How can I ripen bananas quickly?

Banana nut muffins, banana bread , and banana pancakes are best when your bananas are overripe, so you’re looking for them to be pretty brown and spotty. If your bananas are not quite ripe enough for baking, you can speed things up by placing them in a brown paper bag and folding down the top. The natural ethylene gas produced by the bananas is trapped in the bag, which accelerates the ripening process.

Can banana chocolate chip muffins be made in advance?

Sure -- the muffins are best fresh out of the oven but will keep for up to 4 days stored in a sealed container or resealable plastic bag, in a single layer (to prevent the muffins from getting soggy, line the top and bottom of the container or bag with a sheet of paper towel).

Can banana chocolate chip muffins be frozen?

Yep! The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

By Jenn Segal

Perfect to grab and go, these banana chocolate chip muffins are golden, fluffy, and perfectly banana-y.

Servings: 12 muffins

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

1⅔ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed bananas, from 2 to 3 overripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (low-fat is fine)
Heaping ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated between additions. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and beat until blended (the batter will look a bit curdled; that's okay). Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the chocolate chips (you'll sprinkle those over the top of the muffins); on low speed, mix the remaining chips evenly into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin (the cups will be very full) and sprinkle evenly with the reserved chocolate chips. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden and domed, 23 to 25 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. The muffins are best fresh out of the oven but will keep for up to 4 days stored in a sealed container or resealable plastic bag, in a single layer (to prevent the muffins from getting soggy, line the top and bottom of the container or bag with a single layer of paper towels).
Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (12 servings)
Serving size: 1 muffin
Calories: 289
Fat: 13 g
Saturated fat: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 41 g
Sugar: 24 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 4 g
Sodium: 207 mg
Cholesterol: 55 mg