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When I have overripe bananas on the counter, I am always looking for something a little different than standard banana bread.
These Nigella Lawson chocolate banana muffins were exactly what I wanted the first time I made them—chocolatey, moist, and not overly sweet. They feel special enough for a weekend breakfast, but simple enough to stir together without much fuss.
Each muffin comes in at a reasonable calorie count, making them a nice alternative to oversized bakery muffins.
Why I Love these Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Rich chocolate flavor without being overly sweet
- A good use for very ripe bananas
- Simple pantry ingredients
- Freezer-friendly
- Feels like a treat without going overboard
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Very ripe bananas – The darker and softer, the better for flavor.
- Vegetable oil – Keeps the muffins tender. A neutral oil works best.
- Eggs – Provide structure and richness.
- Light brown sugar – Adds moisture and subtle caramel notes.
- All-purpose flour – Standard flour works best here.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Use good-quality cocoa for deeper flavor.
- Baking soda – Helps the muffins rise and stay light.
Calories and WW Points?
According to my calculations, each of muffin has about 182 calories.
WW Points: 6
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
5 PointsPlus (Old plan)
While these aren’t an everyday muffin, they are still far more reasonable than most coffee shop versions.
How to Make Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin (affiliate link) with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas.
- Beat in the oil, then the eggs and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, until domed and set.
- Cool briefly in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
Recipe Notes
These muffins are best the day they’re made but will keep for 2–3 days in an airtight container.
They also freeze well. I like to wrap them individually and pull one out when I want something chocolatey without baking a full batch again.
A quick warm-up in the microwave (affiliate link) or a few minutes in a warm oven brings them back nicely.
Recipe Variations
- Add a handful of chocolate chips
- Stir in chopped walnuts
- Add 1–2 teaspoons espresso powder for deeper chocolate flavor
- Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving
If you’ve made these yummy low calorie Chocolate Banana Muffins, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Banana Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1-3/4 cup flour (8 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons best-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Place paper liners in a 12 cup standard muffin pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a potato masher (affiliate link) or electric mixer (affiliate link).
- Beat in the oil, and then the eggs and sugar.
- In another bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda. Add this to the banana mixture and stir just until combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the lined muffin cups.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes minutes, until dark, rounded and set.
- Take the pan from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 2 or 3 minutes and then take them out and place them directly on the wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 5 PointsPlus (Old plan) These muffins turned out moist and delicious. The banana flavor really comes through. I think they would be great as cupcakes, spread with a thin layer of frosting or sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar. Next time I want to experiment with adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of coffee powder.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home (affiliate link) by Nigella Lawson
More WW-Friendly Muffin Recipes
If you like Nigella’s chocolate banana muffins you may also like
- Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins – Smaller portion muffins with oats and chocolate chips.
- Double Chocolate Bran Muffins – A chocolate muffin with added fiber.
- Ina Garten’s Chunky Banana Bran Muffins (Small Batch) – A smaller-batch banana muffin inspired by Ina.
- Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins – A richer version with added chocolate chips.
- 2-Ingredient Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins – A simple cake-mix shortcut recipe.
Thank you for this recipe, though I try to stay away from cooking oil and sugar. Instead of the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, I substitute 2 – 111g unsweetened MOTT’s Fruit Snacks (pick your favorite flavor) or Apple Sauce. And instead of the light brown sugar, use half dark brown sugar and half Stevia (or the pre-blended Stevia Brown Sugar). This produces moist mouth-water muffins with fewer fats, sugars and calories and are about 3 WW points. Give these substitutes for oil and sugar a try in all your baking.^^
Hi Seyenna, thanks for sharing your substitutions with us!! ~Martha
Loved them… thank you
I made the muffins today for the first time and they are delicious. Will definitely be maki g these again.