Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Post Updated: May 2, 2020

This recipe was one of my first blog posts back in 2009 so I have been making these delicious muffins for over ten years now! That's a decade of happy tummies in the Bookworm household. And I still get lots of Mom Points when I make them for my no-longer-small kids. 

These muffins are definitely a favourite of ours. They are a great blend of moist banana muffin with a hint of mocha (add more if you're a java lovah!) and chocolate chips liberally sprinkled throughout. They're great with a glass of milk, a cup of coffee as a quick afternoon snack.

In the past, I tended to make 18 smaller muffins but when I made them last week, I opted for 12 large muffins. Those muffin tops almost filled the pan and they were amazing! 

This is a great recipe to use up that hoard of frozen bananas in your freezer and since half of the butter is substituted with unsweetened applesauce (you won't taste it, I promise!), they're just a teensiest bit healthier for you but still taste like a naughty treat.

These muffins freeze well making them a great, last minute 'what can I feed my kids' kind of snack idea.

Yield: 12 large muffins or 18 small muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 egg
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp instant coffee
1 tbsp water
2 1/4 cups white flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Line muffin pan(s) with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter, applesauce, sugar, egg, bananas and vanilla and blend well. Mix instant coffee with water in a small bowl. Add to banana mixture and mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add to banana mixture and stir until just blended. Fold in chocolate chips. 

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan(s). 12 muffins will give you big muffins with huge muffin tops, 18 muffins will just peek over the sides of the paper liners but make a great small snack/school lunch option. 

These full muffin cups will turn into glorious 

large, muffin topped goodness!

Bake for 25 minutes for smaller muffins and approximately 30 minutes for larger muffins - or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Gorgeous big muffin tops!!

Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Note: These muffins freeze well. If freezing, place muffins in a freezer bag, suck air out of the bag with a straw and seal.