...but you could make them into cupcakes since it'd be the same baking method. Otherwise, I think it would translate well to an 8x8" baking pan. I would try baking it at 350 for 30ish minutes. But again, I've never tried it so I don't know for sure! As far as frosting, we've made this one and it's delicious: https://www.hummusapien.com/healthy-cream-cheese-frosting/
I have made these countless times and they are a fan favorite!!!!