Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (with mayonnaise)

If you love a rich banana muffin loaded with chocolate flavor, I’ve got a treat for you. These delicious muffins are easy to make and packed full of flavor! 

Chocolate and Bananas? 

As I type those words I’m reminded of an experience I had years ago on Balboa Island in California. We were on summer vacation and my dad took us (by car, via the ferry) to Balboa island. 

If you’ve been there, you know it’s a gorgeous little island similar to what you’d find in, say, Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket. Only, this is planted in Orange County, California. 

Balboa is known for their patriotism (flags flying everywhere and bunting on the houses and buildings). It’s also know for it’s adorable little shops. But Balboa is known for something else, too: chocolate covered bananas. 

Chocolate Covered Bananas? 

Take a frozen banana, dip it in chocolate, then cover it in nuts. Or sprinkles. Or whatever you like. 

It’s kind of like a Dairy Queen dip cone, in that the chocolate freezes onto the banana. But my oh my, is it ever delicious! I get mine with peanuts or pecans. So yummy. 

That same flavor combination makes up this wonderful banana chocolate chip recipe. It calls for just the right amount of chocolate. And there’s another secret ingredient that sends these muffins over the top: mayonnaise. 

Baking with Mayonnaise

If you’ve followed me for any length of time you know that I love to bake with mayonnaise. It is loaded with eggs, oil, and vinegar, all ingredients you find in most baked goods.

With the addition of mayo you can skip some of the usual oil, butter, or eggs from recipes. 

More about that in a minute. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need to make these delicious muffins. And let me just say, this is a great way to use up that bunch of bananas you’re tempted to throw out!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. 

FOR THE MUFFINS:

• overripe bananas
• whole fat mayonnaise (add a full cup if your bananas are small/medium in size)
• large egg
• granulated sugar (white sugar)
• vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt (if you use unsalted butter)
• chopped pecans
• chocolate chips

FOR THE TOPPING (optional):

• room temperature butter
• all-purpose flour
• brown sugar

How to Make these Delicious Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Prepare two muffin tins. (This recipe will make 15 – 18 muffins, depending on how high you fill your cups. I recommend not over-filling them.) 

Make the Muffins

Place the fresh bananas in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Mash them well. 

Add mayonnaise, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. 

Add sugar and mix well. 

Add your other dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) but hold back about 1/4 cup of flour to coat the chips. Mix well. 

Coat chips in remaining flour and put them (and any excess flour) into the mixing bowl.

Fold in. 

Scoop into prepared muffin cups. I opted to use paper liners because I’m taking these to an inner city ministry and thought it might be more sanitary to transport them this way. 

Make your Topping

Place room temperature butter, flour, and brown sugar in bowl and mix until it becomes a paste. 

Scoop with spoon and pinch off small pieces to put on top of the muffin batter. Make sure you don’t get it too close to the edges. It will spread while baking. (Ask me how I know!) 

Place in preheated 350 degree oven. 

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the top of the muffins are golden brown. 

Remove and place on wire rack to cool.

If your topping spilled out over the edges (like mine did. . .oops!) use a slightly larger circle cutter to clean up the edges while they’re still warm. (I accidentally shorted my topping a half cup of flour, which is why it spread, so yours might be fine. I’ve adjusted the recipe for you. Do as I say, not as I do.) 

After about ten minutes pull the cupcakes out of the tins and place them directly on wire racks to continue cooling. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Muffins can be store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Be sure to put them in an airtight container, either way. They’ll stay good 2 – 3 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge. 

What to Expect from these Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

If you tasted my banana bread with mayonnaise you know that this recipe is delicious. I wasn’t sure how they would bake up in muffin form, but I certainly wasn’t disappointed. These were delicious! And talk about a moist banana muffin.

These really take the cake. . .literally!

They’re soft and cake-like and loaded with that luscious chocolate chip flavor! These muffins are similar to a classic banana bread. . .but softer!

I would probably take more care with the topping next time. But other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing! 

Variations on this Recipe

Oats: I think it would have helped the topping to have a half cup of oats. Next time I’m definitely going to do that. 

Pecans: Next time I’ll add half a cup to the batter and another half cup to the topping. (Delicious!) The only reason I didn’t do that this time was because I’m taking them to people I don’t know and they might not be fans of nuts. 

Mini muffins: Make these in a mini muffin pan and feed a crew!

Other Banana Recipes from Out of the Box Baking

If you love bananas, we’ve got you covered! We’ve go an abundance of banana-themed recipes here at Out of the Box Baking. Here are some fan favorites: 

Starter Discard Banana Bread: If you’ve got some leftover sourdough starter and need a way to use it, then this recipe is perfect for you. This is a delicious and simple banana bread that calls for 8 ounces of unfed starter. 

Banana Berry Chiffon Cake: If you love banana bread but you’re looking for something lighter, fluffier, and with a hint of berry flavor, this is the recipe for you! This simple from scratch banana chiffon cake is simple and foolproof! 

Caramel Pecan Banana Bread: If you love a delicious banana bread but need one that comes together in a jiffy, have I got the perfect recipe for you! In this post I’m going to show you how to make a simple but delicious caramel pecan banana bread that starts with a box of cake mix. 

Banana Blueberry Loaf: If you’ve looking for a terrific recipe to use up those over ripe bananas, I’ve got the perfect one for you! This banana loaf pairs blueberries and bananas and adds a simple streusel topping that’s sure to please!

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious banana chocolate chip muffin recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

See this recipe at

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

The Lazy Gastronome

Busy Monday 

Learn more about doctored cake mixes, the theme of this blog. 

For the master list of all doctored cake mix recipes on this site, visit Doctored Cake Mix Recipes, Master List. 

About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.