Banana Espresso Muffins

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Bakery-style Banana Espresso Muffins scented with espresso, studded with dark chocolate chips and topped with an espresso streusel! The perfect pick-me-up treat for any time of the day!

Close up of a Banana Espresso Muffin standing on top of a muffin tin with whole espresso beans in a cavity of the muffin tin.

If you are a fan of coffee, banana bread and chocolate, then you will absolutely LOVE these Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins! The crumb is addictively tender and the streusel topping is light and crisp.

Looking for more banana recipes? Be sure to try my Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread and Banana Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake! They're perfect for breakfast, brunch, and dessert!

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Why You Will Love These Banana Streusel Muffins
Ingredients Notes
Step By Step Instructions
Substitutions & Variations
Equipment
Storage
Expert Tips
FAQ
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📖 Recipe

A hand holding a Banana Espresso Muffin.

Banana espresso muffins on a cooling rack.

Why You Will Love These Banana Streusel Muffins

Beautiful domed tops! These bakery-style muffins are as delicious as they are impressive looking.
So moist and tender. It's even more moist the next day! A combination of overripe bananas, buttermilk and melted butter yields a soft and moist crumb.
So easy to make. No special equipment needed. Just a whisk and a few bowls!
Freezes incredibly well! It’s a great way to keep some on hand for when you’re craving it. You can read notes on how to freeze these muffins below in the “storage” section!
Perfect way to use up you overripe bananas. I always seem to have a surplus of brown bananas around so instead of throwing them out, I always bake with them.

Ingredients Notes

Here are some notes about all the ingredients used. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!

Banana Espresso Muffins

All-Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
Baking Powder + Baking Soda – Adds lift and creates a light texture.
Salt – Round out the flavors.
Finely Ground Espresso Powder - Compliments the flavor of the bananas and chocolate so well. I use the Instant Espresso from DeLallo (not an affiliate link).
White Granulated Sugar – For sweetness and moisture.
Unsalted Butter – Adds rich buttery flavor.
Eggs – Adds structure and helps the batter emulsify.
Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Paste – For flavor.
Buttermilk – The acid in the buttermilk creates a fluffy interior crumb and helps the muffins rise.
Bananas – Use really ripe bananas. Not only will it add bold banana flavor, it will also add sweetness and moisture. You'll need 3 large or 4 medium bananas.
Chocolate Chips – You can use chocolate chips, chunks or chopped chocolate.

Crumb topping ingredients - Flour, brown sugar, butter and espresso.

Espresso Streusel Topping

All-Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
Brown Sugar - I like using brown sugar in the streusel as it adds more flavor than white sugar.
Finely Ground Espresso Powder - Not only is there espresso powder in the batter, it's also in the crumb topping.
Butter - We'll be using melted butter. No need to wait for butter to soften.

*See recipe card for quantities.

Step By Step Instructions

Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make these Chocolate Espresso Banana Muffins! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Crumb topping (flour, brown sugar, espresso powder and melted butter) has been mixed together in a small glass bowl.

Step 1. Make your streusel topping by combining flour, brown sugar, espresso powder and melted butter. Use a fork to mix the butter in. Place in the fridge until needed.

Melted butter, whole eggs, white sugar and vanilla are added to a large glass mixing bowl.

Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until well combined.

Mashed bananas and buttermilk is added to the mixture.

Step 3. Whisk in finely mashed bananas and buttermilk.

Dry ingredients, which is flour, espresso, salt, baking powder and baking soda is sifted into the wet ingredients.

Step 4. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until there few flour streaks left.

Flour coated chocolate chips are added to the batter and is ready to be incorporated.

Step 5. Finally, gently fold in your flour-coated chocolate chips. Do not overmix!

The batter after the chocolate chip muffins are folded into the mixture.

Step 6. Let muffin batter rest on the counter for at least 20 minutes.

Muffin batter is poured in every other cavity of a muffin pan.

Step 7. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners or paper liners, alternating every other well. Scoop and fill each liner with batter, making sure to fill to the very top.

Muffin batter and streusel topping poured in every other cavity of a muffin pan and is now ready to bake.

Step 8. Remove streusel topping from the fridge and top each muffin with 2 tablespoons of streusel. Bake at 425ºF (218ºC) for 5 minutes and then lower to 350ºF (176ºC) for 16 to 19 minutes.

Tip! For tall bakery style muffins, bake muffins in every other well. This allows more heat to circulate the muffins to help them rise taller as they bake.

Step 9. Muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with very few moist crumbs. Keep muffins in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve and enjoy!!

Banana espresso muffins are fully baked and are in the muffin pan.

Close up of Banana Espresso Muffins on top of a cooling rack.

Substitutions & Variations

Buttermilk - If you do not have any, you can substitute by mixing 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Allow to curdle for 10 minutes before using. You can also just use whole milk if you're in a pinch.
Chocolate Chips - Feel free to use chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. Alternatively, you can also omit them if you don't have any on hand.
Espresso Powder - You can omit completely if don't have any in your pantry.
Gluten Free Option - If you are gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 cup gluten-free flour blend. Although I have not tried this recipe with a GF flour, please let me know how it turned out for you!

Equipment

12 Cup Muffin Pan – I love using this muffin pan by USA Pan (not an affiliate link)!
Digital Kitchen Scale – This is the exact scale I use. It’s so reliable! (not an affiliate link)

Storage

Room Temperature – Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator – Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Freezer – Cool muffins completely, then wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and or bring to room temperature before enjoying!

Close up of the inside of a Banana Espresso Muffin sitting on a plate.

Expert Tips

Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. Baking in grams is the best and most accurate way to bake!

If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.

Use room temperature ingredients to ensure a smooth batter. This includes the buttermilk and eggs.

Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing will activate the gluten in the flour and can make your muffins tough.

Fill your muffin liners to the top. For tall muffins with domed tops, you’ll want to fill the liners all the way full.

FAQ

Do I have to bake these muffins in every other well?

I recommend baking in every other well because the batter spreads and rises a lot. For reference, please see photo in the body of the post showing the muffins after it has baked. You can see that the muffin tops would touch one another if all 12 cavities were filled.

However, if you would like to bake all 12 muffins at the same time, fill them ¾ of the way full.

Why do these muffins bake at two temperatures?

Baking at an initial high temperature promotes the muffins to rise rapidly, creating tall, domed muffins. We then lower the temperature to finish cooking them. I use this same technique to bake my Chocolate Madeleines!

Can I make these gluten-free?

Yes! Use a 1-to-1 cup gluten-free flour blend, such as Bob Mill’s or King Arthur.

Banana Espresso Muffins in a 6-cup muffin pan, with plates all around and a beige napkin in the bottom left corner.

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