Banana Chocolate Chunk Espresso Muffins

These banana chocolate chunk espresso muffins are made with part whole wheat flour, couldn’t be easier to make, and are infused with instant espresso powder and studded with dark chocolate chunks! 

It’s back to school time! In my world, this means impending deadlines, a lack of fall clothing, and the excuse to bake (and eat) a lot of muffins.

I’ve also realized it has been a long time since I shared an easy-to-make baked treat. These muffins are loaded with instant espresso powder, which gives you an extra excuse to scarf one down with your morning coffee. You can even pack it away for those afternoons at work when you desperately need a pick me up.

Trust me, I’ve been there.

I’m quite positive that I’ve shared this far too many times with you already, but I’m an espresso fanatic. Should I probably cut down on my daily intake of the stuff? Probably.

Did I ask for a cappuccino machine for my third birthday? Maybe. Do I try to add espresso or coffee to practically every baked item that comes out of my kitchen? More often than not.

But until someone pries that cup of steaming (caffeinated) coffee–or in this case, that jar of instant espresso coffee–away from me, I’m going to continue on with this tradition.

If these muffins sound familiar, you are absolutely right! They are actually a tweak on last year’s pumpkin chocolate-chunk espresso muffins, which are still one of my favorite muffin recipes that I’ve ever, EVER made.

I’m firmly in the not-craving-pumpkin-at-all camp, but if you are craving pumpkin like no other (and happen to be a fan of coffee and chocolate!), you can totally make those muffins instead. They might be the only pumpkin baked good that I’ll crave all year.

On that note, if you are not a fan of coffee–or are making these for kids–you can absolutely omit the espresso powder in both of these recipes. If you make these (and love the idea of adding a glaze to make them a bit more decadent), you can also add this coffee glaze drizzle.

Truthfully, these muffins were the byproduct of a need to use some (insanely) dead bananas that had been lying on my kitchen counter top just the other week.

They happened to be extremely addictive–I literally ate three in the span of a few hours–and I figured we could all use another easy muffin recipe in our lives.

Especially one that involves coffee and semisweet dark chocolate chunks. If you can’t stop yourself from eating another one, just tell yourself that you’re getting your dose of antioxidants for the day.

The recipe tweaks were minor, but this muffin also uses part whole wheat flour for a little boost in nutrition. I used four extremely dead bananas for this recipe, but my biggest advice is to use extremely dead bananas and when in doubt: use your kitchen scale and follow the gram measurements provided in the recipe below.

Dead bananas vary in weight and size, and measuring them will allow for more precision and similar results! If you want to add an extra boost of banana flavor, you can top each muffin batter with 2-3 very thin slices of banana right before baking (as shown in the photo above). Just remember to use a slightly less ripe banana for this step.

So.fluffy.

Banana Chocolate Chunk Espresso Muffins

4.5 stars (2 ratings)

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Yield: 11 Standard Muffins

Prep: 20 minutes minutes

Cook: 25 minutes minutes

Total: 45 minutes minutes

These banana chocolate chunk espresso muffins are made with part whole wheat flour, couldn’t be easier to make, and are infused with instant espresso powder and studded with dark chocolate chunks!

Equipment

• USA 12-Cup Muffin Pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup (120 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (60 g) whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour
• 1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder I recomend Medalgia d’Oro brand
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 6 tablespoons (90 g; 3 oz) unsalted butter softened
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (250 g) mashed very ripe banana roughly 4 bananas
• ⅓ cup (80 mL) whole or low-fat milk
• 3 ounces (85 g) chopped semisweet chocolate
• demerara or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a standard muffin pan with liners or grease the pan  lightly. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, espresso powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and allspice. Set aside.
• Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment. Beat the butter at low speed for about 30 seconds. Turn the mixer to medium speed and slowly add the granulated sugar, creaming the butter and sugar until it is light in color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add one egg at a time, and mix until each egg is incorporated fully. Scrape the bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
• Add the mashed banana and vanilla, and mix over low speed until just blended (the mixture will look slightly broken). Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with two additions of milk. Beat at low speed until just combined. Scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the chopped bittersweet chocolate.
• Using a spoon or batter scoop, divide the batter evenly among the muffin pan–this recipe will make 11 muffins. Bake for 23 to 26 minutes, or until the muffins are springy to touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the muffin tin on cooling rack, and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Remove the muffins from pan, place on a cooling rack, and eat warm or allow to cool to room temperature.
• Muffins best served the day of baking, but can be stored in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for an additional 2 to 3 days. Place a paper towel over the surface of the muffins to prevent gumminess on the surface during storage.

Tips for Success:

• Dead bananas vary in weight and size, and measuring them will allow for more precision and similar results! If you want to add an extra boost of banana flavor, you can top each muffin batter with 2 to 3 very thin slices of banana right before baking (as shown in the photo above). Just remember to use a slightly less ripe banana for this step.

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 250kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 343mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 22g

Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate

Course: Quick Breads and Muffins

Cuisine: American