Double Chocolate Banana Muffins with Peanut Butter Filling

These double chocolate banana muffins are rich and fudgy, topped with mini chocolate chips, and have a swirl of creamy peanut butter inside. Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or snack time.

This recipe for double chocolate banana muffins with peanut butter filling came about because I wanted something new to do with my brown bananas. I needed a brown banana recipe that wasn't banana bread.

The first few batches I tested were good, not great. They all felt like they were missing something. The chocolate was great, the banana was great, but they just didn't feel like they were great together. Early batches tasted like you were eating two different muffins at once instead of one perfectly balanced, harmonious muffin.

Then, one day, Jimmy wandered into the kitchen and asked if he could have one my failed test muffins. Much to my great annoyance, he split one in half and smeared it with peanut butter. He knows it drives me bananas (lol) when he does this to my banana bread. He doesn't like banana bread on its own. He only likes it with peanut butter. I don't get it. Whenever he does this, I feel like a chef watching someone add salt to the signature dish in their Michelin star restaurant. (The banana bread is good enough on its own!!!).

But in this one specific case, I'll have to admit, he was completely on to something with his insistence on peanut butter.

The peanut butter was exactly what the muffins were missing. The creamy, nutty flavor paired perfectly with the chocolate and banana flavors. It's like the "accidentally handcuffed together" romcom/fanfic trope — the peanut butter shows the bananas and chocolate just how well they get along.

I swirled a dollop of peanut butter into the center of the next batch of muffins and, well, not to belabor the metaphor, let's just say these muffins found their happily ever after. They were perfect. No changes needed.

How to make double chocolate banana muffins with peanut butter centers

This is a really simple recipe. It follows the basic muffin process: Mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, then fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined.

For these double chocolate banana muffins you'll add the dry ingredients in two batches. Between those two additions you'll fold in a dollop of greek yogurt. This helps keep the muffins super moist and fudgy.

Fold the ingredients together gently with a spatula or a dough whisk in as few gentle movements as possible. Stop mixing as soon as everything is combined. DO NOT OVERMIX.

How to fold muffin batter: Hold the side of the bowl with one hand and your spatula in the other. Use the spatula to draw a line down the center of the bowl, then move in a clockwise circle, rotating the spatula away from you when you get to 12 o'clock, folding the mixture over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat.

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Once the muffin batter is mixed together, you'll want to cover it and let it rest for 30-60 minutes at room temperature before scooping.

To get the peanut butter filling in the center of each muffin, first fill each muffin about ⅓ of the way full. Use a toothpick to make sure the muffin batter completely covers the bottom of each tin. Then scoop the peanut butter into the center of each muffin and divide the remaining muffin batter between the tins to cover the peanut butter.

Use another toothpick to quickly swirl the top layer of peanut butter and chocolate muffin batter together. Mostly you're trying to push the top layer of chocolate batter so that it covers the peanut butter, but you can do this with a quick swirl of the toothpick. If you swirl too much the peanut butter will mix into the batter and you don't want that. So just a quick swirl to hide the peanut butter and then stop swirling.

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Finish by topping each muffin generously with mini chocolate chips. You want A LOT of mini chocolate chips on top so that when the muffin rises and the top expands there aren't a lot of gaps between them.

Double chocolate banana muffin ingredient notes

• All-purpose flour - Standard all-purpose flour.
• Brown sugar - Adds flavor and helps keeps the muffins tender.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder - I use Ghirardelli 100% Natural Cocoa Powder but you can use the classic Hershey's box or Dutch process cocoa here just fine.
• Salt - I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt which is half as salty as other brands. If you use a different brand, cut the amount of salt in half.
• Baking powder - Double acting baking powder gives the muffins their rise. Baking powder is activated twice, first with liquid, then with heat. Letting the muffin batter rest before scooping gives you slightly taller muffins thanks to that first activation.
• Brown bananas - Just like the banana bread recipe that inspired this one, you'll want brown bananas for this. I used 2 large brown bananas, but have included a weight measurement in the recipe in case you can only have small ones.
• Large egg - See FAQ for how to quickly bring an egg to room temperature.
• Unsalted butter - Melted. If you only have salted butter, omit salt from the recipe.
• Whole fat greek yogurt - This is what gives the muffins their fudgy, moist texture.
• Mini chocolate chips - For sprinkling on top of the muffins. I like to use the back of a spoon to gently press them in to the muffin tops before baking.
• Creamy peanut butter - I use JIF Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, but any peanut butter that doesn't separate (e.g. gets that layer of oil on top) will work. You could even use other nut butters as long as they don't separate!

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A few quick baking tips and equipment notes

• I used .75 oz scoop for the muffin batter and 1.5 teaspoon scoop for the peanut butter centers. The top layer of muffin batter you'll just have to eyeball for covering up the peanut butter. Use a toothpick to swirl the peanut butter at the end and hide it under the top layer of chocolate batter.
• I baked these double chocolate banana muffins in my USA Pan standard-sized 12-well muffin tin with these muffin liners.
• If you don't have brown bananas you can quickly brown them by popping them on a sheet pan in the oven at 300F for 20-30 minutes, until the peel turns black. Let cool briefly before peeling.
• How well you mash the bananas can really change the texture and flavor of your chocolate banana muffins! Bigger chunks = more banana flavor. Smaller chunks and a smoother mash = more subtle banana flavor.
• Store in airtight container so the muffins don't dry out. Best eaten within 3 days of baking.

Chocolate banana peanut butter muffin FAQ